Kaia died peacefully on August 20, surrounded by family and friends, after years of medical challenges and severe pain. Despite her ongoing physical challenges, she lived with abundant grace and humor.

Kaia’s childhood was filled with travel and adventure; she travelled to Sweden, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands, as well as a cross-country road trip.

Kaia’s love of animals was primary. While cats were her supreme source of joy, she also spent years riding horses, and even swam with dolphins. Music was a deep and essential source of comfort and pleasure to Kaia. It was a must for her daily existence. She attended many concerts and was able to meet several of her musical idols. These were some of her peak experiences.

Kaia’s life was beautifully enhanced by her caregivers at 915 North Pleasant Street. With hard work and compassion, they delivered joy, wit and love that fed her spirit and soothed her soul. Kaia weathered her losses with profound dignity and courage. Her compassion for others never wavered. Kaia was feisty and funny.

She will be dearly missed by her parents Jinny and Keijo, her brother Mikko (her favorite person), her aunts Janis and Marcia, her cousins Jaron, Maya, and Kenyon, and from Sweden her grandparents Tapani and Anna-Liisa and her uncle Kari. In addition to her biological family, she will be missed by a large community of people who loved her.

Services will be held Sunday August 25th, 10:00 am at the JCA 742 Main St. Amherst, followed by burial at the JCA cemetery, 222 Leverett Rd. Shutesbury.

Donations in Kaia’s name can be made to the Dakin Animal Shelter 163 Montague Rd. Leverett, Ma. 01054

John A. Page passed away peacefully at his home in Pelham on Aug 13 sitting in his favorite spot in his backyard looking out at his stonewall and the woods beyond. Born Oct 12, 1923 John was the son of Bertram C and Marybelle (Ward) Page. He was a WWII veteran and while serving his brother Bob was killed in action. He married Dorothy Orrell in Sept 1947 and in 1953 he bought a lot from his folks and built his house. He worked for 10 years at Louis Foods in the center of Amherst and then the Zoology Dept at UMass until his retirement in 1987. He was predeceased by his wife Dorothy and his beloved daughter Gail Page his brothers Len, Bob and Harold as well as Harold’s wife Phyllis and his nephew Phil.

He is survived by his son Norman and his wife Pat of Pelham, his son in law Donald Chabot of Greenfield and his sister in law Lenore Page of Michigan. He leaves four Grandchildren: Jennifer (Russell) Benham and her husband Aaron of Connecticut, Robert Page and his wife Meg of Shutesbury, Gregory Russell and his wife Becky of California and Audra (Page) Gocenski and her husband Wesley of Leverett. He leaves his much loved 11 great grandchildren John, Tyler and Adam Page, Sam, Nathan and Sean Benham, Harper, Preston and Jackson Russell and Bohden and Mariah Goscenski. He also leaves nieces, nephews and their extended families.

He loved baseball, fishing, hiking, and working in his yard. When he retired he built a stone wall the length of his property and in his nineties he helped his son Norm rebuild the stone retaining wall he built in the 1950’s. He graduated from Amherst High School in 1942 where he was on the baseball team with his brother that competed for the State Championship. When his son was in grammar school he organized a “Monday Night” baseball game on his father’s ball field where the Pelham Baseball team played. Kids from 1st grade to seniors in high school came together to play. John pitched so well he could hit the bat of the 1st graders and strike out the seniors. He made sure 1st graders always got a hit so they could learn the game. His grandchildren will always remember playing on his ledges, riding bikes and scooters on his driveway and sledding down his big hill while he stood there grinning.

There will be no calling hours and burial will be private at the convenience of family. Memorial donations can be sent in honor of John to Cooley Dickinson VNA &Hospice P.O. Box 329 Northampton Ma 01061-0329 or charity of your choice.

Andrew Rising Musgrave, 31, died tragically on Saturday, August 3, 2019 in Holyoke, MA from a gunshot wound to the chest, leaving behind parents, Alan and Elizabeth of Amherst, MA, elder brother, David, of Chicago, IL, grandfather, Edward Rising of Amherst, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and innumerable friends.

Andrew was born February 28, 1988 in Boston, MA, and lived on the campus of the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, until age 9, when he moved with his family to Amherst, MA. Andrew graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 2006 having fulfilled his course requirements for junior and senior year at Greenfield Community College. He earned his ARHS diploma, just one course shy of an Associate Degree from GCC, where he was a member of Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society.

Andrew earned a BA in Business Administration with a minor in Business Law from the University of Miami in 2010. After moving to New York City, Andrew completed the Apprenticeship Program of the NYC United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America to become a Journeyman Carpenter with Local Union 157. Andrew was especially proud of working with his Union 157 to build the World Trade Center Memorial & Museum, Pier 17 on the historic South Street Seaport, and numerous other signature buildings in NYC.

Andrew had an irrepressible exuberance for life, especially for people. There were no strangers to Andrew; all were friends. Rest in Peace, dear Andrew, and Rise in Glory. This world will grieve your early passing.
Funeral Services will take place 11AM, Saturday, August 24th at Grace Episcopal Church, on the Common in Amherst. A reception will follow. Internment of Ashes will be held later in a private service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions may be made to Cure Violence Global at https://cvg.org/

Shirley Lauder Mosakeiwicz née Thayer passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, August 7 after a brief illness. For all her 91 years she was beloved by family and friends. She had a giving heart, loved her family above all and was devoted to those she loved.

Born in Amherst in 1928 when there was still a “lying in” hospital, Shirley was the only daughter of Grace and Herman Thayer of Amherst and only sister of Don Thayer of Amherst and Howard Thayer (who passed away in 2017). A graduate of Amherst High School, Shirley also attended a business program in Northampton. Shirley lived her whole life in Amherst and was very involved both publicly and privately in making Amherst a great place to live. She worked for the town of Amherst as Treasurer/Tax collector until she retired in February, 1989. She was well respected during her 38 years of service the last 12 years as Treasurer/Tax Collector. She had the ability to keep cool under pressure. Part of her charm was to meet with people personally and be sensitive to their feelings. She said, “When you’re in somebody’s pocketbook, it’s not always pleasant. You have to have the ability to make them try and understand.”

Upon her retirement, she worked in many different roles for her church family, South Congregational of South Amherst and leaves many friends behind there. She also worked every election from open to close at the polls for the League of Women Voters and was a longtime member of South Amherst community club called The Thursday Club. Her volunteering didn’t stop there. For many years she volunteered at the Amherst police department and at the South Amherst branch of the public library.

Her five nieces and nephews and nine grandnieces and grandnephews loved her dearly. She enjoyed spending summers with her family at her camp on Lake Wyola and spent many winters with her husband Chick Mosakeiwicz, the love of her life, in Florida. She was a loving and caring aunt and great aunt to Donna Waskiewicz and husband Bob (Wendy, Monica and fiancé Tyler, Lacey), David Thayer and wife Carol (Emily and Kelly), Doug Thayer and wife Lauren (Regan, Samantha), Lori Thayer, Leann Thayer (Zachary and Jacob). She will be sorely missed.

Hours of visitation will be Sunday August 11, 1-3 PM at Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. Funeral service will begin at 10 AM at South Congregational Church in South Amherst, on Monday August 12, with burial to follow at South Amherst Cemetery.

Donations can be made in her honor to Cooley Dickinson Hospice program or to South Congregational Church.

Shirley Lauder Mosakeiwicz née Thayer passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, August 7 after a brief illness. For all her 91 years she was beloved by family and friends. She had a giving heart, loved her family above all and was devoted to those she loved.

Born in Amherst in 1928 when there was still a “lying in” hospital, Shirley was the only daughter of Grace and Herman Thayer of Amherst and only sister of Don Thayer of Amherst and Howard Thayer (who passed away in 2017). A graduate of Amherst High School, Shirley also attended a business program in Northampton. Shirley lived her whole life in Amherst and was very involved both publicly and privately in making Amherst a great place to live. She worked for the town of Amherst as Treasurer/Tax collector until she retired in February, 1989. She was well respected during her 38 years of service the last 12 years as Treasurer/Tax Collector. She had the ability to keep cool under pressure. Part of her charm was to meet with people personally and be sensitive to their feelings. She said, “When you’re in somebody’s pocketbook, it’s not always pleasant. You have to have the ability to make them try and understand.”

Upon her retirement, she worked in many different roles for her church family, South Congregational of South Amherst and leaves many friends behind there. She also worked every election from open to close at the polls for the League of Women Voters and was a longtime member of South Amherst community club called The Thursday Club. Her volunteering didn’t stop there. For many years she volunteered at the Amherst police department and at the South Amherst branch of the public library.

Her five nieces and nephews and nine grandnieces and grandnephews loved her dearly. She enjoyed spending summers with her family at her camp on Lake Wyola and spent many winters with her husband Chick Mosakeiwicz, the love of her life, in Florida. She was a loving and caring aunt and great aunt to Donna Waskiewicz and husband Bob (Wendy, Monica and fiancé Tyler, Lacey), David Thayer and wife Carol (Emily and Kelly), Doug Thayer and wife Lauren (Regan, Samantha), Lori Thayer, Leann Thayer (Zachary and Jacob). She will be sorely missed.

Hours of visitation will be Sunday August 11, 1-3 PM at Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. Funeral service will begin at 10 AM at South Congregational Church in South Amherst, on Monday August 12, with burial to follow at South Amherst Cemetery.

Donations can be made in her honor to Cooley Dickinson Hospice program or to South Congregational Church.

Shirley Lauder Mosakeiwicz née Thayer passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, August 7 after a brief illness. For all her 91 years she was beloved by family and friends. She had a giving heart, loved her family above all and was devoted to those she loved.

Born in Amherst in 1928 when there was still a “lying in” hospital, Shirley was the only daughter of Grace and Herman Thayer of Amherst and only sister of Don Thayer of Amherst and Howard Thayer (who passed away in 2017). A graduate of Amherst High School, Shirley also attended a business program in Northampton. Shirley lived her whole life in Amherst and was very involved both publicly and privately in making Amherst a great place to live. She worked for the town of Amherst as Treasurer/Tax collector until she retired in February, 1989. She was well respected during her 38 years of service the last 12 years as Treasurer/Tax Collector. She had the ability to keep cool under pressure. Part of her charm was to meet with people personally and be sensitive to their feelings. She said, “When you’re in somebody’s pocketbook, it’s not always pleasant. You have to have the ability to make them try and understand.”

Upon her retirement, she worked in many different roles for her church family, South Congregational of South Amherst and leaves many friends behind there. She also worked every election from open to close at the polls for the League of Women Voters and was a longtime member of South Amherst community club called The Thursday Club. Her volunteering didn’t stop there. For many years she volunteered at the Amherst police department and at the South Amherst branch of the public library.

Her five nieces and nephews and nine grandnieces and grandnephews loved her dearly. She enjoyed spending summers with her family at her camp on Lake Wyola and spent many winters with her husband Chick Mosakeiwicz, the love of her life, in Florida. She was a loving and caring aunt and great aunt to Donna Waskiewicz and husband Bob (Wendy, Monica and fiancé Tyler, Lacey), David Thayer and wife Carol (Emily and Kelly), Doug Thayer and wife Lauren (Regan, Samantha), Lori Thayer, Leann Thayer (Zachary and Jacob). She will be sorely missed.

Hours of visitation will be Sunday August 11, 1-3 PM at Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. Funeral service will begin at 10 AM at South Congregational Church in South Amherst, on Monday August 12, with burial to follow at South Amherst Cemetery.

Donations can be made in her honor to Cooley Dickinson Hospice program or to South Congregational Church.

Arthur A. Munisteri, distinguished lawyer and enthusiastic country dancer, died August 4th, 2019 in Northampton MA after a lengthy illness. He was 80. His death was announced by his wife, Nancy P. Boyd.

Born in Brooklyn NY on April 27, 1939, to Peter and Ines (Ziniti) Munisteri, Arthur graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School (1956), Yale University (1960) and Yale Law School (1963). He went on to clerk for Judge Thomas Swan, US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, in New Haven CT. Later he was tapped for the position of Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, working under Robert Morgenthau and then Whitney Seymour. He continued his public service as Regional Chief in the Office of Special Prosecutor for Medicaid Fraud during Governor Mario Cuomo’s administration in New York.

Arthur was a long-time member of the Country Dance and Song Society, Inc., and served on the boards of related organizations in New York and Massachusetts. He was an avid English, contra and Morris dancer, a sought-after waltz partner, and a proud member of the Greenwich Morris Men and the Pinewoods Folk Music Club in New York City. He sang for many years in the New York Christmas Revels, and later in the Cambridge MA Christmas Revels. Arthur was well-known for his vast repertoire of literary references, funny stories, and recall of the details of everything he had ever read.

In addition to his wife, Nancy, Arthur leaves behind his brother, Joseph Munisteri (Barbra), sons Matthew (Carmela Marner) and Ben, daughter Adele (Andres Gleich), step-daughter Caroline Litwinski, two grandchildren, Arlo and Calla Gleich, step-grandson Felix Bridel, a special cousin, Diane Grimes, and many nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his sister, Lauradele Smith. A celebration of life is being planned for the fall. Arrangements are being handled by Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst, MA. Memorial donations can be made to the Country Dance and Song Society, Inc., 116 Pleasant Street, Suite 345 • Easthampton, MA 01027-2759 • 413-203-5467, or the Columbia University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/adrc/

James V. “Frenchie” Pizzotti passed away peacefully at his home in Amherst on July 20, 2019. He was born in Webster, MA on December 8, 1940 to James V. Sr. and Josephine Kukla. James retired from Riverside Industries in 2016. He was a member of St. Mary’s Church in Ware. He enjoyed singing and was very patriotic. He will be missed by his housemates and all who knew him. A graveside service was held July 25th at South Amherst Cemetery.

Janet Merriam Cornell, 85, died peacefully Monday June 17, 2019 in Amherst, at her home with which she shared with her sister, Joyce Merriam. She was born in Worcester, MA., on May 15, 1934 to the late Kenneth and Alice {Blandin} Merriam.

Janet graduated from Classical High School in Worcester and attended UMass where she pursued a career as a dietician, including work at Cooley Dickenson. She moved up and down the east coast with her husband Frank; she was a pro at turning a house into a cozy home. Janet was an avid bird watcher with her sister Joyce and they often traveled on Audubon trips across the US.

Janet’s husband Frank, husband, died Florida in 1996 at 81, Janet is survived by her sister Joyce, a step-daughter Jean Cornell Lutz of Eliot, ME and her family.

A Memorial Service will be held at Douglass Funeral Home, 87 N. Pleasant St. Amherst, on Saturday, August 10, 2019 at 10am.

Patricia A. Ocicki (Walas), 66 of Hadley, Mass. Passed away suddenly on Sunday July 28, 2019 with her loving children at her side at Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Patricia or “Pat” as most knew her was born the oldest of three children to the late Stanley and Genevieve Walas. As a child Pat moved all over the country due to her father’s job as a naval officer before finally settling in Massachusetts. She was a graduate of Granby High School and soon after graduating was a certified hair dresser, which she loved doing. She also became a mother to two sons.

Later on in life Pat got a job at the Amherst School department as a school bus driver and also became a mother again, this time to a girl. Pat loved driving her bus and cared deeply for the students she transported. Sadly however, Pat did have some bad times in her life, like her multiple bouts with cancer. But that never hindered her from her passions. She was stubborn and a fighter with a heart of gold, especially when it came to her family.

Pat leaves behind her loving daughter Mandy Lynn Ocicki, her son Stephen Walas, and her granddaughters Lidia Healy and Emma Walas. Pat was predeceased by her son, Robert Healy.

Pat was loved by all who she met. She would always be the one to help someone in need and would always be there as a mother, a friend, or just someone to talk to. She will be sorely missed by all.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, August 8, 2019 at 10am at the Most Holy Redeemer Church in Hadley with burial to follow at the Holy Rosary Cemetery in Hadley.