Daniel Scott Thornton passed away at his home on November 10th, 2018 at the age of 51. Dan will be forever remembered by his son Timothy, mother Judy (Juan LIzardi), and his sisters Betsy (Jamie Fusek) and Jennifer (Mark Galisatus). He will also be fondly remembered by his Nephew and Niece Brad and Zoe (Galisatus), Cousin Trevor and close friend Michael Brown, as well as his numerous Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Dan was predeceased by his father Brad in 2008.

Dan was born in Northampton Ma. on March 16th, 1967. He grew up in Pelham Ma. and attended nearby Amherst High School. He spent most of his adult life in Massachusetts and the New England area. Dan was a devoted father who loved his son deeply. A Blue collar Renaissance man, excellent in many trades, including Roofing, Blacksmithing, and Construction. Along the way, he built custom homes in Nantucket, Apartments in California and repaired hurricane ravaged houses in Florida. Dan was currently employed at Progressive Rail Services in Palmer.

He was a walking Encyclopedia with an endless passion for learning and educating himself. A true searcher. Dan was genuine, with a magnetic personality. He loved people and had many friends from all walks of life.

Dan will be lovingly remembered for his beautiful sense of humor, his generosity, the twinkle in his eyes and his heart that was as big as his giant hands. Dan will be forever in our hearts.

Services will be at a later date at the convenience of the family.

Gloria Katherine Gagnon was born in Westfield Ma on 12/05/1927. Her parents were Harvey J. Gagnon and Katherine Marcoulier. Unfortunately Katherine passed away at very young age when Gloria was about five. She also had a brother born to Harvey and Katherine by the name of Donald Gagnon who was a year younger than Gloria who passed away approximately 27 years ago. Gloria and her husband Donald Grenier lived in Westfield and then moved to Shutesbury and were married for 20 years and had no children. She moved to Amherst after divorcing her husband, and worked at a pharmacy and then worked at the University of Massachusetts where she was a much loved worker. She is survived by her sister Cheryl Corte of Pasadena California, her niece Lia Mabritto of Santa Clarita California, also her nephew of Westfield, Massachusetts Daniel Gagnon. Also, she is a great Aunt to Austin and Shalyn Mabritto. She was caring and generous with her family. She died of natural causes.

A graveside service will be held Tuesday, November 20th at 11:00am at the St. Brigid’s Cemetery in Hadley.

Les Heath, 70, of Amherst passed away unexpectedly Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. Les was born November 22, 1947 to the late Weymouth (Bud) and Joy Heath of Amherst. He leaves his wife Beth (Fox) of 31 years, son Les Jr., and siblings Richard Heath of Amherst, John Heath of Shutesbury, and Donna Heath Smith of Southwick. He also leaves 3 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Les was predeceased by his sister Carol Heath O’Brien.

Les attended Amherst schools, graduating in 1965 then enlisted in the Navy shortly after graduating, serving three tours in Vietnam and was a recipient of the Purple Heart.

Calling hours will be Tuesday Nov. 20th from 4-7 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst. A funeral service will be Wednesday morning at 10:00 at the Funeral Home with burial to follow at Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your charity of choice.

Hadley, Helen (Kulch) O’Brien, a resident of Hadley, MA for over 50 years, passed away peacefully on November 9, 2018.  Born in Turners Falls, MA on October 11, 1927 as one of nine children of Polish immigrants Stephen and Josephine Kulch, she aspired to and created beauty in herself and all things around her.  She was the quintessential “strong woman behind the successful man”.  The crowning jewels of her life were her daughter and grandchildren. She was deeply loved and will be missed by Ken O’Brien, her husband for over 70 years, their daughter, Bonnie Bobetsky and her husband, Ted, three grandchildren- Brianna, Kyle and Shauna Seaver and granddaughter-in-law, Emily Langford, as well as step grandson, Nick Bobetsky, and his wife, Jenni. She is also survived by several beloved nieces and nephews.

A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, November 17th at 10:00 a.m. at Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley, MA., burial will be private.

Donations to honor Helen’s memory may be made to Dakin Humane Society, P.O. Box 6307, Springfield, MA. 01101.

Amherst, Madeleine Boisclair, died peacefully at the Center for Extended Care in Amherst on November 8^th, 2018.

Madeleine was born in Labret, Saskatchewan, Canada and moved to Montreal Canada as a child and then to Attleboro, Massachusetts where she married her husband of almost 50 years Denis Boisclair, who predeceased her in 2008. She was a mother of two boys and worked at home as a Dresden painter until moving to Manchester, NH in 1970 where she studied and attained her GED. She ran a crafts cart at the Catholic Medical Center and made hundreds of decorations for the annual St. Catherine’s Christmas fair.  She took up oil painting in her 60’s and painted dozens of amazing and cherished portraits of family members as well as wonderful landscape paintings.

She leaves her two sons Michael and Daniel, there wives Suzy and Karoline.  She is also survived by five grandchildren Liana, Benjamin, Christine, Michael and Suzy and many nieces and nephews in Ma, Fl, Tn and Wa, as well as her good friend Virginia McDeed in California.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday November 16, 2018 at 11:00am at St. Brigid’s Church, Amherst, with a burial following in St. Brigid’s cemetery, Hadley.  A calling hour will precede the service from 9:30-10:30 at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.

Amherst, Jeanne Juster, loving and joyous wife, mother, beloved sister and “Nana” passed away October 29 after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. She was 87.

Jeanne, a woman who believed that laughter was always the best medicine, leaves behind her devoted husband of 54 years, Norton Juster, architect and author of The Phantom Tollbooth.

Residents of Amherst since 1982, Jeanne and Norton previously lived in Buckland, MA for many years after relocating from Brooklyn, NY. As a couple, they made friends wherever they went. People were drawn to the spirit and hospitality of Jeanne and Norton, and were beloved by Western Massachusetts’ rich literary and arts community and beyond.

After graduating from high school in London, England, Jeanne moved to New York City in 1956 to join her sister, Marlene. While working at McGraw-Hill, Jeanne studied graphic design at The New School and was hired as a graphic designer at Harper and Rowe.

During her 25 years in Amherst, Jeanne continued her graphic design career as well as volunteering at several nonprofit organizations including A Better Chance (ABC House) and Family Outreach of Amherst.

In addition to her husband, Jeanne is survived and will be forever cherished by her daughter, Emily Juster, granddaughter, Tori Juster, sister and brother-in-law Marlene and Ray Girardin, all of Amherst; sister Joan Coulter and brother Kenneth Ray of England; brother Brian Ray of Australia; sister in law Muriel Juster of Chevy Chase, MD as well as her many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Jeanne’s full and remarkable life will take place on Friday, November 16, 2018 from 4pm – 6pm at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. Please reply to rsvpcelebrationforjeanne@gmail.com by Monday November 12, 2018.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jeanne’s name to Family Outreach of Amherst, c/o Laura Reichsman, Director, 401 Main Street Suite12, Amherst, MA 01002.

Gretchen Fox, who, along with her husband, John O. Fox, opened her home to friends, family, and many members of the Amherst community, died there on November 2, 2018, her children by her side.
Elizabeth Gretchen Gause was born to Katherine Hansen and Bruce Gause on October 11, 1937, in Crescent City, California, where her great-grandfather, Nicholas McNamara, built the American Hotel with his brother in 1860. Her early years amid the redwoods instilled a lifelong love of the outdoors and adventure. At five, she moved to San Francisco with her parents and beloved older brothers, Rod and Richard. After high school and college, she lived in New York, London and South Carolina before returning to San Francisco. In 1963, while visiting her college roommate in Los Angeles, Gretchen met her future sister-in-law, Myra Fox. Myra immediately called John to let him know that she had met the woman he would marry. John and Gretchen eloped to Santa Barbara on September 1, 1964. They remained happily married for 54 years until his death on September 12, 2018.

The Foxes spent the first 20 years of their marriage in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where their two children were born. Dedicated to the arts and historic preservation, Gretchen worked at the National Endowment for the Humanities and volunteered at Don’t Tear it Down where, in the 1970s, she helped preserve historic buildings in downtown Washington.

Gretchen and John fell in love with Amherst, Massachusetts, and moved there in 1984. Gretchen studied art history and taught at Elms College in Chicopee. Along with John, she was elected to Amherst town meeting and worked hard to preserve it. In recent years, she studiously researched town records in a successful effort to acquire historic status for their close-knit neighborhood. She volunteered as an advocate for children in the foster care system and donated her time to the Bement School, which her children attended.

Gracious conveners of people, Gretchen and John hosted meetings, poetry groups, dinner parties, and out-of-town friends and family, highlighted by sleepovers with their granddaughters on their screened porch.
In winter months, Gretchen and John returned to their native California, where they saw cousins and dear friends in Palm Springs. Wherever she was, Gretchen could be found on the phone, keeping up with the many friends she made over the years. She cherished meeting old work friends at Laurel Lake each summer and baking fruitcakes with a high school friend each winter. She spent as much time as she could reading, cooking, planting, and observing life with her grandchildren.

Gretchen is survived by her son, Joe, and his partner, Stephanie Schriock, of Alexandria, VA, and by her daughter, Margaret, her husband, Andrew Carroll, and their children, Jessica Elizabeth and Hazel Myra, of Sydney, Australia.

A memorial Latin mass was held at the Newman Center in Amherst. Gifts of remembrance may be made to Save the Redwoods League, 111 Sutter Street, 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94014, or Friends of Children, 245 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035.

It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of George Theodore Sulzner III of Amherst, Massachusetts. He died unexpectedly on the morning of October 28th at Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton Massachusetts. George was beloved by many for his infectious enthusiasm, his passion for his work as a political science professor, leader in Canadian Studies, and his boundless optimism, which he shared with his family, friends, and students.

George, and his twin sister, Barbara, were born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1937 to parents, George Theodore Sulzner II and Mary Kathryn Carr. At an early age, George nurtured a fondness for all things sport-related, with a particular penchant for baseball. His love for the game remained a favorite pastime throughout his life and formed the basis of life-long friendships. Although sports played a prominent theme in his youth, he developed a new interest in political science as an undergraduate at Muskingum College.

George went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1967 and came to the University of Massachusetts Political Science Department in 1968. George retired from the Department in 2006 having served, at various times, as Department Chair, Graduate Program Director, Undergraduate Program Director and mentor to countless graduate and undergraduate students. George taught American Politics, Personnel Management, Union and Management Relations, and Canadian Studies.

In 2009, he was one of twenty individuals to receive a 20/20 Vision Award from the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) in recognition of extraordinary vision and distinguished performance. In 2011 George was presented with the prestigious Donner Medal for distinguished achievement, scholarship, and program innovation in the area of Canadian Studies in the United States.

During his tenure as president of ACSUS, he bolstered the organization’s finances, led the effort to sustain governmental funding for Canadian studies, promoted the cause of attracting new membership, and inspired his colleagues, nationally and internationally, to renew their commitment to this interdisciplinary endeavor.

In addition to his academic activities, George was an active labor relations arbitrator for the US Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union for nearly 30 years, demonstrating to his students the importance of integrating knowledge and experience. During his tenure at the University, George’s zest for teaching and lively conversation made him a favorite among his students and colleagues. Between 2001-2007, George served as the Vice President and President for the Association of Canadian Studies in the United States, where he brought renewed enthusiasm and vitality to the organization.

George felt incredibly fortunate to teach and raise a family in such a beautiful, vibrant college town. He took full advantage of what the five-college community had to offer. George had beautiful tenor voice and sang with his wife Fran in the Valley Light Opera, Hampshire Choral Society, Berkshire Choral International, and the Unitarian Universalist Choir. He was a regular staple at UMASS basketball games, and was often spotted at Amherst breakfast spots, where he would gather with friends to catch up on politics, family, and sports. George never hesitated to share his opinion on matters, but was always generous and thoughtful, and wore his heart on his sleeve.

George was a loving husband to his wife, Frances Plumer, with whom he shared a love of music, art collecting, and family gatherings at their weekend home in Windham, Vermont. He was also extremely supportive and proud of his two daughters, Sarah and Katie, and a caring stepdad to his stepson, Stephen. George had a soft spot for animals and found great joy in his steadfast companion and daily dose of levity, Bean, the cat. Perhaps most endearing, however, was the delight George took in his role as Granddad to his five grandchildren, William, Lydia, Zeya, Arlo, and Connor. He was always up for a moonlight toboggan ride, a boisterous round of singing and dancing, or indulging in bear hugs as he embraced his loved ones hello and good-bye. George was loved by many, and the sparkle and zest he exuded for life will be deeply missed.

George leaves behind his wife, Frances Plumer; his daughters, Sarah and Katie Sulzner, and sons-in-law, Alex Darcy and Jerome Christensen; his stepson, Stephen Snyder; his sister, Barbara Greenwood and family; his former wife, Lee Bridegam; and his five grandchildren, William, Lydia, Zeya, Arlo, and Connor. A memorial service and celebration of George’s life will be held on Friday, November 9th at 1:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society, 121 N Pleasant Street, Amherst Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in George’s honor to the Unitarian Society of Amherst’s Music Program or Craig’s Place Shelter in Amherst. 

Leverett, Raymond H. “Raymie” Pascoe, 75, died Saturday October 27, 2018 at Bay State Medical Center. He was born in McSherrstown, PA, February 1, 1943 to the late Roy and Catherine {Staub} Pascoe.

Raymond attended Delone Catholic High School and joined the military where he obtained his GED. Upon leaving the military he worked for several construction companies and retired from the University of Massachusetts. He was fond of sulky horse racing, enjoyed NASCAR racing, the Red Sox, hunting and fishing.

He leaves his wife, Dorothy Blasko, whom he married in 1977 and a son, Anthony Michael at home. He is also survived by his brother Robert “Lee” Pascoe and sisters Sally Pascoe and Mary Jane and husband Patrick Murray, his sister in-law Lena Mae Pascoe as well as many nieces and nephews in MA., Fl., Ct. and Vt. Raymond leaves his good friends Pete and Sandy Kosloski, Bob and Bill Sieruta, Greg Woodard, Dickie Caldwell and his favorite barber, Mindy.

He was predeceased by his brother Richard “Jim” Pascoe and his sister Peggy McIntyre.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. Brigid’s Church, Amherst, First Responders of Leverett, the Amherst Ambulance Fund or Cooley Dickinson VNA and Hospice.

A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be Friday November 2, 2018 at 10:00 am at St. Brigid’s Church, Amherst, with burial following in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley with a reception following. A calling hour will precede the service from 8:30 – 9:30 at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.

Amherst, Jeanette Miller, of Amherst, Massachusetts, lost her battle with cancer and passed away on Saturday, October 27, 2018. Jeanette was born Mary Jeanette Mayes in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to Allen and Bertha Mayes. She attended Tucker Junior High School and Pittsfield Regional High School where she excelled academically and received the Pittsfield High School Scholarship. From there she went on to Simmons College where she received a B.S. degree in physical therapy and later to New York University for a graduate degree in pediatric physical therapy.

Jeanette had a great love of music and having benefitted from a series of music scholarships and grants, she received a solid grounding in theory, voice and piano. But it was the area of classical music where she excelled, using her soprano voice to captivate audiences in concerts and operas. Jeanette was intrigued by the impassioned music of slaves and plunged into extensive research of the American spiritual, which led her to be recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on the music and to put out an album titled ‘No Man Canna Hinder Me.’

Jeanette was also interested in the subject of aging, especially in women, and after research and interviewing her female neighbors, she wrote and published a book on it, titled ‘Women of Clark House, The Art of Positive Aging.’

She is survived by three sons, Michael, Jonathon, and Robert; two grandchildren, Jacob and Sage; and one great-grandson, Dominick.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, October 31, 2018 from 4-6pm at the Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. A funeral service will be held at 10am on Thursday, November 1st at the First Congregational Church in Amherst. Burial will be in Wildwood Cemetery in Amherst, with a reception to follow.