The Reverend Andrea Jane Heaps Zucker died at 4:30 am on April 30^th at Hospice of the Fisher home with her husband Rob and their two children, Sophia and Zack, by her side. Andrea was deeply loved by her immediate family, her large extended family, and many, many circles of beloved friends that she attracted throughout her rich, multi-dimensional lifetime. 

Andrea was born May 11,1948, in Newark, New Jersey.  She grew up in Livingston, New Jersey with her parents and her younger brother, Richard. Andrea excelled in High School, received her undergraduate degree at Bryn Mawr College (where she majored in French), and her master’s degree at the University of Chicago (where she was an education major). She also attended Brown University’s doctoral program in Comparative Literature until finally realizing that her heart and soul would never fit comfortably in any traditional academic setting. Once this became clear, Andrea devoted her life and career to personally meaningful creative endeavors, often with children and teens. Nevertheless, she was always a mean, competitive scrabble player and could beat most anyone at Bananagrams.

In New York City, where she met and married her soul mate Rob, Andrea taught theater and English at several high schools and, together with Rob, collaborated on various theater projects, including a season of summer stock in Maine. When their daughter Sophia was born, Andrea moved with Rob to Florence, Massachusetts. They made their home there for 25 years where they raised daughter Sophia and their son, Zack. While parenting her children, Andrea free-lanced as a theater teacher at several schools in the Valley and taught theater for a number of years at The Drama Studio in Springfield. She particularly loved running the drama program at Northampton High School for a few years, and teaching theater at PVPA. 

Andrea was ordained in 2010 as an Interfaith Minister by the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (ChIME), an arts-based seminary that suited Andrea’s creative, eclectic spirit perfectly. Andrea expressed her compassionate soul through the arts and was particularly drawn to working with bereaved parents, and people facing their own mortality. She led writing workshops with the bereaved with her husband Rob and, as part of her ministry, was a chaplain at Baystate Hospice. 

Andrea was a deep thinker and an avid reader, particularly of novels.  For much of her life she was a rigorous writer of personal journals. She loved writing poetry and short stories, and participating in numerous AWA writing workshops. She passionately enjoyed choral singing, dancing, painting and knitting.  She was a legendary knitter, certainly among her knitting group buddies and others fortunate enough to have one of her woolen creations. She loved drawing, and some of her oldest, closest friends still cherish her flowery doodles.

Andrea was always politically progressive. As a Vista Volunteer she worked with impoverished youth in Colorado.  She was a die-hard lefty throughout her life and supporter of numerous organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign  (HRC) and women’s rights organizations.  The last march she attended was the Northampton Women’s March.  While she was not strong enough to walk down Main Street, she made her way to Pulaski Park and rested at the foot of the podium with the rest of the enthusiastic crowd behind her.  

Andrea did not want to die and believed for most of her illness that she would somehow beat the odds. She loved her life and was blessed with two beautiful grandchildren in January. Her Caring Bridge journals meant so much to her as she battled pancreatic cancer and struggled with her own fears and limitations, hopes and dreams. Her followers on Caring Bridge found her story inspirational because of her ability to honestly document her extraordinary journey. 

Andrea sparkled when she smiled. Her kindness and compassion were legendary among those fortunate enough to have known her, either personally or professionally.  Those of us with a spiritual bent are surely convinced that Andrea’s brilliant, loving, positive, funny, and courageous spirit has merely outgrown her beautiful body.  And yet we grieve, grateful to have had her in our lives while uncertain how to navigate in a world that must now keep on spinning without her physical presence. 

Andrea was pre-deceased by her parents, Ruth and Irving Heaps. She leaves behind her loving husband Rob, her children Sophia and Zack, her daughter-in-law Laura, her grandchildren Ellis and Ramona, her brother Richard Heaps, numerous beloved nieces, nephews and cousins, her loving in-laws Diane, Debbie, Cliff, Susie, Mark, and her mother-in-law, Dorothy. 

A Memorial Service for Andrea will be held on June 10^th at 11am at The Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence. 

The family is tremendously grateful for the loving, professional care provided by each and every member of the team at Hospice of the Fisher Home. Donations in Andrea’s memory may be sent to: Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA.

Amherst, Joyce A. {Lashway} Matuszko, 85, died peacefully with her family by her side, Sunday April 30, 2017, at Mercy Medical Center. Joyce was born one of sixteen children in Leverett July 31, 1931 daughter to the late William J. and Myrtie Belle {Nutting} Lashway. She was a graduate of Amherst High School and a long time cook at the University of Massachusetts.

Joyce enjoyed cooking and baking, playing cards, her soap operas and especially her pool. Joyce’s life mostly revolved around her family, raising her four boys on the family farm with her husband “Kipper.” Later in life she raved over her eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Joyce is survived by her four sons, Theodore and wife Roberta, James and wife Michele, Daniel and wife Deborah and Michael and wife Deborah, four sisters Alice, Joan, Ethel and Harriet as well as her three brothers Lawrence, William Jr. and Harry. Joyce is also survived by her 8 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren many nieces and nephews and her childhood friend Doris Drake. She was predeceased by her husband Carl “Kipper” and her infant son Timothy. She was also predeceased by four brothers and four sisters.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held Friday May 5, 2017, 10:00 am at St. Brigid’s Church, Amherst, with burial following in Holy Rosary Cemetery, Hadley. Calling hours will be Thursday May 4 from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.

In lieu of flowers memorial donation in her name may be made to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital 516 Carew St. Springfield, MA 01104.

Shutesbury, Thomas F. Houston died April 24, 2017 after a brief illness. He was born in Greenfield on January 2, 1944. Tom attended Amherst High School, where he graduated in 1962. After high school, he went on to serve in the US Marine Corps from 1962-1965 where he was made a Corporal. Tom received his Associate Degree from Stockbridge School of Agriculture in 1967. He then received his Bachelors, Masters, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Tom taught Arboriculture and Urban Forestry at UMass for 32 years. He was a certified arborist and served as president of the NE chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture in the 1980s. Tom was also active in the Franklin County Sportsman Club where he served as president in 2012. Tom was an avid tennis player and enjoyed both salt and freshwater fishing.

Tom was predeceased by his mother Esther Houston Cornish and his father Frederick Houston. He leaves behind his loving wife of 47 years, Diane, and their two Standard Poodles, Rowan and Jordan. He also leaves his sister Nancy Pearce of Williamsburg, VA, his niece Laurie Hager and husband Chris, grandniece Elizabeth, and grandnephew Daniel Hager, all of Williamsburg, VA. He leaves his nephew Dan Pearce and wife Tracy of Acton, MA and their son Alex. He also leaves a brother-in-law Kevin Laxer and wife Claudia of Stonington, CT and his niece Lorri Ann Souza and husband Barry of Bethlehem, NH.

Donations may be made in Tom’s name to Bright Spot Therapy Dogs, PO Box 132, Leeds, MA 01053 or to Jackson Laboratories, 600 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609.

Memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Amherst, Lyle E. Larson, retired Lutheran pastor of Amherst, Massachusetts, died April 20, 2017 at age 87 following complications of Parkinson’s disease and a stroke suffered in 2015. Rev. Larson served for nearly 25 years as a missionary in Tokyo, Japan and following that served at Grace Lutheran Church in Scarsdale, New York.  After retiring to Washington, Massachusetts he served for more than a year as interim pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst.  Funeral services are 11am on Saturday, April 29 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst, and interment is to be scheduled for Newman Grove, Nebraska.  

Rev. Larson was born on August 29, 1929 to Mary Larson and M. Carl Larson on their farm in Newman Grove, Nebraska and was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church there.  He served in the Air Force as a Supply Sergeant at Johnson Air Base in Japan.  After his discharge, Rev. Larson attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and was ordained as a Lutheran minister in 1961.  

Lyle and Melba Larson were married in Minnesota in 1960 and following ordination at Trinity Lutheran Church in Newman Grove, and the birth of their first child, the young family traveled by passenger liner to Yokohama, Japan to begin work with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church.  The early years in Tokyo were consumed by language study and the birth of two more children.  Lyle was assigned to the Hongo Student Center and Hongo Lutheran Church, virtually across the street from Tokyo University.  There, he encountered many young Japanese students curious about Christianity as well as the English language.  Those were turbulent years at the University and Lyle remembered that many days the wafting tear gas would sting his eyes on his way to the nearby subway. 

Seeking a deeper understanding of Japan, Lyle packed up the young family and sailed back across the Pacific in 1966 to study Japanese history at the University of Michigan and received his M.A. in 1967.  He returned to Japan and continued serving at the student center until 1970 when he accepted a position to teach Japanese language and culture at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.  

Lyle and Melba returned to Japan in 1971 and Lyle was assigned to Tokyo Lutheran Church, which had been established at its current site near bustling Shinjuku in 1923.  Serving with a Japanese co-pastor, Lyle’s ministry and preaching were conducted in Japanese.  He took up the study of Japanese calligraphy (shodo) and studied for more than a decade with a distinguished master and advanced through the formal ranking system with many published works.  Lyle served on the board of The American School in Japan, which his three children attended, as well as on the board of the Lutheran mission in Japan, and contributed to numerous building and real estate projects throughout the years.  

After Lyle and Melba’s children had left home for St. Olaf College, Amherst College and Williams College, they returned to the United States in 1985.  Following an interim at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Niagara Falls, New York, Rev. Larson was installed as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Scarsdale, New York where he served until his retirement in 1994.  Lyle and Melba immediately felt at home, as the proximity to Manhattan and the considerable Japanese expatriate community drew on many of their experiences in Tokyo.  Lyle particularly enjoyed the ministry to children and their families at Grace, which had an active pre-school as did Tokyo Lutheran Church.  

As retirement approached, Lyle and Melba were drawn toward the bucolic hills of the Berkshires that they had encountered in their many trips to Williams College, with similarities to the mountainous countryside of Lake Nojiri where they would vacation in Japan.  They built a house with log construction in the town of Washington.  Lyle honed his carpentry skills by completing many of the finishings and a separate workshop, and Lyle and Melba poured their energies into making syrup every year from the sugar maples on their 12 acres.  They were active at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, and Lyle would fill in as needed at other Lutheran churches in the region, including for more than a year in Amherst.  

Lyle and Melba moved to Amherst in 2011 where their son’s family had moved, and were able to attend the many sports, music and other school activities of their three grandchildren Edward, Catherine and William.  They were also reacquainted with many in the congregation when they became active members at Immanuel Lutheran Church. 

Rev. Larson is survived by his wife Melba of Amherst; daughter Susan of Las Vegas, Nevada; son Nathanael and three grandchildren of Amherst; and daughter Rachel of Vashon Island, Washington.  He is also survived by his brother Donald (Lois) Larson of South Sioux City, Nebraska; sister Elinor Boettcher of Newman Grove, Nebraska; sister Janet (James) Atkinson of Albion, Nebraska; and sister-in-law Marian Larson of Tekamah, Nebraska.  He was preceded in death by his brother Gerald Larson of Seward, Nebraska; twin brothers Carl and Dale in infancy; brother-in-law Arthur Boettcher; paternal grandparents Robert and Bertha Larson; and maternal grandparents Thorstein and Anna Olson.

Greenfield, Elizabeth (Betty) (Field) Moulder, 75, died Saturday, April 15, 2017, at Poet Seat Health Care.

She was born June 13, 1941 in Hartford, CT to R. Carlyle and Catherine (Hoffman) Field.

She worked early on at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton and later as a secretary at Kaiser Permanente and at the Amherst High School. Before retiring she worked as a home health aide.

She loved to bake and cook and was well known for her lemon bars. She was always smiling and cheerful. She and her late husband L.Z. enjoyed dancing and traveling with their motor home and were members of the Hilltown Chapter and Good Sam camping clubs. She was a member of the Unity Chapter No. 66, Order of the Eastern Star of Amherst. She was also a member of the Moose Club in Greenfield and a past member of the VFW in Amherst.

She leaves a daughter, Mary (Moulder) and her husband Roderick “Greg” Rawls of Millers Falls; a granddaughter, Ashlea A. Rawls of Leverett; a grandson Jonathan T. Rawls of Millers Falls; and a great-grandson, Caiden James L.Z. Aubrey of Leverett. She leaves a brother, John Field of Leverett; sister-in-laws, Edith “Edie” Field and Alice Field of Leverett. Brothers and sister-in-laws Donald & Adeline Moulder, Earl Moulder, Jimmy & Katie Moulder, Jackie and Jo Moulder, and Wanita (Moulder) Cowan all of Missouri. Several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, L.Z. Moulder in 2013; her daughter, Terry L. Moulder in 2006; brothers Edward and Carlyle Field; a sister and brother-in-law Adam and Mary (Field) Dods; and a sister-in-law Emily Field all of Leverett. A sister-in-law Jessie Moulder of Missouri.

Funeral services will be Thursday, April 20^th at 10 am at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst, followed by a burial at the East Leverett Cemetery.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, April 19^th from 5 to 7 pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to New England Hospice, Partners in Care, 190 Old Derby Street, Suite 304, Hingham, MA 02043.

Greenfield, Elizabeth (Betty) (Field) Moulder, 75, died Saturday, April 15, 2017, at Poet Seat Health Care.

She was born June 13, 1941 in Hartford, CT to R. Carlyle and Catherine (Hoffman) Field.

She worked early on at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton and later as a secretary at Kaiser Permanente and at the Amherst High School. Before retiring she worked as a home health aide.

She loved to bake and cook and was well known for her lemon bars. She was always smiling and cheerful. She and her late husband L.Z. enjoyed dancing and traveling with their motor home and were members of the Hilltown Chapter and Good Sam camping clubs. She was a member of the Unity Chapter No. 66, Order of the Eastern Star of Amherst. She was also a member of the Moose Club in Greenfield and a past member of the VFW in Amherst.

She leaves a daughter, Mary (Moulder) and her husband Roderick “Greg” Rawls of Millers Falls; a granddaughter, Ashlea A. Rawls of Leverett; a grandson Jonathan T. Rawls of Millers Falls; and a great-grandson, Caiden James L.Z. Aubrey of Leverett. She leaves a brother, John Field of Leverett; sister-in-laws, Edith “Edie” Field and Alice Field of Leverett. Brothers and sister-in-laws Donald & Adeline Moulder, Earl Moulder, Jimmy & Katie Moulder, Jackie and Jo Moulder, and Wanita (Moulder) Cowan all of Missouri. Several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, L.Z. Moulder in 2013; her daughter, Terry L. Moulder in 2006; brothers Edward and Carlyle Field; a sister and brother-in-law Adam and Mary (Field) Dods; and a sister-in-law Emily Field all of Leverett. A sister-in-law Jessie Moulder of Missouri.

Funeral services will be Thursday, April 20^th at 10 am at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst, followed by a burial at the East Leverett Cemetery.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, Feb. 19^th from 5 to 7 pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to New England Hospice, Partners in Care, 190 Old Derby Street, Suite 304, Hingham, MA 02043.

          Amherst, Harold Wheeler Gould, the lively, joyful, and devoted part-owner of Atkins, friend, husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on the morning of Good Friday after recent struggles with cancer.  He was eighty-two years old. 

          Born June 10, 1934, in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to Mildred Wheeler Gould and Robert Meredith Gould, he attended grammar school and then Arms Academy in Shelburne where he played basketball and baseball.  He and his sisters Doris, Margaret, and Lucille, grew up on the family dairy farm where they learned and understood the value of hard work among a loving family.  He attended the University of Massachusetts where in 1956 he earned a degree in animal husbandry from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture.  He later spent time in the United States Army as a medical technician, a role that allowed him to travel for a time in Europe and to develop a love of German. When he returned home he took employment with Agway industries at various plants in the New England area. 

While still living in Shelburne, he met Sandra Brand via the church choir.  They had attended the same high school at different times, but it took another stroke of fortune for their attraction to cement.  They married in 1961 and lived for a time in Millbury, Massachusetts, and Londonderry, New Hampshire, before moving back to the Shelburne area in 1966.  They had a son, Jeffrey, in 1963, another son, Christopher, in 1965, and a daughter, Deborah, in 1968. 

In 1970 the family moved to Amherst where Harold–”Hal” to his wife and friends–took a job as store manager at the Atkins Fruit Bowl and helped to manage future expansions. Always the calm one in a conference, he felt that his and Howard Atkins’s personalities complemented each other.  Since that time the store has burgeoned to become the commercial essence that it is today.  As anyone that has ever met him knows, he poured his soul into the store and its employees and gave a first job to many teenagers, many of whom grew to become vital parts of the Atkins tradition and success. 

As his children and grandchildren grew, he filled the time with games for them even while continuing to do a bit of playing himself.  An avid bowler, card player, tenor, and tuba enthusiast, he loved the action and levity of a contest or concert.  When not watching the University of Massachusetts Marching Band, playing with the Shelburne Falls Military, Senior Concert and German Bands of Western Massachusetts, or Amherst Community Bands, or attending some other musical event, he might be found constructing remarkable systems of tubes for balls to roll through or obstacle courses for grandchildren to run, climb, balance, and jump.  He joined grandchildren for spectacular rides down the plastic slip ‘n’ slide in the summers even into his late seventies. The fun never ended. 

He wore many hats easily and without flamboyance.  Always there for co-workers, family, church members at South Congregational Church, neighborhood children and families, and committee associates, he also loved time with his wife.  They enjoyed bicycling and kayaking on Sanibel Island, trips to Tarpon Bay and Cape Cod, and adventures at Disney World with and without children and grandchildren.  An ardent Red Sox fan, he coached baseball at the Little League and Babe Ruth levels and leaves an indelible image of throwing batting practice while balancing ten or fifteen baseballs on his pillow-like mitt from the 1940s.  Also a talented candlepin bowler, he and Sandy have spent many weekends in the recent past haunting the Shelburne lanes with friends and then chewing the fat at the West End Pub afterwards.  

Finally, he took great pleasure in the exploits of his family members.  Over the course of his life he watched, excitedly, swimming, cross country, and track meets, and games including softball, ultimate frisbee, soccer, and lacrosse.  This hard worker, strong fellow with great character, lover of nature and sports, and man of faith and morals, brightened the community in which he lived. 

He leaves behind his wife Sandra, a sister Margaret of Ipswich, Massachusetts, a son Jeff and his wife Christine of Skillman, New Jersey, a son Chris and his wife Debbie of Pelham, and a daughter Debbie and her husband Wayne of New Windsor, New York.  He also leaves seven grandchildren whose adoration for their grandfather was mutual:  Harry, Graeme, Siena, Maia, Audrey, Lily, and Beatrice. 

Calling hours will take place at South Congregational Church from 4-7 P.M. on Thursday, April 20.  The memorial service will happen at the church on Friday, April 21, at 11:00 A.M.  In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Hampshire County at Bangs Community Center 70 Boltwood Walk, Amherst, MA 01002.

Hadley, Scott Joseph Potyrala sadly passed away peacefully Saturday morning on April 8^th at his mom’s house where he grew up.  Scott was 46 years young; much too soon to leave us.  Scott leaves behind his two beautiful daughters, Lynsey and Hannah, who he thought the world of, his ex-wife Belinda, his mother Sandra, his siblings, Daniel, Jonathan, Jaime and Jennifer, along with his niece Ashley and nephew Stanley, also aunts, uncles, several cousins and many friends.  Scott was predeceased by his father, Chester J. Potyrala, his grandparents Carl and Merle Bacon, Chester and Anna Potyrala and recently his Aunt, Linda Graves, along with many other loved ones over the years.  Scott had worked hard all his life, starting with farm work at a young age and then at various construction jobs, ending at Palmer Paving when he was forced to stop due to health issues.  He moved to Hadley when he was two years old and attended Hadley schools until he transferred to Franklin Tech where he graduated in 1988.  While there he studied carpentry and played varsity basketball.  While growing up in Hadley he played baseball on several youth leagues and junior leagues as a pitcher.  He spent most of his youth and adult life doing outside things; hunting, fishing, four wheeling, snowmobiling, or just walking in the woods.  It was time spent mostly with his dad and brothers but sometimes with his mom and sisters too and then continuing the traditions with his daughters.  He also enjoyed time with his friends and watching Nascar, cheering Jeff Gordon on.  He was once honored at a banquet and received a plaque for the largest non-typical deer harvested that year with a muzzleloader.  Scott never ended a conversation without telling his family that he loved them.  He always gave the warmest, longest hugs and was very sentimental and caring; he had a big heart.  Looking through pictures it is hard to find one where he doesn’t have a smile.  We will carry him in our hearts every day and miss his smart witted humor, bright smile and all the love that he gave to us that can never be replaced, only remembered.  He will always be loved. Rest easy Scottie, until we can all be together again.

Calling hours will be 5 – 8 pm, Wednesday from April 12, 2017 at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A Funeral Service will be Thursday morning 10:30 am at the funeral home. Burial will follow in North Amherst Cemetery, with a reception following.

A special note to our family and friends.

Our beloved Michael J Whelan, also known as daddy to his children, Michael J by his parents and Mike by his friends passed away Monday, April 4, 2017 with his loving family at his side.  Born in Wiesbaden Germany on July 24, 1978, Michael was the oldest son of Joanne and Mike Whelan.  Michael J was the older brother and best friend to Sean Whelan.   Mike was married to Martha Bromage and they share the most wonderful gifts in the world~~Scarlett and Jameson.  He is also survived by numerous cousins and relatives, and most notably his surviving grandparents Barbara Whelan and Frank DeMiglio, both of whom live in Franklin, MA.

Mike was born and raised in an Air Force family.  His birth place was Wiesbaden Germany known since the Roman ages for its healing spas and natural beauty.  His first three years he lived in Worfelden Germany.  When it was time leave Germany for America, Mike landed at his grandparents’ home with his baby brother and mother in Needham, Massachusetts.  Mike lived there 16 months while his father was deployed to a remote site in Alaska.  When his father returned, Mike and Sean packed their toys and headed south to Seffner Florida where they spent a unique and fun filled year. Funny, but when you’re a kid in Florida, all the relatives seem to drop in during the winter.  We enjoyed a nearly endless stream of visitors and friends for the short year we lived there.

So after that short year in Florida, it was on the road again and we headed for a new adventure at Tinker AFB in Midwest City, Oklahoma.

It was in Midwest City where Mike put down the real roots of his early life.  Mike attended Steed Elementary School from Kindergarten through the 6^th grade.  He grew and thrived surrounded by the most wonderful friends and neighbors on the planet.  Michael was one of the few Air Force Kids who actually started and finished elementary school in one place.  He attended Steed Elementary where he was a tried and true “Steed Charger”.  Michael was in little league, wrestling, cub scouts, and active as an altar boy.   To this day, Michael is still in touch with those very special people he grew up with, particularly Julian, Jimmy and Jamie who shared that special time and place.  After Steed, Mike was off to school across town to Carl Albert Junior High where he excelled as a saxophone player, a boy scout and discovered his passion for reading and writing.

It was after Junior High that Mike and the family retired from the Military life and relocated to Franklin, MA.  Mike was just in Franklin a few days and when he jumped in with both feet and joined the ranks of Franklin High School.  Here Mike met many new people, and made many friends, some to become lifelong.

Following High School, Michael attended Massasoit Community College where he earned his associate degree and a coveted transfer to the University of Mass in Amherst.  Michael spent several years there before leaving to explore a little bit of life in and around Atlanta Georgia.  After that adventure, Michael returned to UMass to finish up his degree with a double major in Journalism and Political Science.  It was here, in this final leg of his education, where he met his wonderful friend, soul mate, and future wife Martha Bromage.  Their relationship lead to marriage and they resided at 1 Brenda Lane, in Belchertown, Mass, just 5 miles from their beloved UMass campus and downtown Amherst.  And from this relationship the true miracle of life occurred twice. Michael and Martha became the parents of the most beautiful and loving children in the world, Scarlett and Jameson. 

Mike was a man of many passions with a thirst for life. He loved music, especially Phish and Ween, and he visited concerts and festivals all over the country; he also sang for a band in high school. He had a passion for comics and tattoos, and he shared his love of comics and Star Wars with his daughter Scarlett son Jameson. He loved sports, and he followed the Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots. He was passionate about hiking, video games, and reading

However, as we know the children’s Dad time was tragically cut short.  But though the time was short, the depth of love Michael had for his children will forever be his greatest legacy.  The unmistakable, unbreakable bond and will become the very foundation of his children’s lives.  We know, even in our grief, that there is no greater love than parent to child. Mike‘s special love will extend forever through the generations. His wit was unparalleled. His friendliness and personality were magnetic. He made you laugh even if you didn’t want to. 

So it is—with a faith and providence we can’t understand, Michael, our greatest joy, left us far sooner than we ever expected.  And with his passing we feel a great loss and near endless grief.  But through the tears, we celebrate the light our wonderful son gave to the world. Never on himself but always through others. My dear son Michael, on this journey you will be forever missed and loved. May God protect you.  Till we embrace again, it is farewell to our son, father, and brother.  We just can’t thank you enough for the blessings you brought into our lives.  It is us who are truly blessed.

If only one word described your legacy, it would be kindness.  You were the best hugger in the world and will be forever remembered as the kindest person we have ever known.  Michael, your time amongst us has ended. God, bless you and Thank you.  Your gifts will live forever. We Love you so much.         

Mike, Joanne and Sean Whelan

Amherst, Beulah “Boo” (Littinsky) Shapiro, beloved mother, aunt, great-aunt, and friend, passed gently into the Mystery on April 3, 2017, at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst. She was 93 years old.

Boo was a private person who touched a thousand hearts. Daughter of immigrants, Boo’s childhood was immersed in family in Brownsville, Brooklyn. She spent a fondly-remembered young adulthood in Greenwich Village, interspersed with sojourns as a writer in Los Angeles and Louisville. After WWII, Boo married her treasured husband Wilbur Shapiro (d. 1985). Boo and Will were proprietors of Home and Pottery in Rockland County, New York, a gift and craft shop that was as much a caring community hub as it was a business. 

In retirement Boo resided most notably in Belmont, MA, with an extraordinary circle of new friends as well as family nearby. The final nine years of her life she made her home at Applewood at Amherst, where she founded the weekly meditation group, and composed many a fascinating dinner gathering. Kind, witty, warm, lover of drawings, English setters, beautiful design, tennis, and Threepenny Opera, Boo was a rare bird and a remarkable woman.

Daughter Jody Shapiro and partner Sanford Lewis of Shutesbury, niece Vicky Slavin and husband Steven Pinkerton of Belmont, great-niece Jocelyn Pinkerton of New Orleans, and devoted family and friends bid Boo loving farewell. She goes forth shining. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our English Setter Rescue, PO Box 708, Hilliard, Ohio 43026, or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105. 

Services will be private.