Amherst, Corinne Larsen, age 91, of Leverett, died on Sunday, February 19, in Amherst, Mass.

Corinne was the much-loved and only child of Conrad “Connie” and Louise Larsen. Corinne studied engineering drafting and, during World War II, became one of the first women drafting checkers. Corinne worked for a series of engineering firms, working the longest at Digital Equipment Corporation where she checked the engineering designs used to build Digital computers.  Like her dad she had a love of tools and knew how to fix just about anything.

Corinne’s much-loved and only child, Steve, was born in 1952.   Corinne was determined that Steve would have a good education but it also had to be the right education for Steve. He was first enrolled at an experimental elementary school at Lesley College and then at Roxbury Latin, one of the most highly regarded boys’ preparatory schools. Every day, every year, Corinne and Steve drove together to and from school.

Like her parents had, Corinne made sure the house had plenty of well-behaved and friendly pets. Corinne also made sure the family stayed close. When Steve moved out to Amherst, Corinne packed up and followed him west.

Corinne was thrilled to become a grandmother to Misty and Jaimie and delighted to become a great-grandmother to Alyson Garland, Alexia Hall, Connor Hall, and Logan Hall. She considered herself very lucky to always have her extended family nearby.

In lieu of flowers, please consider Corinne’s advice during her last weeks, “Take time.” Take time to be with your family, your friends, your pets, your garden or whatever it is that matters most to you.

Please join us for a Celebration of Life service, 3-4 p.m. on Sunday, March 19, 2017, at Hope Community Church, 16 Gaylord Street, Amherst MA, and please stay for refreshments and fellowship after the service.

Amherst, Jean Adams Robbins died on March 6, 2017 at home at Applewood at Amherst, Massachusetts.  She was born in Coshocton, Ohio in 1920, and married Jacob Robbins of Yonkers, New York in 1949.  They lived in New York until he joined the Public Health Service in 1954, at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he died in 2008 at the age of 85, still working actively in his field of Endocrinology.  Jean is survived by her daughter Alice Robbins of Amherst, married to Walter Denny; her son Mark Robbins of Seattle, married to Robin Kinney Robbins; and by her grandchildren Andrew Robbins, Katie Robbins, Jenny Robbins, and Matthew Denny.  Jean’s daughter Susan, of Shelburne Falls, died in 2009.

Jean graduated from Flora Stone Mather Western Reserve College in Cleveland in 1942.  She first taught music in Ohio schools, and then pursued a professional career as a cellist with the Buffalo Philharmonic and the New Orleans Symphony Orchestras.  Her summers were spent in advanced study with the renowned cellist and teacher Diran Alexanian in New York City, where she met and then married Jack Robbins, who was then finishing his medical studies at Cornell Medical School.

Upon moving to the Washington DC area, Jean was active in local orchestras and chamber music.  She performed with the National Gallery of Art Chamber Orchestra, the orchestras of Washington National Opera and the Washington Ballet, and also taught cello lessons privately for many decades.  She was a long-time member of the Friday Morning Music Club and the Kindler Cello Society, and was active in supporting music in the public schools and locally-sponsored music competitions for young people.  Her renowned New Year’s parties in Bethesda were beloved both by the musicians who came to play chamber music in two or three different rooms, and by the attendees from the medical and scientific community.  Her gracious manner and open-hearted hospitality endeared her to many visiting scientists from abroad who came to work in research at NIH, as well as to numerous musicians both local and those who came as visitors to the Washington area.

In the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, where she moved in 2009, Jean took over concert organizing at Applewood for several years, was a devoted and generous supporter of Arcadia Players, and was a frequent concert-goer who enjoyed the rich diversity of classical music in western Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, Jean’s family suggests donations to Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst Massachusetts, to Arcadia Players of Northampton, Massachusetts, to the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, or any classical music organization of your choice, as a recognition and continuation of her generous support of music over many decades.

East Longmeadow – Long time Pelham resident William Nathan Fuller, 85, died Wednesday March 1^st 2017 at the East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center following a long-term illness.

Born in Farmington, CT., to the late Nathan and Rebecca Fuller, he moved to Ashfield, MA as a teenager where he attended Sanderson Academy where he excelled at basketball while setting several scoring records. After graduation he enlisted in the Army and served during the Korean War.

After the war he met his future wife Beverly Perron, married in 1957 and started their family in Ashfield. They then moved to Pelham in 1963 where Bill started working at The First National Bank of Amherst, where later he retired from the position of Vice President.

Bill was an avid golfer and held a longtime membership at Amherst Golf Course. He was a fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics keeping constant track of their statistics which carried into his grandchildren’s sports teams where he was an even bigger fan and he never missed a game.

Bill is survived by his wife Beverly Fuller of Pelham, his children Lewis Fuller of Myrtle Beach South Carolina, Douglas Fuller and his longtime girlfriend Jody Powell and her two daughters Jennifer (Boron) and Jillian all of Shutesbury, Michael Fuller of Amherst, Steven Fuller of Pelham and Elaine F Ryan of Pelham. Along with Bill’s four grandchildren, Brian Fuller, and triplet girls Ashley, Brianna, and Carissa Fuller all of Pelham and their mother Deborah of South Hadley. He is also survived by countless friends including longtime dedicated friend Rich Davis.

Calling hours will be held Tuesday March 7^th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A graveside Funeral service will be Wednesday March 8^th at North Valley Cemetery in Pelham at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers you can donate to Alzheimer’s Association P.O. Box 96011 Washington, DC 20090-6011 or a charity of your choice. 

AMHERST, Marian S. (Brown) Brown of Amherst passed away peacefully on February 27, 2017.  She was born in Hibbing, Minnesota on May 11, 1921 to Lawrence W. and Margaret (Grogan) Brown. 

Marian was the beloved wife of the late Bruce G. Brown with whom she shared 69 joyful years – marrying after knowing each other only 17 days.  She lived in Amherst for 70 years, most of the time on Bay Road in South Amherst, the last four years at The Arbors in Amherst where she made wonderful new friends and was looked after by a caring and loving staff.

Graduating from the University of Minnesota at Duluth, Marian taught briefly in Minnesota before taking a position teaching English in Everett, WA where she met Bruce who was serving as a legal officer in the United States Air Force. They moved back to Bruce’s hometown of Amherst in 1946. 

In addition to raising her two children, Marian was actively involved in Brownie and Girl Scout Troops, the Friendly Town program that brought children from Harlem to Amherst each summer, and the South Amherst Thursday Club. 

Marian over the years loved painting, skiing and golf, and was an avid Red Sox fan.  She also enjoyed traveling, with special trips to Italy, England, Spain, Greece and Norway as well as to her winter home in Florida.

She also loved poetry and was known and admired for her ability to recite many of her favorites.  In a somewhat different vein, she was also an accomplished joke teller, somehow never cracking a smile or forgetting a punch line.  Despite an active schedule she always found time to complete the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle – typically by the end of the day.  She was a very doting and generous grandmother to her five grandchildren.

Two special relationships that gave Marian great joy began in the 1950s and continued for the rest of her life. Leslie Kremer, a neighbor’s child, was welcomed to the family so that she could finish high school when her family left the area.  Niels Peter Thorshaug, from Norway, joined the family as the first AFS (American Field Service) student in Amherst.  Both Leslie, living in Maine, and Niels, living in Norway, have maintained their connection by communicating and visiting regularly, including most recently, Marian’s milestone birthdays of 90 and 95.  Marian’s children, Margaret and Jeff, fondly refer to Leslie and Niels as Marian’s “good children”.

Marian is survived her daughter Margaret Shullaw and husband Steve Shullaw of Coralville, Iowa; her son Jeff Brown and wife Deb Brown of Amherst; two granddaughters, Amy Cox and husband Shawn Gunst of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Kate Platis and husband Jim Platis of Chicago, Illinois; three grandsons, Douglas Cox of Huntington Beach, California, Peter Brown of New York City, New York and Jack Brown and wife Jessica Brown of Amherst; great granddaughter Hannah Brown of Amherst; her sister Betty Hall of East Lansing, Michigan; and her dear friend Connie Hamilton of Amherst.  She was predeceased by her husband Bruce G. Brown, her brothers Colin, Robert and Donald and her sister Harriet Davis.

A private celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Amherst, Victor E Guevara (Cuco) passed away peacefully with his loving wife Gloria Guevara (Goggie) by his side in the early morning of February 23, 2017. Victor was born on July 24, 1939 in the beautiful town of Patillas, Puerto Rico to Virginia Colon and Juan Guevara. Victor had three siblings; Juan Guevara (Johnny), who passed away in 1982, Pedro Guevara and Virginia Guevara live in Puerto Rico and travelled to Amherst to be by his side recently.

When Victor was 13, he fell in love with Gloria, who was 12 at the time. While at a dance celebrating the patron saint of their hometown Patillas, a famous band played “Compadre Pedro Juan” and Victor gathered the courage to go up to Gloria and ask her to dance. Thankfully, she agreed to dance and this marked the beginning of their everlasting love and commitment to each other. Years later, they married and had two children, Marta and Gustavo Guevara, who is married to Kim Guevara. They now have 5 grandchildren; Tatiana, who is married to Andrew Moylan, Alyssa, who is married to Michael Santos, Gabriel, who is married to Yaritza Scott, Javier and Olivia and 2 great-granddaughters (Chloe and Lorelai). Victor and Gloria were sweethearts who were married for over 56 years!

Family was everything to Victor and he gave them all unconditional love. He lost his father when he was 5 and was raised by his mother and grandmother Guadalupe, who were loving, hard working women, devoted to him and his siblings. According to his mother, Victor loved learning and was always an inquisitive child. She encouraged Victor, her second son, to study to be a priest and sent him to the Manresa Seminary, in the town of Aibonito, Puerto Rico. This experience opened his eyes and mind to the love of learning about other cultures, music, languages, history, sports and many more beautiful things. Victor cherished this experience his entire life.

Victor loved people and he treasured his friends. He knew people from all over the world, from all walks of life and adored having conversations in person or over the phone with those he knew and loved. He was genuinely interested in getting to know everyone he came in touch with and always greeted them with enthusiasm and infinite positivity. There was no such thing as a short errand because he spoke with everyone he came in contact with and left them feeling better than when they started the conversation with him. He was always eager to lend a helping hand and did so without expecting anything in return. He never judged people, choosing to highlight their virtues and potential for greatness.

Victor spoke often about the great teachers he had, in addition to his family, and became interested in following in their footsteps. When his family moved to Amherst in 1974 for his wife to pursue a doctoral degree, Victor decided to study Spanish and Education at the University of Massachusetts. He worked as an adult literacy educator and a high school teacher. He retired early from Holyoke High School, following an illness, but he continued being a teacher to many. He kept in touch with countless students and remained a part of their lives and that of their loved ones.

Victor served his community in many ways, especially as an ambassador for the Puerto Rican people and culture. He was committed to the study of the island’s history and people, as well as the Spanish language. He followed island politics daily and stayed close to popular culture in Puerto Rico. He treasured his daily conversations about the political reality of the island with many and made it a point to read the newspapers from the island daily and watch the evening news. Everyone who knew him quickly learned about his love of Puerto Rico and his devotion to his home town and being “Patillense”.

Victor was a lover of music…all music. He attended as many music concerts, lectures and celebrations as he could. He loved having the opportunity to enjoy all of the cultural events available in his community and was an avid supporter of the Arts in general. He was a fixture in all of the art and music venues in our area and prided himself in enjoying all performances. He was a champion volunteer, devoted collaborator and loyal supporter of Public radio for over 30 years. He enjoyed working alongside his friends who hosted different shows, especially “Tertulia” on WFCR.

Victor loved to travel and did so all over the world. He was in awe of previous civilizations and loved exploring and learning. He was an avid reader and writer who revered words. He wrote many letters to the editors of local and Puerto Rican newspapers and awaited responses from the community with great excitement. He was never bored and refused to understand the concept.

Victor was a man who lived life to the fullest and was grateful for everything he was able to experience and enjoy. His enthusiasm and never ending optimism led him to dislike traditional wakes and funerals, always choosing to remember loved ones in the best of times. Following his wishes, his family has chosen to celebrate his life with the friends and community members he loved. Please join us for an afternoon of food, music and memories on March 11, 2017 at the Unitarian Church in the center of Amherst starting at 1:30 p.m.

 
She graduated from Lowell High School, class of 1942. Prior to her retirement, she was the bookkeeper for Synthetic Yarns.  June loved the City of Lowell and enjoyed many summers at Hampton Beach NH and “out to camp” at Long Pond in Dracut. She was also fond of her many VW Beetles.

 
She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Breen and her husband Paul of Amherst, MA and her son Thomas Callahan and his wife Lisa of Farmington Hills, Michigan; one sister, Beverly Begley of Chelmsford, MA and one brother Chapin Webb of Tyngsboro, MA.

 
She was predeceased by her two sisters, Marjorie Collins of Portland, Oregon and Shirley Gardiner of Ferndale, Washington and one brother, Jackson Webb of Lowell, MA. She also leaves four grandchildren, Andrea and Eric Breen and Cassie and Spencer Callahan and several nieces and nephews.

 
It being her request, all services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Burial will be at the Lowell Cemetery.

June Webb Callahan

Bookkeeper

Amherst, MA, June L. (Webb) Callahan, daughter of the late Frank and Mary A. (Bates) Webb, and the beloved wife of the late John F. Callahan passed away on February 26, 2017 at the age of 92.  She graduated from Lowell High School, class of 1942. Prior to her retirement, she was the bookkeeper for Synthetic Yarns.  June loved the City of Lowell and enjoyed many summers at Hampton Beach NH and “out to camp” at Long Pond in Dracut. She was also fond of her many VW Beetles. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Breen and her husband Paul of Amherst, MA and her son Thomas Callahan and his wife Lisa of Farmington Hills, Michigan; one sister, Beverly Begley of Chelmsford, MA and one brother Chapin Webb of Tyngsboro, MA. She was predeceased by her two sisters, Marjorie Collins of Portland, Oregon and Shirley Gardiner of Ferndale, Washington and one brother, Jackson Webb of Lowell, MA. She also leaves four grandchildren, Andrea and Eric Breen and Cassie and Spencer Callahan and several nieces and nephews. It being her request, all services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Burial will be at the Lowell Cemetery.

Florence Marguerite Boynton (nee Prenney), born 12/24/1922, died quietly in her home with her child and grandchild with her, on February 13, 2017.  Mrs. Boynton was born in 1922 in Everett, MA to Genevieve MacDonald Prenney and Joseph Prenney.  She graduated from Everett High School and the Bryant Stratton College in Boston.  She married Lloyd Coffin Boynton in 1942, settled in Groveland, MA and had one child, Anne.  She was active in Groveland, chairing the Finance Committee, scoring Little League games, and running an insurance agency, a plumbing company, and a law office.  She was the model of a working mother for her daughter, in a time when mothers didn’t tend to work outside the home. After the death of her husband in 1994, she moved to Amherst.  She was active in the South Congregational Church, Eastern Star, Thursday Club, the Amherst Women’s Club, and the Kanegasaki Sister City Committee. She loved playing cribbage at the Senior Center and being a Member of Amherst Town Meeting.  She traveled to Japan to celebrate the Sister City connection and traveled extensively in England, Scotland, and Europe.  She leaves her daughter, Anne Awad, and grandchildren, Yusef and his wife Muthoni Magua and Asha and her husband Kevin Santos, and great-grandchildren, Leonardo, James, and Nadia.  She also leaves her foster son, Zakaria Ahmed Gas, a Somali refugee, who came to live with her when he was a student and stayed with her for 14 years.  She leaves many close friends from Groveland and Amherst who will miss her. A service to celebrate her life will be held at the South Congregational Church in Amherst on Saturday, March 11, at 11 AM.  Contributions in her name may be made to the Friends of the Amherst Senior Center and mailed to the Center on Boltwood walk in Amherst.