Before Robbie was drafted into the war, he was a very good baseball player. He started at the age of five or six and played with 20-30 year olds at times, just for fun. He played for the high school team when he was old enough, as well as playing for multiple area teams, such as Pelham, Sunderland, Haydenville, and South Hadley. “His senior year record was 500 hits.”

Robbie was a Sergeant in the Army during WWII.  When the war was over and he was back in America, he thought he should pursue a baseball career. He tried out for the Washington Senators “but they only offered $25 which wasn’t much”. Because he had a wife at home, he decided not to take the job.    He was a true Red Sox fan and loved to play golf, fish and play cards.  Wilfred is remembered for his expertise as the Produce Manager at the former Louis Foods Supermarket which was the local grocery store in downtown Amherst for many years.

Robbie married the love of his life; Molly May (Kenzie), whom he met during his assignment in the Army as a Military Police Officer in England during the war.  Besides his wife, Molly, of 69 years,  he leaves his two daughters, Pamela (White)  and her husband Thomas of Pelham, MA, Lynn Watson and her husband Gary of Mashpee, MA, his two granddaughters, Kristin White and Megan White, a step grandson, Cliff Watson, his sister in-law, Barbara Robinson and several beloved nieces and nephews and great nieces and  nephews.

Wilfred was pre-deceased by his brothers Everett, Earl, Sanford, Larry, Sterling and his sister Dorothy.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 6, at 11:00 a.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst, with burial following in North Amherst Cemetery. A calling hour will precede the service from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

The family would like to thank the staff at The Arbors of Amherst, the staff from Life Choice Hospice and the staff at The Center for Extended Care for all of their love and care during this very difficult time.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Life Choice Hospice, 15 Midstate Drive, Suite 215, Auburn, MA  01501. Obituary and memorial service at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

At the age of nine, Mr. Steele began the two artistic pursuits that would exist side by side throughout his life when he picked up a violin and a camera for the first time. After 20 lessons he gave his first public performance on the violin, and conducted his first orchestra at the age of eleven. As a teen, he performed extensively in New Jersey and New York, and was a winner on the Original Ted Mack Amateur Hour. At the same time he worked in a commercial darkroom, photographed weddings for one of the premier portrait studios in the metropolitan area, and photographed for the Montclair Times.

He spent many summers attending the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan where he studied violin with Ottokar Chadek and while studying conducting with Clyde Roller and Orien Dalley, he became the youngest conductor of the Michigan Youth Symphony. While at Interlochen, he also worked as a staff photographer. After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in music, Mr. Steele spent four years playing with the Air Force Symphony Orchestra and the Strolling Strings in Washington D.C. Following his military service, he became a teaching fellow at the University of Michigan where he studied violin with Gilbert Ross, earning a graduate degree in violin performance, and studied conducting pedagogy with Elizabeth Greene. He was brought to the University by Doric Alviani in 1963, where he founded the University Symphony Orchestra. He studied conducting with Max Rudolf at Tanglewood, and conducted many orchestras during the 1960’s, including District and All-State Orchestras, and professional orchestras in Kansas, Michigan, and New York.

During the 1970’s, at the request of former student Tom Parker, Mr. Steele turned his popular introductory music course into a nationally-syndicated radio show, The Listening Room, which won FM radio’s highest prize, the Armstrong Award. Subsequently, he founded the Five College Chamber Soloists, which went on to perform in Carnegie Recital Hall in New York. He returned to playing violin and viola, playing string quartets and served as concertmaster for many local groups including Valley Light Opera, the Keene Chorale, and the Natick Choral Society. He also served as Choir Director at churches in Washington D.C., Long Island, and locally at the First Baptist Church and Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst.

In 1978, while still teaching at the University, he rekindled his early interest in portraiture and wedding photography with the opening of the award-winning Ron Steele Photography Studio. After his retirement in 1998, he had numerous exhibitions of his work, including showings of his elegant black and white portraits of artists and musicians, and later his digital works specializing in macrophotography in nature.

He leaves his wife of 38 years, Marilyn Dyer Steele, a son Gordon of Reston, VA, and two grandchildren.

Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, March 4th from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst with a short service immediately following. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. Memorial contributions may be made to the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke earmarked for the music program, or the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society in Leverett. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

William Raposa, 88, of Portsmouth, RI and Port St. Lucie, FL, died on Sunday February 16, 2014.  He was the husband of the late Edith (Goncalo) Raposa and the son of the late Manuel and Angelina (Santos) Raposa. He is survived by 3 daughters: Elizabeth Brown of Hadley, MA, Patricia Raposa of Kissimmee, FL and Judith Aufiero of Hampstead, NH, and several nieces and nephews.  He was the brother of the late Mary, Lena, Manuel & Angie Raposa, Beatrice Silveira and Sarah Sebastiao. He retired from the US Postal Service and was co-owner of Somerset’s Kopper Kettle Restaurant.  William served in the US Army during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart.  He was active in St. John of God Church, Somerset, where he served as president of the Holy Name Society and was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He was involved in the administration of St. Elizabeth’s Federal Credit Union and volunteered with the St. Lucie Medical Center Auxiliary. His funeral Mass will take place at Holy Ghost Church, Tiverton on May 28, 2014 at 10:00 AM.  There will be no calling hours. A private interment ceremony with full military honors will be held at the Massachusetts Veteran’s Cemetery at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson, 168 Industrial Drive, Northampton, MA 01060. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

Amherst, Dr. William “Bill” Hutchinson passed away on Feb. 19 at the age of 84 after bravely battling cancer for the past 10 months. Born in 1929 in Worcester, MA, to Warren and Ita (Gabbett) Hutchinson, Bill attended South High School, and received his associate’s degree from The Stockbridge School of Agriculture, his B.A. in biology and master’s in microbiology from Clark University, and his Ph.D. in botany from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Bill was a founder of the Amherst Orchid Society and served as the Dean of Sciences at Holyoke Community College, positions in which his vast knowledge of horticulture played an integral role. He was an active member of the community and a district deputy in the Knights of Columbus.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Eleanor (Riley); son William (Michelle); daughter Ellen Feld (Michael); grandchildren William Hutchinson, Sarah Hutchinson, Holly Feld, and Nicholas Feld; and many loving friends and members of his extended family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday February 22, 2014, at 10:00 AM in Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley. Burial will with full military honors follow in Holy Rosary Cemetery, Hadley. Calling Hours will be Friday February 21, 2014 from 4 – 7 PM at The Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

PALM HARBOR, FL, Robert Charlton Hannum, Sr., born on May 17, 1928 in Upland, Pennsylvania, passed away February 10, 2014 in Palm Harbor, Florida. Bob retired from Sun Oil Company where he worked as a purchasing agent. He and the love of his life, Stella Hedwig Smagala, were married for 64 years and had three children: Diane Regina Hannum Stoyer of Payson, Arizona, Dr. Robert Charlton Hannum, Jr., of Irvine, California, and Professor Thomas Patrick Hannum of Hadley, Massachusetts. They have four grandchildren: Robert Charlton III, Andrew Thomas, Gregory James, and William Joseph.

Bob was a proud U.S. Navy veteran, having served aboard the USS Krishna from 1946 to 1948, and then in the Naval Reserve until 1953.

Bob was active in sports all his life, beginning with sandlot baseball and as a pole vaulter at Eddystone High School, Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Later he played basketball in the Sun Oil Company Athletic Association League, and softball on the Greenhalgh-Calderoni championship team, winning 8 straight league pennants, 7 playoff titles and the Pennsylvania State Championship in 1966. The team was the most dominant team in Delaware County history. When his playing days were over, Bob began officiating high school football in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). He also officiated semi-pro games in the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL), traveling the East Coast and Midwest. In 1985, Bob was inducted into the Delaware County Old Timers Athletes Association under the category Official and in 1978, the Association awarded him the Andrew W. MacMurtrie Award for sportsman of the year. The Chester Chapter of PIAA Football Officials awarded Bob the Joe Barrett Memorial Award in recognition of his enthusiasm toward the Chapter and his fellow officials. Bob also officiated basketball and girls’ high school volleyball and was a longtime coach in the Suburban Little League and Teener Baseball Leagues.

Bob loved parades, drum and bugle corps and marching bands, especially the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band. He was co-founder and assistant director of the Brookhaven Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps, which later became the Keystone Regiment, and eventually became part of the nationally renowned Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps which are still active today having relocated their home base to San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Hannum’s dedication to the activities of young people inspired others to follow his example and created an impact on those who were fortunate to experience his incredible enthusiasm and honest leadership.

Bob’s energetic spirit and ever-present sense of humor will be missed by his wife and family and many, many lifelong friends.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 10:00 a.m. in Holy Rosary Cemetery, Hadley. Calling hours will be Friday, Feb. 14, from 4-7 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

Melvin “Shamel” Abner Cannon Jr. 

Amherst, on January 28, 2014 Melvin was called home to his Heavenly Father at the age of 43.   Melvin Finally succumbed to an illness that had ravaged him for eight years, at the Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton, MA.  Born February 12, 1970 Melvin the Eldest son of Melvin Abner Cannon Sr. and Mary Jane Riley at Lenard Hospital Troy, NY.  Melvin attended Troy  High; as a young man Melvin played semi-pro football for a Connecticut team.  The passionate body builder he was, Melvin parlayed his love of the sport into a professional opportunity when he became a Certified Personal Trainer.  While living in Amherst, Melvin showed his entrepreneurially instinct when he opened and ran a successful clothing store. During his lifetime Melvin had varied interests when it came to work.  He was a General Manager for Arby’s and a head cook at Sully’s Restaurant in Hadley MA.   Melvin is survived by his wife Danielle Lesure-Cannon, his children  Natasha, Shanika, Shaquella, Anthony, Shaimal, Serita, Kordell and Derrell.  Melvin is also survived by several grandchildren, in addition to his parents Mary Jane Riley and Melvin A. Cannon Sr., Melvin is survived by his siblings Sharlene “Tina” Cannon Bell, Ranell, J. Conyers Sr. Shewanna Conyers, Mckinsey Williams, Sean Cannon, Kamshia Cannon and Lydia Cannon. Additionally, Melvin is also survived by a multitude of nieces and nephews and His beloved dog Shadow.  A Calling hour will be Friday February 7, 2014 from 12pm – 1pm at The Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A memorial service will begin at 1pm, following the calling hour. In lieu of flowers please send donations, the Melvin Cannon Jr. memorial fund has been established at Florence Savings Bank.  I would like to thank all the people who have contacted and supported me through this trying time. Melvin Cannon, a loving father, devoted son and my best-friend. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

PELHAM, Gail passed away peacefully at home on January 23rd. She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on March 4th, 1939, and resided for much of her life in Pelham. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Paul Berube, her children, Jon L. Berube and Karen DiPersia, son-in-law Peter DiPersia, five grandchildren, Sofia, Vanessa, and Gaetano DiPersia, Hannah and Jon C. Berube, and a brother, James E. Barton. She graduated from Saint Anne’s School of Nursing, where she discovered a passion for geriatric nursing. She worked for over twenty years as Director of Nursing at the Amherst Nursing Home.

Upon her retirement Gail assumed the role of world traveler, devoted grandmother, and continued to be a friend and caretaker to many area elderly. From her home in the woods of Pelham, she spent her time cooking, reading voraciously, and racing through the New York Times crossword puzzle each morning. An active member of the cultural community of Amherst and Pelham, Gail attended concerts of classical music frequently and served both as a Friend and Trustee of the Pelham Library.

Amongst her family Gail will be remembered for her unending love, for inspiring and helping us to pursue our dreams, and for providing a warm home we could always come back to. She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Her sharp wit and sense of humor, friendly smile, and generous heart will be missed but never forgotten.

Contributions may be made to the Gail Berube Memorial Fund at the Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road, Pelham Massachusetts, 01002. A celebration of Gail’s life will be held at a spring concert at the Pelham Library, date and time to be determined.  Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.

HADLEY, Capt. O. Thomas Quartulli, 96, was called home to God with his loving family at his bedside on Jan. 23, 2014. Our loving father was born in Torrington, Conn., Aug 25, 1917. He was the son of the late Anthony and Elsie Quartulli.  He graduated from Torrington High-School and Clarkson College in Potsdam, NY.  Upon graduating from college in 1942 he served many years in the United States Navy including service in the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II as well as Japan and Korea during the Korean War. He acquired the rank of Captain, having served as Commanding Officer of three Navy ships and a naval reserve base while on active duty. When released from the active Navy he served as Group Commander of naval reserve units in Western Mass. Dad was awarded several medals for his dedicated navy service including European-Africa-Middle East, Asiatic-Pacific, Victory Medal (WWII), Korean Service, Korean President Unit Citation, United Nation Service, National Defense, Naval Reserve Medal, and American Campaign. He belonged to the Veterans of Foreign War, American Legion, Fleet Reserve Association, U.S. Navy Memorial, U.S. Military Officers Association, U.S. LST association, and the Amphibious Veterans of MA. After his prestigious navy career he was employed as a Physical Plant Comptroller at UMASS Amherst retiring in 1988. Dad leaves behind his wife Theresa who is the love of his life and his best friend.  He is also survived by his three cherished children and their spouses Ronald and Michele Quartulli of WatertownNY, Barbara and Robert Beatty of Rochester MA, and Kevin and Robin Quartulli of East LongmeadowMA. He especially enjoyed the time he spent with his 5 special Grandchildren Zoe, Quinn, Ryan, Matthew, and Ashley. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 10:00 a.m. in Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley. Calling hours will be Monday, Jan. 27, from 4-7 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Burial with full military honors will be in Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Hospice of the Fisher Home Amherst MA which made Dad’s final days peaceful and comfortable. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.