MARIAN FRANCES (PAGANO) MATHESON

“One singular sensation”

SOUTH HADLEY, After leading a bright but far-too-brief life defined by a devotion to family and a mastery of joy, Marian Frances (Pagano) Matheson died at age 55 on April 4 after a brief and courageous battle with cancer.  She passed away peacefully at her home in South Hadley, Mass., surrounded by family and friends.

Marian — known affectionately as “M” — was born in Flushing, N.Y., and raised on Guthrie Court in Northport, N.Y.  She built a successful career in higher education institutional research working with some of the country’s most prestigious institutions, but most impressive was her vast knowledge of Broadway show tunes and her willingness to break into song at any moment.  She loved dogs, golf, summer at the beach, the Peanuts comic strip, cocktails, good food, crossword puzzles, and, much to the chagrin of her friends and neighbors in Massachusetts, the Yankees.

Most of all, she loved her wife, Pam, and their daughter, Caroline.

Marian was Director of Institutional Research and Planning at Amherst College, where “her influence has changed the College for the better forever,” according to a statement by Amherst College President Biddy Martin.  Prior to that role, Marian served as Associate Provost for Planning and Institutional Research at Columbia University and was an analyst in institutional research at Tufts University. Marian was a leading and highly respected voice in the national Council on Financing Higher Education (COFHE).

Marian graduated from Juniata College, where she was a standout athlete in field hockey and softball.  She completed all but the dissertation for a doctorate in higher education curriculum, instruction and administration at Boston College and earned a Master of Arts degree in applied clinical psychology from the State University of New York, Plattsburgh, in 1982.

Active in the community, Marian served as a coach for her daughter’s softball team and was a dedicated supporter among the parents at The Common School.

In addition to her wife and daughter, Marian is survived by her sister, Janet Wood, and brother-in-law, Daniel, both of Mendham, N.J.; nieces Elaina, Kayla, and Laura of Mendham; her father-in-law, Roger Matheson and mother-in-law Yvonne Matheson of Litchfield, Mich.; her sister-in-law, Carol Kolongowski of Flushing, Mich., and nieces Jill and Beth Kolongowski; brother-in-law Douglas Schlosser of Homer, Mich.; sister-in-law D’Andra Clark of Hillsdale, Mich.; niece Arielle Clark and nephew Quinlan Clark, and many dear friends.  She was predeceased by her parents, Irene and Philip Pagano, and her brother, Chuck Pagano.

A celebration of Marian’s life will be held at Amherst College’s Johnson Chapel at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 12.  A reception will follow at the home of Amherst College President Biddy Martin.  Calling hours will be held 5-7 p.m. on Friday, April 11 at Douglass Funeral Service in Amherst. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

LEVERETT, Catherine E. (Danahey) Woodard, 90, of Depot Rd., Leverett, passed away Thursday, April 3, 2014 at Baystate Hospital in Springfield. 

She was born August 25, 1923 in Amherst, the daughter of the late James Danahey and Mary (Hayes) Danahey.  She was educated in local schools, and was a graduate of Amherst High School.  Kay grew up in Amherst and later moved to Leverett.  She had worked in the Mark’s Meadow cafeteria many years ago.  Kay was a devout Catholic at The Most Holy Redeemer Church in Hadley, and was a communicant of St. John’s Church in Millers Falls, and St. Brigid’s Church in Amherst.

She spent her life in Leverett, raising 10 children with her husband, Philip.  They enjoyed traveling, bird-watching, and the company of their family.  She leaves her husband of 71 years, Philip, and their 10 children:  Sandra McMahon of California, Alan of Michigan, Gerald of Erving, Patricia Page of Pelham, Martha Woodard of Florida, Brian of Vermont, Wayne of Sunderland, Daniel of Northfield, Neal of Leverett, Nancy Hargraves of Wisconsin, and 27 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

Two sisters, Ellen Schnieder and Mary Mitchell, and a brother, John Danahey, predeceased her. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday, April 10, at 10:00 a.m., in Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley, burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery.  Calling hours are Wed., from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst.  Memorial gifts may be made to The Most Holy Redeemer Church in Hadley, St. Brigid’s Cemetery, or the charity of one’s choice. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

LEVERETT, Margaret E. {Ryan} Boucher, 87, of Number 6 Rd. Leverett, passed away peacefully Thursday April 3, 2014 at the Center for Extended Care Amherst.

She was born December 20, 1925 in Williamsburg, the daughter of the late Nolia Johndrow Ryan Tacy and John Ryan. She attended Williamsburg High School and the Northampton School of Business. Directly after graduating Margaret spent a short time during WWII working in Washington, DC as a secretary for the Department of the Navy. Other positions she held were secretary for the Rudisson Engineering Company, Leeds, and five years as secretary to the Leverett Elementary School Principal. For 25 years Margaret worked for Sears as an office-customer service representative. A devout Catholic, she volunteered as registrar and office assistant for St. Brigid’s Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) religious education classes while her children were participating.

Married in 1950 to Roger J. Boucher, Sr. they lived for 53 years in Leverett, MA raising 5 children and were proprietors of Sleepy Hollow Campground. Margaret continued living in the family home.

She was predeceased by her loving husband, Roger J. Boucher, Sr. and her brother, William J. Ryan.

She is survived by her children, daughter, Ellen M. Hendricks and husband Bradford C. Hendricks of Leverett, MA; daughter, Diane Boucher Appel, and husband Edward B. Appel of Milford, PA; son, Roger J. Boucher, Jr., and wife Mary Newsom Boucher of San Mateo, CA; son, John C. Boucher, and wife Cheryl Reske Boucher of Leverett, MA; and son, Paul W. Boucher of Leverett, MA. Also her six grandchildren Seth P. Hendricks, Sara L. Hendricks, Roger J. Boucher, III, William A. Boucher, Matthew J. Boucher and Lindsey M. Boucher.

Those whose lives were touched by Margaret are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Tuesday, April 8, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Brigid’s Catholic Church in Amherst. Burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley. A celebratory reception will take place for all family and friends following the burial.

Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be given to the St. Brigid’s Catholic Church Cemetery Fund, 122 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA 01002. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

AMHERST, Gerald Patrick Brophy passed away on April 2, 2014 following a short illness. Born in Kansas City, Missouri on September 11, 1926 Gerry’s family moved to Westchester County, New York and settled in New Rochelle. He graduated from Iona Preparatory School in early 1944 and enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Service, serving in the North Atlantic region until the end of hostilities. Entering Columbia University, he completed his undergraduate and PhD studies in Geology in 1954 and accepted a faculty appointment at Amherst College where he served until 1998, retiring as Hitchcock Professor of Mineralogy and Geology. During his studies at Columbia (supported by the Atomic Energy Commission) he helped explore the uranium potential of central Utah and discovered a new uranium-bearing ore mineral.  During his tenure at Amherst he also maintained consulting operations with several mining companies in the U.S., Canada and South Africa, in addition to conducting geological investigations in Pakistan, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mexico. From 1978 to 1980, taking a leave from Amherst College, he managed the Department of Energy programs for potential geothermal resources in the lower 48 contiguous United States. For many years he was a member of the Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association serving as Counselor and President. Other professional memberships included the Geological Society of America, the Mineralogical Society of America and the Society of Economic Geologists. The Geological Society of America established at his urging and request:  1) the undergraduate membership program and 2) a section of the Society encouraging the Northeastern U.S. and adjacent Canada to concentrate on studies within that unique geological region. Gerry is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Joanne Young Brophy; son Thomas, Daughter-in-Law Laura and granddaughter Katherine of Brooklyn, NY; son James, Daughter-in-Law Evelyn and granddaughters Jennifer of Bloomington, IN and Sarah of Chicago, IL.  His eldest son, William Michael, predeceased him.  Private funeral services will be held soon and a public memorial service will be held at a later date. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

Ted was born in Gardner, Massachusetts, on June 18, 1925.  He enlisted in the Army in 1943 and served as an interpreter with the 85^th Mountain Infantry attached to the 10th Mountain Division.  After the war, he pursued his childhood dream of a career in illustration at the Pratt Institute in New York City.  Ted continued his studies at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich, Switzerland, and at the Suomen Taideakatemian in Finland.  During his career, Ted’s work has been shown in major exhibitions in New York, Rome, Athens, Moscow, Goteborg and Sao Paulo.  Today his original prints are included in collections at The Museum of Modern Art and Rockefeller Center in New York City, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and The Anteneum Art Museum in Finland, which lists eight of his graphic works in its permanent collection.

Ted married in 1954 and returned to Finland with his wife, Pirkko-Liisa, and two young daughters in 1960.  After divorcing in 1967, Ted returned to the United States, and his wife and daughters moved to Sweden.  This time the move was permanent for Ted, and he became a professor and head of the Art Department at Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts. 

 In lieu of flowers, his family asks that those who wish to remember him make a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.  Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

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

AMHERST, Helen (Sanders) Roberge, 85, a long time Amherst resident died on April 1, 2014 at the Calvin Coolidge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center with her devoted and loving husband of 65 years Girard (Jerry) Roberge by her side. Born in Pelham on Oct. 25, 1928 she was the daughter of the late Archibald and Helen (Naylor) Sanders. She graduated from Amherst High School in 1946. Helen worked at A.T.T. for several years and at the former Louis’ Foods for over 30 years. She enjoyed quilting and baking, especially making wedding cakes. Helen was an animal lover. She enjoyed motor homing with her husband to Maine and Florida, skiing and her cottage in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. In addition to her husband, Helen is survived by her sister Janet Sanders, her cousin Nancy Sanders and many in-laws. She was predeceased by her niece Shirley Moors. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Calvin Coolidge for their attentive care. A graveside service will be Saturday, April 5, at 10:00AM in South Amherst Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Care Alternatives Hospice, 100 Locke Drive, Marlborough, MA 01752. 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.

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

ASHFIELD, Roberta was born October 7, 1917 in Wheelock Texas of a mother who was an English teacher, educator and one of the first women professors in Texas and a father who had backgrounds in law and engineering and was instrumental in the growth and development in parts of Texas, including Austin.

Dr. Collard was raised by her sisters early in her life at the loss of her mother to tuberculosis and later the loss of her father who traveled and worked across the great state of Texas. Roberta had remarkable intelligence to the extent that by age 15 she had graduated from high school and entered the world of higher education. Her college and university life was very challenging being so young in a world of college age students. The senior librarian at the University of Chicago discovered that Roberta (then a reference librarian technician) was acquiring outstanding grades in the most difficult courses! She was accepted at the

University of Chicago and completed her pre-med course work and began her studies in medicine but due to her limited finances she had to withdraw from her medical program of study and earned her doctorate in Biology and Child Development. Dr. Collard taught at the University of California at Davis, Oregon State University, and was part of the Yale University Department of Human Development and Studies. She finished her academic career as Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She gained Emeritus status and became an Honorary Research Associate at Smith College. Her research and support for undergraduate and graduate students included studies and presentations around the globe including Russia, Japan and Europe. Dr. Collard is responsible for the Infant Study Center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Smith College, where she pursued her research interests in infancy. Dr. Collard has published a number of articles and worked on a variety of grants including a collaborative effort with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The 2013 National Journal Young Children, the publication of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) featured a tribute to Roberta. One of her greatest qualities has been her philanthropy which has included different national and international causes as well as her more personal support of numerous students through school, art and music programs, nursing and more.

Roberta enjoyed writing poetry and short stories. She loved writing silly poems and limericks. She had a wonderful way of making people laugh which translated into her understanding children. She had a perceptive gift of knowing who young children were, what they needed and how to bring out the best in their learning and play.

Dr. Collard is survived by her nieces Nancy Hilliard, Roberta Jean Collard, Ann Collard Burke, Rosemary Eve, Roxanne King and her nephews Ben Collard, DR. F.R. Collard, and Roy King. Memorial services will be held at Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst, MA on April 3, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. She will be interred at the Collard family burial location in Wheelock, Texas on May 22, 2014. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UNICEF to honor Dr. Collard’s lifelong commitment to the welfare of children. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

AMHERST, Clarence “Frenchy” Vincent Poirrier of Amherst, MA, age 92, passed away on Friday, March 14, 2014 at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in North Amherst. Born May 18, 1921 in New Orleans, LA, to the late Theresa Maury Poirrier and Charles Poirrier, both of New Orleans, LA.

A WWII Navy veteran, he spent 6 years at sea in the Pacific Rim, aboard the heavy cruiser USS Louisville. He served as a Gunner’s Mate (GM) then as Turret Captain. Frenchy was justifiably proud of his military service, and was rarely seen without his signature USS Louisville hat.

On shore leave in Washington, DC, he was introduced to his future wife, Rose Annette Stratioti, of Duluth, MN, by her cousin, a Navy shipmate. After their marriage in 1947, Frenchy and Rose moved from Washington, DC to nearby Rockville, MD, where they raised two daughters, Janet and Sherry. His employment as an electrical engineer with Western Electric expanded to a career as an electronic technician with the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, MD. At the peak of the Cold War, he worked with early computerized encryption devices, their maintenance, and programming. He retired from the Agency in 1976, and began an enthusiastic avocation as a dealer in antiques and collectibles, especially antique tools. In 1998, he and Rose moved to Amherst, MA to be near their two daughters. Rose passed away in 2008, after 61 years of devoted marriage. Frenchy then moved from their Echo Hill condominium to the Greenleaves Retirement community in Amherst. Frenchy had a life-long commitment to fitness, maintaining regular workout schedules for over 50 years, most recently at the local Planet Fitness.

He possessed engaging personal qualities that made him appreciative of all forms of ingenuity, beauty, art, food and cooking, music, global culture, antiques, and curious tools and artifacts. He loved animals, organic gardening (a pioneer in the 1960s), and nature, especially the sea. He enjoyed the benefits of an inquisitive and open mind, which led him to explore many interests and connected him to diverse people. He was a superior mechanic and handyman, a devoted husband and father. He will be remembered for his steadfast friendship, entertaining stories of his youth and Navy days and his extraordinary personal charm and humor which delighted everyone he knew. His resilient, positive attitude naturally drew others to him, keeping him close to their hearts.

Frenchy is survived by his loving daughters, Janet Poirrier and Sherry Poirrier of Amherst, as well as extended family across the country. He and Rose were members of Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley. Douglass Funeral Home is handling the private funeral arrangements and burial in Holy Rosary Cemetery. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made in his name to the Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 North Pleasant St Amherst, MA 01002. Please visit a Memorial Website for Clarence “Frenchy” Vincent Poirrier at: http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/frenchypoirrier/homepage.aspx. Obituary and register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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