Beverly J. Baker

1930 – 2013

GREENFIELD – Beverly J. (Bauss) Baker, 83, of Greenfield passed away peacefully, Friday morning July 19, at Charlene Manor in Greenfield with her son James by her side.

            She was born in Springfield, May 6, 1930, the daughter of Marion & Herman Bauss, was married to Robert Ruder (deceased of Amherst) and in the later part of her life traveled the country in her motor home with her second husband Milford Baker (deceased).

            She leaves her son James Ruder of Bernardston, and now joins her other two children Donna L. Ruder whom passed in 1985 and her oldest son Robert R. Ruder Jr. whom passed in 2006 and who will join her in this place of rest. Also joining her in this place of rest is her granddaughter Samantha L. Ruder, daughter of Donna, who passed away in 2005.

            There will be a grave side service in NorthAmherstCemetery, Amherst, Tuesday July 23, at 10am. Douglass Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

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

AMANDA K. MUNDT

1991 – 2013

AMHERST, Amanda K. Mundt of Amherst, MA died in a tragic automobile collision in the south of Haiti last Wednesday, July 10. Amanda was in Haiti to kick-off “Lekol Dete 2013” (Summer School 2013) in Les Cayes, Haiti, the third year of an innovative program she launched in 2010 that shatters social and cultural barriers between the “Restavek” (indentured servant or “slave”) and “free” children of Haiti. Lekol Dete had grown to serve over 200 children and employed a staff of 20 local teachers, administrators and kitchen staff.

Amanda graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 2009, having completed her senior year at Greenfield Community College.  She was a senior at Clark University in Worcester, MA, majoring in International Development and Social Change but had taken a year of leave to recuperate from a head injury sustained as a third-year varsity field hockey player. She was working at Bayshore Athletic Club in Braintree, MA as well as completing an internship at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti in South Boston. Amanda was recognized as a Making a Difference Scholar at Clark.

Amanda leaves her parents, Kenneth and Elizabeth Mundt of Amherst, her sister and best friend Sarah and her dear friend Ryan Poteat, both of Boulder, CO, her brother Zachary of Amherst, her significant other George Sweet of Weymouth, her Grandparents Jean and Arthur Mundt of Hadley, and many relatives, friends and admirers.

Calling hours will be held at Douglass Funeral Service, 87 North Pleasant St., Amherst on Fri. July 26 from 3 – 8 pm. A service in celebration of her life will take place at South Congregational Church, 1066 South East Street, Amherst, MA, on Sat. July 27 at 11:00 a.m. followed immediately by a light lunch reception at the Church.

Contributions in honor of Amanda and her work in Haiti may be made to Opportunities for Communities, Inc., 260 Lincoln Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002, a nonprofit educational organization that she helped found and continues to inspire. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

DIANE J. MUNDT

1955 – 2013

HULL, MA – Diane J. Mundt, PhD was tragically killed along with her niece, Amanda Mundt, and Meagan Bell who were all returning to the airport in Port au Prince, Haiti, after completing a work project for the people of Haiti.  Her brother, Kenneth Mundt, Meagan’s parents Dave and Beverly Bell and two Haitian coworkers were injured in the accident. Diane was a resident of Hull, MA, formerly from West Springfield.  Her husband, Alan Soudakoff, passed away November 1, 2010.

Diane was born in Springfield on Dec. 29, 1955 to Arthur and Jean (Symancyk) Mundt. She was a graduate of West Springfield High School. Diane attended Concordia College in Bronxville, NY and was a graduate of Valparaiso University in Indiana. She earned a Masters degree from the Harvard School of Public Health and a Doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She has worked in the field of epidemiology and public health policy in Washington DC, Chicago and Massachusetts and was a Principal Consultant at ENVIRON International Corporation.  Diane served as a member of the Board of Directors of MEDICHEM, the international scientific association for occupational and environmental health in the production and use of chemicals.

Besides her parents who reside in Hadley, formerly of West Springfield, she leaves her brother and sister-in-law Kenneth and Elizabeth Mundt of Amherst. Also, her niece Sarah Mundt of Boulder, Colorado and nephew Zachary Mundt of Amherst and extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.

Calling hours for Diane and Amanda will be held at the Douglass Funeral Service, 87 North Pleasant St., Amherst on Fri. July 26 from 3 – 8 pm. A service in celebration of their lives will take place at South Congregational Church, 1066 South East Street, Amherst, MA, on Sat. July 27 at 11:00 a.m. followed immediately by a light lunch reception at the Church.  Burials will be at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Opportunities for Communities, Inc., 260 Lincoln Ave., Amherst MA 01002. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

AMANDA K. MUNDT

1991 – 2013

AMHERST, Amanda K. Mundt of Amherst, MA died in a tragic automobile collision in the south of Haiti last Wednesday, July 10. Amanda was in Haiti to kick-off “Lekol Dete 2013” (Summer School 2013) in Les Cayes, Haiti, the third year of an innovative program she launched in 2010 that shatters social and cultural barriers between the “Restavek” (indentured servant or “slave”) and “free” children of Haiti. Lekol Dete had grown to serve over 200 children and employed a staff of 20 local teachers, administrators and kitchen staff.

Amanda graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 2009, having completed her senior year at Greenfield Community College.  She was a senior at Clark University in Worcester, MA, majoring in International Development and Social Change but had taken a year of leave to recuperate from a head injury sustained as a third-year varsity field hockey player. She was working at Bayshore Athletic Club in Braintree, MA as well as completing an internship at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti in South Boston. Amanda was recognized as a Making a Difference Scholar at Clark.

Amanda leaves her parents, Kenneth and Elizabeth Mundt of Amherst, her sister and best friend Sarah and her dear friend Ryan Poteat, both of Boulder, CO, her brother Zachary of Amherst, her significant other George Sweet of Weymouth, her Grandparents Jean and Arthur Mundt of Hadley, and many relatives, friends and admirers.

Calling hours will be held at Douglass Funeral Service, 87 North Pleasant St., Amherst on Fri. July 26 from 3 – 8 pm. A service in celebration of her life will take place at South Congregational Church, 1066 South East Street, Amherst, MA, on Sat. July 27 at 11:00 a.m. followed immediately by a light lunch reception at the Church.

Contributions in honor of Amanda and her work in Haiti may be made to Opportunities for Communities, Inc., 260 Lincoln Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002, a nonprofit educational organization that she helped found and continues to inspire. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

CLIFTON H. MORTON

Amherst, Clifton H. Morton, 90, died July 12, 2013, at the Center for Extended Care in Amherst, MA.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 28 years, Jane Lannon Morton.

Born in Easthampton, MA on Feb. 11, 1923, he was a son of the late Elmer Morton and Ruth Graves Morton.  He was a graduate of East Bridgewater High School and resided in Amherst, MA since 1948.  He is survived by a daughter, Dale Hooper (Terry) of Aiken, SC; a son, Brian Morton (Susan) of Amherst, MA;  a granddaughter, Julie Alcantara (Miguel) of Soddy Daisy, TN; a grandson, Michael Hooper (Audrey) of Taylors, SC; two great-grandchildren, Rachel Hooper and Eric Hooper; a sister, Carolyn Feldman of Ellington, CT; and several nieces and nephews.  He was preceded in death by his great-grandson, Daniel A. LaLalonde, Jr. (DJ), two sisters, and three brothers.

Cliff was an active member of VFW Post 754 after serving in WWII as a Corporal in the Army Air Force, Detachment A, Flight 3, 8^th Fighter Command.  He enjoyed hunting, fishing, NASCAR, the New England Patriots, and Red Sox.  He had a great sense of humor and loved hearing and telling a good joke.

A memorial service and reception will be held at the VFW Post 754, 457 Main St., Amherst, MA at 2 p.m. on Monday, August 5. Friends and family are invited to share stories and memories of Cliff.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Earl J. Sanders VFW Post 754, 457 Main St., Amherst, MA 01002 or the American Cancer Society. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

Mary (Wanczyk) Grandonico

HADLEY, Mary T. (Wanczyk) Grandonico, 98, of 95 Huntington Road Hadley, died July 6 at Genesis HealthCare in Hadley.

Born September 30, 1914 in Hadley, she was the daughter of the late Joseph S. and Tekla (Baj) Wanczyk.

A 1933 graduate of Hopkins Academy, Mary’s pride of her alma mater never waned.

On August 31, 1936 she married Julius V. Grandonico at Holy Rosary Church in Hadley; they lovingly shared 55 years of marriage until Julius’s death in 1991, residing at various times in Amherst and Hadley.

In addition to raising four children, Mary worked in numerous capacities throughout her life. With her husband, they owned and operated Grandonico’s Shoe Repair in Amherst; the Little Store in Amherst; and the Belchertown Townhouse restaurant in Belchertown. She then worked at the University of Massachusetts until her retirement. She always spoke fondly of her co-workers and associates at UMass.

Mary’s varied interests and hobbies included traveling with friends, bowling, cards, reading, crafts, raising African Violets, the Red Hat Society, and the Hadley Council on Aging. A bingo game was never too far away to attend with friends! When her husband was alive, they loved thoroughbred racing.

She made friends easily. She was a proud woman, especially regarding her family; her Polish heritage; lessons learned growing up on a farm; and her beloved Hopkins. One of her most admirable traits was her forgiving-heart.  She looked for the good in people and chose to leave judgment to a higher power.

In addition to her husband, she was pre-deceased by siblings John, Edward, Joseph, Tony, Annie (Kostek) and Michael Wanczyk.

She leaves her loving children: Julius Grandonico, Jr. and his wife Marisa of Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Sandra Knightly and her husband David of Amherst; Peter Grandonico and his wife Kathleen of Hatfield; and Vincent Grandonico of Sunderland.  She also leaves beloved grandchildren: Barry, David, Todd, Dean, Peter, Kathryn, Victoria, and Gary; nine great-grandchildren; many nephews and nieces; and her sister, Nellie Matysiewicz of Sunderland.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Ross Midler as well as the staff at Genesis HealthCare in Hadley for their professional and loving care and support.

The private funeral will be held this morning at the Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst; there are no calling hours. Burial will be in the Holy Rosary Cemetery in Hadley.

Memorial gifts in Mary’s name may be made to Hopkins Academy 350^th Celebration, PO Box 386, Hadley, MA 01035 or to Most Holy Redeemer Church, 120 Russell Street, Hadley, MA 01035. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

Emil Dihlmann

SHUTESBURY – Emil Dihlmann died June 27, 2013 at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke.  Emil was born September 6, 1916 in Shutesbury, MA.  The fifth of eight children, he was the son of Fannia (Rehorka) and Hermann Dihlmann.  He attended the one-room schoolhouse in Shutesbury and graduated from AmherstRegionalHigh School.  His first job was driving a 12 ton truck during the construction of the Quabbin Reservoir.  He then worked for the Threadwell Tap & Die in Greenfield before the start of the war.

Emil was a World War II veteran and served in the Army Air Corps 350th Bombardment Squadron as a radio operator on a B-17 bomber based in Alconbury, England.  He flew many missions over Europe.

After the war he settled in Greenfield where he met his wife Leona (Beaulac) who died in 1969.  They had three children Robert, Diane and Emily.

Emil was a self-employed carpenter and, as well as building four houses, he also worked for several general contractors in the area, including working on homes in Historic Deerfield.  He also was a carpentry teacher for many years at GreenfieldVocationalHigh School and ArmsAcademy in ShelburneFalls.

Later, he moved back to Shutesbury where he lived with his second wife Dorothy Bradley and his adopted daughter Andrea. During this period in his life, Emil was employed at the University of Massachusetts.  He worked in the Physical Plant as a carpenter and estimator.  He retired from the University at the age of 70.

After retiring he decided to sit back, not have a daily schedule, and do the things that interested him and gave him pleasure; spending time with his children, fishing, working on carpentry projects and other projects that sparked his curiosity.

Emil will be remembered as a skilled carpenter and avid fisherman as well as a Red Sox and New England Patriots fan.  He is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was much loved and will be greatly missed.

The family wishes to thank the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and the Center for Extended Care in Amherst for the excellent care and love he received over the past two years.  The family would also like to thank the Shutesbury Fire Department who watched out for him in his later years.

A memorial service will take place at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Emil’s memory to the Shutesbury Firefighters Association, P.O. Box 295, Shutesbury, 01072. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

RONALD ERNEST WAIGHT

1921 – 2013

HOLYOKE, Ronald (John) Ernest Waight, 92, passed away in Hospice Care at Loomis Nursing Home in Holyoke. He was born and raised in Southampton England. He served in the Royal Air Force as a Flight Sergeant in WWII, where he received several medals and 2 commendations from the Queen. He was predeceased by his wife of 50 years Barbara Waight (Perry) of Plymouth England. He is survived by his brother Arthur James Waight and his family in the UK. Additionally he is survived by his 5 children, 8 grandchildren (1 deceased), and 3 great-grandchildren. Calling hours will be from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday July 2^nd 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.

HORACE LEO FLEURY

AMHERST, Horace Leo Fleury passed away peacefully after a long illness on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 surrounded by his family and friends.

Leo was born July 28, 1919 in Amherst. He was the son of the late Charles and Mary (Shea) Fleury. He was the youngest of 17 children.

He grew up and spent most of his life in Amherst. He graduated from Amherst High School and Stockbridge Agricultural College.

Leo was a World War II veteran. He served in the Army Signal Corps from 1942 until 1945 in North Africa, India, Burma and China. He was awarded the bronze star for meritorious service.

He was employed as a typesetter at Hamilton Newell Printing for many years. He was an avid New England Patriots fan. Leo loved all local high school and college sports and could be found at all of the games amiably chatting with everyone. He had a vast knowledge of the history and people of the town of Amherst which he loved to share.

Leo was predeceased by his wife Janet in November 2012, his son Charles in May 2012, his brothers Charles, Frank, John, George and James, his sisters Katherine, Helen, Adeline, Margaret, Madeline, Anna and Elizabeth as well as by his infant brothers and sisters Mary, Michael, William and Cecelia.

He is survived by his daughter Lori and son-in-law William Saylor of Hadley, his son Timothy Fleury and daughter-in-law Patricia Halpin of Sunapee, NH and daughter-in-law Maria Fleury of Jacksonville, FL, his grandchildren Connor and Ryan Fleury of Sunapee, NH, Jonathan, Gina and Frank Fleury of Jacksonville, FL and Ember Russell of Austin, Texas.

The family wishes to thank Leo’s loving caregivers Bonnie and Stephenie Dutcher and the wonderful, caring staff at the Center for Extended Care at Amherst who so lovingly cared for him in the final years of his life. Their kindness and love has been greatly appreciated.  A special thanks to Doris Drake, friend and neighbor, for her love, support and kindness throughout the years for both Jan and Leo.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, July 1^st at 10 a.m. at St. Brigid’s Church in Amherst with burial following at Olde Hadley Cemetery. Calling hours will be held at the Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst on Sunday, June 30 from 3 to 5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers donations to the Wounded Warrior Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/ may be made in Leo or Charles Fleury’s name. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

DOROTHY M. BURKE

AMHERST, Dorothy M. (Hopper) Burke, resident of the Arbors at Amherst, died June 16, 2013.  Born July 14, 1910 in Highland, NY, she was the daughter of Fred Brooke and Mabel Millspaugh Hopper.

She was educated in the Newburgh, NY public schools and was graduated from CornellUniversity in 1932.   She was married to James W. Burke of Waverly, NY in 1932; they were divorced in 1958.

Mrs. Burke came to Amherst in 1935.  From 1956 until 1966, she was employed at the Amherst Journal Record – first as a stringer, then as assistant editor; and from 1964 – 1966 as News Editor.  In 1966 she took a position as Head of Residence at the University of Massachusetts, serving in that capacity until her retirement in 1978.  From 1978 until 1985, she was employed part-time in the UMass residence halls.

Mrs. Burke served on the Amherst Council on Aging from 1997 until 2002 and was a member of the Amherst Woman’s Club and the Amherst Historical Society.

She leaves three sons, Dennis Michael Burke of Belchertown, MA, Peter James Burke of Riverside, CA, and Stephen E. Burke of East Dennis, MA.  Her daughter, Sheila T. Burke of Amherst passed away in 2004.  She also leaves one sister, Margaret Donahue of Newburgh, NY.  Another sister, Barbara Smith of Tupper Lake, NY, and a brother, John Hopper of Newburgh, NY, predeceased Mrs. Burke.  Mrs. Burke leaves 10 Grandchildren and 10 Great Grandchildren.

Calling hours will be Friday, June 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A graveside service will be held at the convenience of the family in Highland Cemetery, NY. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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