HELEN A. SMOLA

HADLEY, Helen A. (Marhelewicz) Smola, formerly of Three Rivers, died on December 19, at Hadley at Elaine Care andRehab Center in Hadley. Born in Three Rivers on January 18, 1912, she was the daughter of Ludwik and Antonia (Labuz) Marhelewicz. She graduated from SS Peter and Paul Grammar School and Palmer High School, Class of 1930. Helen was a communicant of SS Peter and Paul Parish in Three Rivers and for the last five years of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Hadley.

Although she would consider herself to be primarily a homemaker, she worked for many years in retail positions. Before her marriage in 1939 she owned and operated Helen’s Variety on Main St. in Three Rivers until the store was destroyed during the flood of 1938. Later, in the 60’s, she clerked at Niles Package Store. She also served as bookkeeper for her husband’s trucking business and for a time in the 50’s was the local correspondent for the Palmer Journal. She served as her husband’s primary care giver for many years during his final illness.

Helen is survived by her son, Dr. Edward Smola and his wife Joan of Hadley, four grandchildren, Att. Susan Smola of Wilmington, Delaware, AnneMarie Rheault of Somers, CT, Dr. Catherine Pienkos and her husband Bob of Oologah, OK and James Smola and his wife Christie of Three Rivers; five great grandchildren: Helena, Jackson and Broderick Rheault and Mary and Rose Pienkos. She is also survived by numerous nephews, nieces and godchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Edward Smola, and her brothers Joseph, Chester and Edward, and sisters Mary, Bernice, Julie and Catherine Marhelewicz and Stella Piechota; and her dear friend, Kasia.

Her family will always be grateful to the caring staff at the Hadley Unit of Hadley at Elaine where she was in residence for the last few years and to the Staff of SolAmor Hospice and also to the Eucharistic Ministers of Most Holy Redeemer Parish who have ministered to her during this time.

A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Dec. 22, at 11:30 a.m. in Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley. Burial will follow in SS Peter and Paul Cemetery, Bondsville. A calling hour will precede services from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst.  

Donations in her memory may be made to EWTN, 5817 Old Leeds Rd., Irondale, AL 35210, Most Holy Redeemer Parish, PO Box 375, Hadley, MA 01035 or Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, PO Box 6307, Springfield, MA 01101. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

FRANK J. “WICK” WOJTKLEWICZ

AMHERST, Frank J. “Wick” Wojtklewicz, 98, a long time Amherst resident died Wednesday, Dec. 12. Born on March 5, 1914 in Hatfield, he was the son of the late Frank W. and Anna (Merhel) Wojtklewicz. Frank was a graduate of Deerfield Academy, Class of 1935, and of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts, Class of 1937, specializing in horticulture. Most of his career he worked in the Engineering Department at the University until his retirement. An avid outdoorsman, Frank especially enjoyed fishing, trapping and gardening. He was also a respected amateur archaeologist. He was a long time communicant of Most Holy Redeemer Church. Frank was a great friend to many and will always be remembered for his wisdom and willingness to help others. He is survived by his daughters, Joan Wick Pelletier of Albany, NY and Jane Savage of Northampton, his three grandsons, Maurice Pelletier of Toronto, Canada, Emile Pelletier of Ottawa and Michael Savage of Northampton, his brother and sister-in-law, John and Anne Hanieski and his sister-in-law Blanche Wojtklewicz and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Sophie (Hanieski) in 2010, 4 brothers and 2 sisters. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 9:00 a.m. at Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley with burial following in Holy Rosary Cemetery, Hadley. Calling hours will be today, Friday, Dec. 14, from 5-7 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.

JANET L. BLOOM

AMHERST, Janet Marie Lehan Bloom, 60, of Amherst, died in a car accident on December 7, 2012.  Born July 29, 1952 in Norwood, MA she was the daughter of Catherine T. (McKenna) Lehan and the late Francis V. Lehan. 

Janet graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and received her Masters degree from Smith College.  For over thirty years, she worked at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech as a beloved teacher, guidance counselor and alumni coordinator.  Among her many accomplishments as an educator, Janet won the Teacher of the Year award in 2004 and established the Poetry Café, which provided children with hearing loss the opportunity to write and recite their poetry as a means of strengthening their listening and speech skills.  Both her colleagues and former students have lauded her caring and exemplary work at Clarke.  More recently, Janet worked as a valued volunteer at the Hospice Shop of the Fisher Home in Amherst.

Janet leaves her two beloved sons, Jason Bloom of Seattle, WA, and Alex Bloom of Amherst.  In addition to her mother, Janet is survived by her brothers, Kevin Lehan of Stoughton, MA, Richard Lehan of Plainville, MA, Thomas Lehan of Wrentham, MA, and her sisters, Diane Wuesthoff of North Attleboro, MA, and Elaine Ormond of Reading, MA.  She was the sister of the late Robert Lehan of Foxboro, MA.  She was also a beloved aunt to 13 nieces and nephews.

A funeral service for Janet will be conducted at 10am, on Friday, December 14, 2012, at The Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel in the Newman Center at the University of Massachusetts, 472 North Pleasant Street, Amherst. Burial will follow in Wildwood Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Janet’s memory can be made to the Hospice of the Fisher Home, 1165 North Pleasant Street in Amherst. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

Elliott K. Brightman

Hadley – Elliott Brightman, 78, crossed over–completing a circle of life on his birthday, December 2, 2012. Elliott was born to Ellis and Louise Brightman in Bronx, NY on December 2, 1934. After completing high school, he served in the Marine Corps and later worked with the US Postal Service until retirement. His wife, Florence (Curtis) Brightman, predeceased him; however, his son, Elliott Brightman, Jr., daughters, Anna Brightman-Bond, and Lori Brightman; with grandchildren, Akilah, Aliya, Aprilyn, Ayodele, and Amaiyah survive Elliott. His sister, Lorraine Walker, and a host of nieces and nephews across generations also survive him. The Brightman family offers warm wishes and heartfelt thanks to those whom graciously extended their kindness and care to Elliott during his stay in Hadley at Elaine. In accordance with Elliott’s wishes, after cremation, the family will schedule a private gathering and ceremony (to be determined at a future date). Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

CONSTANCE JOHNSON

1928 – 2012

HOLYOKE, Constance Golfin Johnson, 84, (nee Laurin) passed away December 3, 2012 at Holyoke Healthcare Center, 282 Cabot Street Holyoke MA after a long illness. She was born November 10, 1928 to Lucien and Florida Laurin in Holyoke, where she was raised. Although she lived in Amherst for most of her adult life, she married in Miami Beach, Florida and lived there in the late 40s. She graduated from Precious Blood Grammar School and Holyoke High School. Part of the first generation of her family to have attended college, she achieved her bachelor’s degree in two years summa cum laude from UMass Amherst, where she went on to obtain her master’s degree and ABD PhD in French literature, while she was teaching high school in Chicopee and later teaching in the Amherst school system, which she loved. From her twenties onward, she was a member of Beta Sigma Phi, an international women’s social, cultural and service organization. She played violin from the age of four, and in her later years at all family holidays. Vacations at the ocean, her pet cats, and of course, her grandchildren never failed to elicit her dazzling smile. Always a determined, strong, and independent personality with a lifelong love of learning, she greatly influenced all those around her. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister Cecile E. Laurin, her first husband Andrew S. Golfin, Sr., her second husband, Archibald R. Johnson, and her son Mark Andrew Golfin. She is survived by her children Diane Golfin Raheb of Charlestown, NH, and Andrew S. Golfin, Jr. of Canton, CT, his wife Peggy Golfin, as well as her grandchildren: Mark Raheb, Bay Golfin, David Golfin, and Liam Golfin. Visiting hours will be from 4 to 7 PM on Thursday, December 6, at Douglass Funeral Service,87 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA with a remembrance at 6:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, and in keeping with her lifestyle, memorial contributions may be made to Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst, MA. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

MARIE B. CLEARY

Amherst—Marie Bernadette (Sally) Cleary, teacher and historian of the American classical tradition, died unexpectedly on December 2.

Born in Boston on April 21, 1931, to Paul and Marie Sally, she grew up in Roslindale and Dedham, and attended parochial and public schools there before graduating from Emmanuel College in 1952.

After college she worked for the U.S. State Department in Rome, where she met and married Dario Frisardi. In 1954 the couple moved to Boston. They had two sons, Thomas and Andrew. The couple divorced in 1970.

Marie began her career as a teacher of Latin in 1960, at first in the Dedham school system and then at Ursuline Academy in Dedham. Eventually she taught at Boston Latin School. She took pride in the fact that she was among the first full-time woman teachers there. In her last year at BLS, 1972–73, the students dedicated the yearbook to their beloved magistra.

She married Vincent Cleary that same year and moved to Amherst. Marie continued her teaching and scholarship in western and central Massachusetts—UMass, Mount Holyoke, and Assumption College. Her work focused on American education and democracy, leading to an Ed.D. degree at UMass. Her biography of Thomas Bulfinch and the Bulfinch family, Myths for the Millions, was published by the German publishing house Peter Lang in 2007.

An interest in poetry and fiction, writing her own and reading the classics, began at an early age. When she was fourteen years old, a short story of hers won a national competition. Marie possessed a photographic memory for poetry, her own and that of authors such as Yeats and Emily Dickinson, two favorites. To hear her recite these poems was always a moving experience for her listeners.       

A deeply spiritual woman, she was active in her various parishes: St. Mary’s in Dedham and St. Bridget’s and the Newman Center in Amherst, St. James and St. Stanislaus in South Deerfield. In Dedham in the 1960s she founded a summer Bible school for children; years later at Newman she helped to found the Women of God group.

In addition to Vincent, her husband of thirty-eight years, she leaves two sons and three grandchildren: Thomas Frisardi of Wellesley and his three children, Raquel Frisardi and her spouse, James Virtel, of Waltham; and Dario and Cecilia Frisardi of Wellesley. Her other son, Andrew Frisardi, and his wife, Daphne Lull, live near Orvieto, Italy.

She was a stepmother and step-grandmother to: Thomas and Julie Cleary, Manchester, N.H.; and their two children, Megan and Andrew; to Sean and Joanne Cleary and their three, Liam, Erin and Tara, of Belchertown; Frances Cleary and Mark Borwick, their twins Spencer and Jacqueline, Bronxville, N.Y.; Brad and Rosemarie Gage, daughter Mackenzie, Belchertown; and Stephen and Roseann Cleary, children Peyton, Sydney and Carter, of Severna Park, Md.

Three siblings survive her: Paul Sally of Chicago; Francis Sally of Dedham; and Elizabeth Massey of Amherst, as well as many nieces and nephews.

Donations in her name may be made to the Survival Center and the Newman Community, both in Amherst.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, December 8, at 10:30 a.m., at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom in The Newman Catholic Center; Fr. Gary Dailey the celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Brigid’s Cemetery, Hadley. Calling hours will be the evening before, 6-8 p.m., Friday, December 7, at the Douglass Funeral Service, in Amherst. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

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

JANET M. FLEURY

AMHERST, Janet M. Fleury passed away peacefully Thursday, November 29 surrounded by her family and friends.

She was born July 6, 1927 in Holyoke, Mass. She was the daughter of the late Helen (Breor) and Chester A. Smith of Hadley.

Janet grew up in Hadley and attended the Hadley Schools. She graduated from Northampton Commercial College. She was employed for many years as a secretary at UMass and at the Amherst Regional High School. She lived in Amherst for many years with her husband of 53 years, Horace (Leo) Fleury.   

She was predeceased by her parents, brother Robert and her son Charles.

Janet is survived by her husband Horace (Leo) Fleury of Amherst, her daughter Lori and son-in-law William Saylor of Hadley, her son Timothy Fleury and daughter-in-law Patricia Halpin of Sunapee, NH and daughter-in-law Maria Fleury of Jacksonville, FL, her grandchildren Connor and Ryan Fleury of Sunapee, NH, Jonathan, Gina and Frank Fleury of Jacksonville, FL, and Ember Russell of Austin, Texas.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 4th at 10 a.m. in St. Brigid’s Church in Amherst with burial following in Old Hadley Cemetery. Calling hours will be held at Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst on Monday, Dec. 3rd from 4 – 7 p.m.

The family wishes to thank Janet’s loving caregivers of many years Bonnie and Stephanie Dutcher and the wonderful staff at The Center for Extended Care at Amherst who cared for her during the final months of her life. Obituary and register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

ALAN R. LAVALLE

1958 – 2012

NORTHAMPTON, Alan Robert LaValle, 54, died peacefully on November 25, 2012 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton after a long battle with colon cancer.

Born April 24, 1958 in Northampton, he was the son of the late Charles LaValle of Amherst and Peg (Sullivan) and Bill Pease of Northampton.

Alan had been a part of the Southampton Youth Athletic Association in the 1990’s. Alan helped form and coach the Hampshire United’s first boy’s soccer team. Besides coaching, he was a prominent referee for high school soccer and basketball throughout the area. Alan’s commitment to children in sports was highly respected by many. He worked for many years at The Williston Northampton School in Easthampton. Alan was an avid bicyclist and runner, including running in the Boston Marathon.

Alan is survived by his son Justin of Easthampton, daughter and son-in-law Kristen and Alex Schindel of Agawam, brother Keith Pease of Easthampton, parents Peg and Bill Pease of Northampton, and several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

A private family wake will be held at Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst and a private family burial at The Quabbin Park Cemetery. A celebration of life will follow for family and friends at 6:00 pm, Friday November 30th, at The American Legion, 63 Riverside Dr., Florence, MA 01062.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718 or Cooley Dickinson Hospital Development Office, 30 Locust St., PO Box 329, Northampton, MA 01061-0329. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

JOAN M. SPRAGUE

1941 – 2012

EAST LONGMEADOW, Joan Marie (Warren) Sprague of East Longmeadow and formerly of Glens Falls, NY, passed away peacefully November 24, 2012, at age 71.

Beloved wife of Lewis Good Sprague for fifty years, a retired teacher for the Springfield Schools; and loving mother of Kevin Sprague a teacher/counselor at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, CT, and his wife Mary of Manchester, CT; and her Aunt Grace Wagner and cousins Rick and Priscella Wagner, both of New York State; and brother-in-law and his wife, Alton Sprague and Helen Vivian of Amherst, MA.

Joan was a talented artist and owner of the Village Tole Painter Studio in Sturbridge, MA, that provided artist supplies and offered classes in New England tole-ware painting, her specialty.

A private memorial service will be held by family and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to an Alzheimer’s Association organization. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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

Faith Gillenwaters

1921 – 2012

Hadley, Faith Gillenwaters, 91, died November 16^th, 2012 at Hadley at Elaine. Born June 11, 1921, in Fitchburg, MA, she was the daughter of the late Clyde Johnson Leonard and Marion (Nee Wheeler) Leonard, both of St. Albans, Vermont.

She was a member of The Church of The Good Shepherd, in Clinton, Mass., for nearly 70 years and worked for many years as a chauffeur for the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. 

She is survived by her daughters Nancy Rygg and her husband Gerald, of Lambertville, N.J., Virginia Gillenwaters and her husband Thomas Gralinski of Huntington, Mass. and her son Joel Gillenwaters and his wife Cynthia Kumin of Needham, Mass., 9 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter.

She was predeceased by her husband Frederick Jackson Gillenwaters I in 2001 and her son, Frederick Jackson Gillenwaters II.

Funeral services will be held in December, at The Church of The Good Shepherd, Clinton, MA. 

In lieu of flowers please send contributions to Heifer International. Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com.

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