John (Jack) R. Dalton of Amherst, beloved husband, father, Poppy, friend and educator, entered eternal rest in the loving embrace of his family at home on January 31, 2023 at 93 years of age.

 

Born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, John was predeceased by parents, Theresa and William Dalton and siblings Jane Brothers of Worcester and William Dalton of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.  

 

Jack was a family man, always having the best interests of his wife, children and grandchildren in mind.  He is survived by his four children, nine grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and sister in-law:  John Dalton of Sydney, Australia (Kelsey Dalton and Ian: Thea; Reed Dalton) David Dalton and wife Lynn of Golden, Colorado (Hilary Freeman and Patrick: Charlie and Margaret; Matt Dalton and Alexis): Patricia Kozlowski and husband Paul of Lunenburg, MA (Emily Kozlowski; Jacob Kozlowski and Amanda) and Ann Mackay and husband Rob of Berlin, MA (Ryan MacKay and Rachel: Tyler; Alex MacKay and Kathryn; Cory MacKay and Alekxis); Joanne Connell of East Providence, RI. 

Education is Jack’s legacy.  It was something that changed his life. He and Kathy made sure that each of their children and grandchildren had the opportunity to go to college.  Always believing that the best investment you could make was in yourself. 

Jack graduated from La Salle Academy Class of 1947.  He then served on the USS Kearsarge in the United States Navy stationed out of Quonset Point, Rhode Island and was honorably discharged in 1949.  He attended Providence College and graduated in 1953.

 

Jack started his career in education teaching at St. Paul’s School in Covington, Louisiana where he taught English and coached basketball and tennis.  He returned to Rhode Island the following year to marry the love of his life, Kathleen Connell with whom he shared 67 years of marriage until her death last year. Jack’s teaching career brought them to Lowville and then Syracuse, New York where he earned his master’s degree in education.  After teaching in Glens Falls, they settled in Amherst to raise their four children where he taught sixth grade before he became the beloved Principal of Fort River School. 

 

Mr. Dalton, as he was called at Fort River, was known to many as “the wind beneath their wings.”  He was an incredible leader and mentor to his Fort River family.  A man who was respected, admired and loved.  There are many who feel their entire life trajectory would have been different without his stewardship.  The Fort River playground was dedicated to him upon his retirement.

 

He was a recipient of the Dakin Community Service Award and was a founding member of the Long Plain Nature Center Planning Board.

 

Jack had a quick wit coupled with a genuine interest for others that made people enjoy being with him.  He was a fun and loyal friend.

As an avid lover of the outdoors, Jack enjoyed fly-fishing, cross-country skiing and was a Legends member at Amherst Golf Club and the Hampshire Fitness Club. 

 

Jack and Kathy moved to Greenleaves in Amherst, an independent retirement community, in 2010 after selling their home of 45 years in Orchard Valley.  Jack and Kathy were blessed to live at home together for all of their days. Greenleaves was a wonderful place for them with many kind and caring friends and neighbors.  They were supported by an amazing care team that allowed them to experience the best quality of life and find joy in each day.  We extend our deepest gratitude to the care team of Mary Jane Scott, Nangsel Tenzin, Layannie Haydon-Mayer, Sara Rider, Esther Bedford and Rosio Soledad Younga Lazo who provided loving and exceptional care.

 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Newman Center on Monday, February 20th at 10:30 am.  Burial will be private.  In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Cooley Dickinson Hospice in recognition of the outstanding and compassionate care provided by Charlene Vinton and Karen Hill. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Elinor P. Thornton   (77) Amherst-On Wednesday February 1, 2023 everyone’s mother Ellie Pierce Thornton went on to join her own mother who she has missed for so many years. The daughter of Charles and Rosalie (Mielke) Pierce of Amherst, Ellie married Frank Thornton of Pelham in 1968. Two short years later Ellie left her job with the Amherst school system to begin raising her children-the job she was born to do. Along with her own two, Ellie was an honorary mom to decades of kids in the Amherst area, many of whom still stop her and Frank in the grocery store to say hi and show her pictures of their own children, (yes-she knows ALL their names!)  Ellie was passionate about charity and giving to those in need. She spent countless hours knitting preemie sets for hospitals and every year her family was tasked with loading the car absolutely full of the items she purchased at Christmas and back to school time for donation. Ellie fought (and won) a cancer battle for 22 years despite an original diagnosis of “incurable”.  Ellie enjoyed going to bluegrass shows with her husband and made many new friends among the chairs and the strings.

    Ellie is survived by her husband of nearly 55 years Frank of Amherst, her son Matthew (Tammy) of Sunderland, daughter Jan (William Dubuque) of Granby, sister Sandra Pierce (David Mamulski) of Northampton, sister in law Vannie of VT, niece April of VT, grandchildren Nicole, Adianna and Billy, great grandson Andre and by her best friend since grade school Marguerite Searle of Pelham. Ellie was predeceased by her brother Charles of VT and Ronald of Leverett.

    Ellie did not play the lottery. This past Christmas Marguerite gave her a scratch ticket-Frank had to show her how to play it. She won a bit of money. In true Ellie fashion, her last request was for her family to turn her winnings into gift cards and give them to an Amherst family going through a rough patch.

    If you would like to honor Ellie, her family asks that you please continue her tradition of charity by giving to someone in need through a church, school or survival center. Or make a donation to Norwottuck Fish and Game Association to send a child to the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp.

    Per Ellie’s request there will be no services. Instead, her family will plant a flowering shrub in her honor in the spring. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

 

            Sonya Bergquist, 91, died on January 26, 2023 at the Center for Extended Care at Amherst after a long period of declining health.  Sonya was born in Orange, Massachusetts on August 13, 1931 to Oscar and Irene (Erikson) Anderson, and was soon joined by her younger siblings, Marcia and David. 

 

            Sonya thrived in the close-knit community of Orange and made friendships that lasted her lifetime.  After graduating from Orange High School, Sonya attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree, and the University of Michigan, where she earned a Master of Science degree, both in botany.

 

            During her summer in Orange between universities, Sonya was able to spend time with an old high school friend, Richard (Dick) Bergquist, and the two soon knew that they wanted to build their lives together.  Sonya and Dick married in 1954 and enjoyed a long, close, and happy partnership until Dick’s death in February 2019.

 

            After several moves in their early years of marriage, in 1959 Sonya and Dick bought a house in Amherst where they raised their four children, remaining in the same house for 60 years until Dick’s passing.  Sonya was a devoted mother who prized kindness, practicality and fair play.

 

            Once her children were partially grown, Sonya began her career as an educator by working for four years as a science aide in the Amherst Regional Junior High School.  She then became a biology teacher at the Amherst Regional High School, where she taught from 1973 to 1997.  Sonya also served as department chair of the combined Junior-Senior High Science Department for many of those years.  Sonya loved teaching and her students, and was presented with the Robert Frost Award for Teaching Excellence.

 

            Sonya was a lifelong learner who was always interested in listening to others’ views and discussing a variety of topics.  For many years, she served the community as a member of the Amherst Town Meeting and as a volunteer worker at elections.  Sonya enjoyed watching all kinds of sports, especially baseball, and attended thousands of games over her lifetime.  She was adept at both jigsaw and crossword puzzles. 

 

            Sonya and Dick loved spending time with family and friends, especially at their lake cottage at Beaver Lake in Ware, where hamburgers, horseshoes, swimming and an assortment of boats were enjoyed by all.

 

            Sonya and Dick enjoyed many good years in retirement, taking a number of international and domestic trips, and spending winters in Florida.  Sonya also took up golf in retirement, playing in Florida in the winters and at the Amherst Golf Club in the summers.

 

            A person of quiet and deep faith, Sonya grew up attending Bethany Lutheran Church in Orange and was a founding member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst.

 

            With all her interests, Sonya’s deepest love was always for her family: her husband, their four children, and eventually their children’s spouses and their grandchildren.  Sonya was a grandma who played games, attended events, and sang with her grandchildren and enjoyed every minute.

 

            Sonya leaves her four children: Erica, Carl (wife Barbara), Craig, and Andrea (husband Marc), and her seven grandchildren: Eric, Peter and Diana Cajolet and Jenna, Andrew, Matthew, and Hannah Bergquist.  She also leaves her brother David (wife Marjorie), brother-in-law Clem, and her nieces and nephews.        Sonya was predeceased by her husband Dick, her parents, and her sister Marcia.

 

            The family wishes to thank those who devotedly cared for Sonya in her declining years: the staff of the Arbors at Amherst, Mag Home Care, Hospice of the Fisher Home, the Center for Extended Care at Amherst, and Cooley Dickinson VNA and Hospice.

 

            Calling hours for Sonya will be from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 16th at the Douglass Funeral Service, 87 North Pleasant Street, Amherst MA.

 

            Sonya’s funeral will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 17 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant Street, Amherst MA.,  followed by a reception at the church.

 

Donations in Sonya’s memory may be made to the Orange Scholarship Foundation (P.O. Box 298, Orange MA  01364) or to Hospice of the Fisher Home www.fisherhome.org

Anne H. Monchamp, 92, of Ware, MA. passed peacefully into heaven on 01/09/2023 at home surrounded by loved ones. She is predeceased by the love of her life Adrien Monchamp and her son Peter Monchamp. She leaves behind her daughter Carol Bardon, daughter-in-law Cathy Ryan, son Doug Monchamp and wife Karen, and daughter Julie Reynolds. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren who all meant the world to her. She lived a full life working first as a legal secretary and then as a librarian at St Joan of Arc School in Chicopee, MA, where she built and grew the program every year until her retirement. She loved to bake and made the best “Grammie Rolls” in the world. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was sassy and funny until the very end.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her honor to Shriners Children’s Hospital. 

 

There will be a ceremony to honor her life on Monday, 1/30/23 at 3:00 in the Chapel at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA.

 

 

 

AMHERST, MA.-Brendan James Schmitt died peacefully on January 21st, 2023, from complications related to Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation. He was 38 years old, having happily celebrated his birthday on January 12^th. He was surrounded by his loving family and the wonderful team at Cooley Dickinson Hospital throughout his last days.

Brendan (“B”) faced physical and cognitive challenges from a very early age, but everyone who knew him will recall that he lived a life of pure enthusiasm and joy. He graduated from Amherst Regional High School in 2007, where he worked as a morning cafe cashier, participated in the Best Buddies Program, and was the unofficial hallway greeter. From 2007 until 2022 he attended the program at Riverside Industries, where he developed many new friendships and connections.

B loved dancing at UMass ice hockey games, listening to the Beatles and Stevie Wonder, hugs (from anyone and everyone), and re-watching Disney movies and anything by Jim Henson. Some of his best memories include swimming at Cape Cod, cheering at his siblings’ games, hearing his brother-in-law play guitar, going to movies and eating buttered popcorn (one kernel at a time), and wheeling himself up to every possible social event. Despite his communication differences, he always knew how to express his affection for the people around him, to tell a good joke, and to celebrate holidays with his families. He quickly endeared people to him, from his dedicated teachers to his beloved personal care attendants, loyal friends and classmates, new family members, and even the patient wait staff at his favorite restaurants. B treated everyone like he was thrilled to be around them, whether they were a stranger or a well-known buddy.  

Brendan  is survived by his parents, Tim and Kacey, his siblings Timmy and Colleen, his sister-in-law Geneva, brother-in-law Tim, and his nieces and nephew, Lily, Ramona, and Cameron. He also dearly loved his incredible shared living family, Rosangela Marques and her children Keidy and Kelly, mother Esther, sister Neusa, husband Filomeno, and their beautiful extended family.

The Schmitt Family will celebrate Brendan’s life with a service at St. Brigid’s Parish at 122 North Pleasant Street, Amherst MA, 01004 on Thursday, January 26th at 3:00pm. They invite friends and loved ones to join them for the service and a reception to follow next door in the Parish Hall. Please dress colorfully to reflect Brendan’s bright spirit.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to “B’s Second Family” GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/5eabd14d.

Anne H. Monchamp, 92, of Ware, MA. passed peacefully into heaven on 01/09/2023 at home surrounded by loved ones. She is predeceased by the love of her life Adrien Monchamp and her son Peter Monchamp. She leaves behind her daughter Carol Bardon, daughter-in-law Cathy Ryan, son Doug Monchamp and wife Karen, and daughter Julie Reynolds. She also leaves behind 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren who all meant the world to her. She lived a full life working first as a legal secretary and then as a librarian at St Joan of Arc School in Chicopee, MA, where she built and grew the program every year until her retirement. She loved to bake and made the best “Grammie Rolls” in the world. Her greatest joy in life was spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was sassy and funny until the very end.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her honor to Shriners Children’s Hospital. 

 

There will be a ceremony to honor her life on Monday, 1/30/23 at 3:00 in the Chapel at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA.

 

 

 

Palmer, Ma.- Elisa Katz Landers, age 57, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and friends on January 13, 2023. She was born on December 22, 1965 in Brooklyn, NY to Trudy and Irving Katz.

Elisa grew up in Brooklyn and attended college at UMass Amherst where she studied fine art and met her beloved husband, Patrick. She built her life in the Pioneer Valley, where she continued her artistic pursuits as a hair stylist and account executive in the beauty industry. Elisa shared her love of life and contagious laughter with everyone she met.

In addition to Patrick, she leaves behind her cherished daughters, Ariel and Eva. She is survived by her parents, sister Michelle Fowler, mother-in-law Diana Landers, brothers and sisters-in-law, and a plethora of loving nieces and nephews who will miss her greatly.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at the Jewish Community of Amherst located at 742 Main Street, Amherst, MA 01002.

The burial will follow directly afterwards at Wildwood Cemetery at 70 Strong Street, Amherst, MA 01002. All are welcome to sit shiva at the family home at 12 Knox Street, Palmer, MA 01069 on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 between the hours of 2 PM and 6 PM. The family invites close friends and family to join them for a second day of shiva the following day from 12 PM to 5 PM.

In order to protect our elders, the family requests that you take a COVID test before entering the shiva home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Elisa’s name to the Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center in Springfield, MA.

FANG FANG FENG

          冯方方 

October 16,1954 –January 2, 2023

Amherst, Ma.- Fang Fang Feng lived a very full life; there were never any dull moments. He grew up in Beijing, China during the Cultural Revolution. He served time as an Army medic and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s from Fudan University and Academia Sinica before coming to the US. He received another Masters from Northeastern University for computer science and worked as a software engineer for UMass Amherst and Chiliad before his retirement. Fang Fang was an avid fisherman, photographer, traveler and was always planning his next adventure. Fang Fang loved cooking for his family and cultivating the garden that he put so much work into. The thing that he was the most proud of and brought him the most joy, however, was being a grandfather. He would have wanted to be remembered for the rambunctious, prideful, full-bellied laughing, stubborn and caring spirit that he carried and not for his last days in the hospital. He was fiercely loyal, humble, joyful and would have given the world to watch his grandchildren grow older. He is survived by his wife Ling Su, daughter Luisa Feng and her husband Tim Spears with his grandchildren, Oliver and Isabel. He is also survived by his sister Ling Ling Feng and her husband Yaowen Ma in Minnesota; his nieces Theresa and Amy Ma of San Francisco as well as his sister Zhang Sheng and her family in China. 

 

In lieu of flowers, please send cash or check gifts to Ling Su for a memorial fund.

 

Leverett, Ma. Dean Alfange, Jr., born in New York City on May 6, 1930, died at Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, MA, on January 1, 2023, following a long illness; his wife, Barbara, was at his side.  Growing up on New York’s West Side, he attended McBurney school and from there earned a BA at Hamilton College in 1950.  He served in the military from !952 to 1957.  In 1960 he received a master’s degree from the University of Colorado followed by a doctorate from Cornell University in 1967.

While in Colorado he met Barbara Vance whom he married in 1959, to begin their sixty-four years together.  After teaching at Lafayette College from 1963 to 1966 he taught constitutional law and civil liberties at the University of Massachusetts until his retirement in 1999.  During that time he also served in the positions of Dean of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Acting Provost.

During his teaching career he received distinguished teaching awards from both Lafayette and UMass.  The Dean Alfange Lecture Series in Constitutional Law was funded by a group of former students and brought distinguished scholars in that field to speak, annually. Many of his writings were published in leading law journals as were his reviews of articles written by others.  He took part on many panel discussions and served on a variety of committees over the years.

Dean’s active military duty was followed by twenty years of serving in the Air Force Reserves, retiring in 1980 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Following his retirement from teaching, he was able to pursue his interest in the arts an became a supporter of several small theatrical groups in the City, such as The Mint, the Irish Repertory Theatre, the Gingold Theatrical Group, Musicals Tonight and musical venues performing the music of Tin Pan Alley and classical jazz including Vince Giordano and his Nighthawks Orchestra.  Films of the 20’s and 30’s were also of interest to him and he was able to build an extensive home library of tapes and recordings.  His support went to local performers as well, two of which included the Valley Light Opera and the duo of Jerry Noble and Bob Sparkman.

Sadly, the arrival of Covid and the lockdown of New York City in March of 2020 brought a halt to the frequent trips to the city, and subsequently issues of poor health prevented Dean’s resumption of them.

Dean is survived by his wife, Barbara, a nephew, John Osgood, and a cousin, Thalia Collis.

Visitation will be on Friday, January 6, 2023, from 3 to 5:00 pm at the Douglass Funeral Home, 87 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to a charity of your choice.

 

All for a meal.