James Ellis Bodmer was born in Evanston, IL on February 4, 1933 and passed away at home, in Amherst, MA on May 6, 2022.

James was an Airman 1^st class in the United States Air Force. He served in the Philippines during the Korean War. He graduated from the University of Houston with degrees in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering. After graduation, he joined NASA where he worked on Gemini and Apollo missions and on Spacelab 1 and 2 missions.

After retiring, Jim took up backpacking. He hiked the John Muir Trail in CA and TN., the C&O Canal Trail, the Appalachian Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, the Colorado Trail, the Long Trail, and the Superior Hiking Trail. It was on the trail that he earned his moniker “Jimmy Bee.”

Jim was an active member of St. Matthews Church in Konnarock, Va. He moved to Amherst in 2003 and transferred membership to Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Jim loved working with wood. He built his own small shop at the cottage in Goshen where he made a variety of furniture and lots of pens. He spent so much time in his shop that it was referred to as “Jim’s Den.”

Jim is survived by his wife, Anne Mathieson, two brothers, Jerry Bodmer (Kathy) of Huntington Beach, CA and Joe Bodmer of New Caney, TX; a son, Anthony Bodmer of Houston, TX, two sisters in law, Carol Mathieson of Dunedin, FL and Marjory Bowser of Hudson, Fl; a niece, Kelly Nott of Utah and two nephews, Ryan Bodmer of CA and Edward Holben of TX. He was predeceased by his sister, Helen “DeeDee” Bean, a son James Bodmer Jr. and step brother, Edward Holben.

There will be a visiting hour at Douglass Funeral Service on Friday, May 13^th from 10am-11am, followed by a graveside ceremony at the South Amherst Cemetery. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

“There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise.” – W.E.B. Du Bois

It is no lie that Barbara, “Bobbi”, Mitchell was a proud and determined woman.  On Friday, August 27, 2021 Barbara’s strength was called to Heaven.  She was able to pass away peacefully on the farm surrounded by the souls of the living and guided by the souls of the passed. 

Bobbi was born on the chilly day of January 4^th, 1942 as a 4^th generation farmer.  As a child, Bobbi spent her days learning – whether it was in traditional school or on the farm she was always searching to expand her knowledge.  Her free time was occupied with practicing the accordion and riding horses.  Through her dedication to music, she earned a spot on the Pizzitola Orchestra, which provided her the opportunity to travel the country to perform.  Aside from her schooling, farm, and musical responsibilities, she was also an active member of 4-H.  Her love for horses started with her riding the family’s working draft horses.  Eventually she met her heart horse Christi.  Bobbi’s happy place was on the back of Christi, exploring all the trails of Poverty Mountain.  It didn’t matter to her if other neighborhood kids were available, if she had the time, she was riding those trails. 

Bobbi was a fiercely independent woman who didn’t let another’s expectations stand in her way.  She attended the University of Massachusetts and graduated with a Batchelor of Science, Medical Technician in 1963 – a time when only 6% of woman would attend higher education.  She was the first of her immediate family to achieve such an honor.  A simple farmer, turned formally educated.  She eventually secured a position with the University’s Animal Disease Control Department and ran the Mastitis Lab.  While Bobbi was in charge of the lab, she continued to bridge the gap between the farmers and scientists to expanded their lab services to include testing for brucellosis and pullorum in poultry.

In the 1970’s the farm turned from a traditional crop-based farm to a dairy replacement farm for Registered Holsteins.  Bobbi took the steering wheel as her parents aged.  Unbeknownst to her at the time, Bobbi played an important role to her two nieces.  In a male-dominated industry, Bobbi showed them it didn’t matter what gender you were, what was important was getting the job done.  She wouldn’t take flack from a person or a 2000-pound animal.  She donated any extra time to associations such as: the Massachusetts Quarter Horse Association, the New England Quarter Horse Association, the Hampshire County Farm Bureau, the Massachusetts Farm Bureau, the Amherst Agricultural Commission, the Amherst Conservation Committee, and Amherst Town Meeting. 

The hardest storm Bobbi encountered was in 2000, Bobbi’s physical health started to decline.  She suffered a stroke one afternoon in the barn.  Bobbi being the independent woman she was, didn’t know what happened but figured something wasn’t right.  Instead of telling anyone what was going on, she hopped into her truck and drove herself to the hospital.  It wasn’t until after being diagnosed, and the doctors telling her she shouldn’t plan on driving herself home, she finally informed the family.  That same year she was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  Bobbi fought hard to maintain her independence throughout the devasting, lasting effects of the stroke and progression of the Parkinson’s.  Despite her body failing her, her brain continued to thrive for knowledge.            

Ignoring her physical restrictions, Bobbi still had the desire and ambition to hop on her Massey Fergusson 135 and tedder the hay field.  Fortunately for everyone around, she compromised and hop into a side-by-side, where she would be chauffeured around to monitor all the farm work going on – instead of attempting to do it on her own.  Even though she wasn’t on Christi, being on those trails breathing in the air put her right back to her rides.  She loved having her “helpers” come in and chat about sports, current events, farming, the Million Dollar Man, Big Valley, or even help them by tutoring micro-biology, anatomy and physiology, or any other science-based class.  She’d get pretty competitive with her great nephew playing kitchen basketball or making towers on the kitchen table to see who could get it the highest.  She was and always will be a force to be reckoned with.       

A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022 10:00 AM at St. Brigid’s Parish (Amherst), followed by burial at St. Brigid’s Cemetery (Hadley), and wrapping up with a Celebration of Life at the Family Farm (Amherst). Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Ronald Kenneth Hambleton was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on June 27, 1943, the elder son of Kenneth Hobson Hambleton and Ethel Marion Ralph.  His father was serving in Hamilton, Ontario with the British Royal Air Force and his mother, Ethel, had immigrated to Canada with her parents from England as an infant. When Ron was one year old, he traveled to England with his mother and his younger sister, Carol (Carr) in a naval convoy, returning to Canada in 1950.  He grew up in a world of hockey, soccer, church groups, the Boy Scouts, and the RAF Club. He was a Queen’s Scout.  He received a B.A. in mathematics from the University of Waterloo in 1966 and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 1969. He was hired at the University of Massachusetts as an assistant professor in 1969 and taught psychometric theory until retiring as a Distinguished University Professor when he was 75 and COVID made being in the classroom impossible. 

Ron married Else Lee Knudsen in 1966. They were very happy together.  They felt they had two families: their sons Kenneth and Charles and all the graduate students who became psychometricians with whom they have retained close ties.    

One of Ron’s greatest pleasures was coaching for the Amherst Youth Hockey Association.  He scheduled games for the entire association in order that he would not have to miss any of his own team’s practices or games because of his academic consulting schedule.  He didn’t have a lot of ego tied up in winning; he took pride in ensuring that each player, regardless of ability level, got equal ice time and he never sought an easy schedule.  He felt that playing higher-ranked teams gave his team valuable experience and that they played up to t

heir competition.  He was very proud of them all.

Professor Hambleton is widely regarded as one of the greatest psychometricians of all time. He won the Career Award from the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, the Association of Test Publishers, the International Test Commission, and the National Council on Measurement in Education. He served as President of the latter two organizations and received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Oviedo in Spain and the University of Umea in Sweden. He founded the psychometrics doctoral program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he published over 300 journal articles and books, and supported the careers of hundreds of doctoral students who became leaders in educational measurement and research. As Executive Director of the Center for Educational Assessment at UMass, he brought in over $10 million in external funding for research at UMass.

He leaves his wife of 56 years, Else, his sons, Charles (Liz) and Kenneth, his grandson, Dylan, and his sister, Carol.

A memorial service will be held Monday May 16^th at 11am in the South Congregational Church in Amherst, Massachusetts.  A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his honor to the Ronald Hambleton Legacy fund, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, established to support UMass graduate students with assistantships and travel. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Susan was born on July 29^th 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio and died Wednesday May 4^th 2022. Susan spent her early childhood in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio.

Susan was a graduate of Shaker Heights High School. She attended Carnegie Mellon University and then moved to Sugarbush, Vermont. Susan spent most of her adult life in the Amherst, Massachusetts area, with short periods of time in Oregon and California. Susan worked at various jobs including being a nanny and house and dog sitting. She greatly enjoyed playing the piano, composing her own music, yoga, and dancing. She died May 4, 2022 in JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where she received excellent care.

Contributions in her memory should be donated to the Sunny Meadow Sanctuary, 260 Chapman Rd., Barre, MA 01005 or JGS Lifecare, 770 Converse Street, Longmeadow, MA.

Stanley L. Mitchell, Jr., 68, of Leverett passed away on May 4th surrounded by family. He was predeceased by his parents Stanley L. Mitchell Sr. and Dorothy (Wanczyk) Mitchell and his younger brothers Walter and Paul. He leaves behind his loving wife of 35 years, Nancy (Field) Mitchell and his loving children Raymond and Jennifer, as well as his brothers Joseph, John and Thomas Mitchell, many brother and sister-in-laws and nieces and nephews.  He was cherished by all.

Stanley was born January 24, 1954 in Northampton and grew up in North Amherst on his family’s farm where he worked hard but also found time for fishing and swimming with his brothers at Jones swimming hole during the summers. 

Stanley was in the Laborers Union in his younger years and had his own cordwood business and worked for the Town of Amherst tree and parks division for 29 years before retiring in 2015

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Saint Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church 122 North Pleasant Street Amherst, Massachusetts 01004. Calling hours will be Tuesday May 10^th from 4 – 7pm at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Services and Burial will be private. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

John Hancock Sutliff Jr., of Amherst, MA passed away on April 9^th, 2022.   John was born in Albany, NY on May 16, 1942.  John attended West Virginia University where he met Ann Burton.  In 1966, after both had graduated from WVU, John and Ann married, and John entered the military.  During those early married years, John and Ann were based in Fort Belvoir, VA, as well Bangkok, Thailand, where John served as a 1^st Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers.  After John left the military, he worked as a production manager in the corrugated paper industry, a profession that resulted in multiple moves across several eastern states.  But their two children, Susan and Trey, primarily grew up in Amherst, MA, the place all four Sutliffs call “home.”  After leaving his position as a Production Manager for Packaging Corporation of America in Northampton, John worked for Tarnow Nursery in Chicopee where he put his passion for forestry to good use.

In his spare time, John could be found golfing, whether it was playing with his friends and family at Amherst Golf Club, walking a billy goat course in Sunapee NH, or traveling throughout New England to try out as many beautiful courses as possible.   During the winter months, John and Ann would head south to Siesta Key, FL where John spent his days walking the beach, playing golf, dining with friends, and watching the beautiful sunsets with a gin and tonic in hand.  

John is survived by his wife Ann, his children, Trey and Susan and Susan’s husband Michael, and four grandchildren: Sam, Olivia, Sophie and Lila.  Pre-deceased by his parents John (Jack) and Elizabeth (Betsy) Sutliff, John is also survived by his four siblings:  Pam, Patsy, George, and Louise.

Both John and Ann have been so fortunate to have built such a strong community of friends in Amherst spanning 40+ years.  He loved his friends and family, and he will be missed every day.  A celebration of John’s life will be held on John’s 80^th birthday, Monday, May 16^th, at 11 am at Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst, followed by a reception at the Sutliff home.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Sara’s Wish Foundation, 23 Ash Lane, Amherst, MA (www.saraswish.org).     Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Olivia Abui Ampiah-Bonney died at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA on Tuesday, April 12, after putting up a long and courageous fight.  She was born in Takoradi, Ghana, to Edward Kwaku Ahelegbe and Anna Ameyo Ahelegbe.  She was predeceased by her father and older siblings Sarah and Edwin. She is survived by her mother Anna, her husband of 25 years, Richmond, her five children; Kodwo, Joojo, Noah, Adwoa, Ekua, and many nieces and nephews.

Olivia graduated from Holy Child School in 1988, and earned her BSc degree in Chemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University in 1992 and it was there that she met her future husband, classmate Richmond. She went on to receive a Masters Degree in Wood Technology & Management (1998), becoming the first woman to earn that degree in Ghana. She was appointed Lecturer in the Civil Engineering Department at Takoradi Polytechnic.  Moving to the US, she received a Bachelors and then a Masters degree in Nursing from UMass Amherst and was working on her PhD. 

Olivia worked for many years as a drug rehabilitation nurse in Springfield, as a tutor at the Westover Job Corps, Chicopee, and as an instructor at the School of Nursing, UMass Amherst.   She loved mentoring, especially young ladies and young men.

Visitation will be Saturday from 10 – 11 AM at the Wesley United Methodist Church, Hadley. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 am, with burial following in South Cemetery, Belchertown. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Amherst, MA Isabelle “Billie” M. Callahan, 95, author, artist, and Town Meeting member, died April 15, 2022, at the Elaine Center in Hadley. Billie was born in New Salem and spent her first year of life in Prescott. Prescott was one of four Massachusetts towns inundated in 1938 to form the Quabbin Reservoir. Her parents’ early life in Prescott, along with their letters during World War I, and Billie’s own poetry, formed the basis for Billie’s 2002 book, This Lovely Valley, Chosen Place. The youngest of four daughters of Frank and Emma (Currier) Bowen, Billie grew up in Cushman, a village of Amherst, with sisters Helen (Canney), Shirley (Streeter), and Louise “Punky” Bowen. Billie graduated from Amherst High School then worked at Bates’ Store and Butler and Ulman nurseries. In 1945, while working at the Callahan farm in Sunderland, she met the love of her life, James W. Callahan, who was home on leave from the Army. Jim and Billie married in 1947, enjoyed more than 55 years of marriage, and raised four children. Jim was an Associate Professor at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass. When her last child entered elementary school, Billie went to work part-time for UMass’ Food Service. She later became Manager of the UMass Copy Centers, working in the Whitmore Administration Building until her retirement in 1996. All of their children graduated from UMass. Billie loved everything associated with Amherst and UMass Amherst, as evidenced by her participation. She was an elected Town Meeting member for more than 40 years, representing South Amherst, until Town Meeting was replaced by a Town Council. She served on and chaired the town’s Finance Committee. Billie was a member of Amherst’s 1976 bicentennial committee, where she recorded oral histories and painted watercolors of buildings established on or before 1776. In retirement, she was an election worker at the Munson Library in South Amherst. She served on Amherst’s 250th parade committee and volunteered in the Town Clerk’s Office and at the Amherst Senior Center. She joined a memoir group and authored an unpublished memoir entitled “My Eighty- Two Years in Amherst.” At UMass, Billie and Jim volunteered at campus barbecues and in the Athletic department. Watercolor paintings were Billie’s trademark. From photographs Billie painted homes, farms, and churches. Her paintings went as far as Hokkaido, Japan to UMass’s sister university. Billie presented a painting of the Dickinson homestead to actress Julie Harris, who had portrayed Emily Dickinson in the play, “The Belle of Amherst.” Billie also painted watercolors of homes that had been relocated from the four Quabbin towns. It was important to Billie to stay in touch with her Quabbin roots through participation in Swift River Valley Historical Society activities. Billie loved sports. She participated in candle-pin bowling and was a member, and occasional champion, of the Amherst Golf Club. Billie and Jim were season ticket holders for the UMass football and basketball programs since the 1970s; Billie added on hockey in her later years. She rooted for all of the Boston professional sports teams and disliked any team from New York. Billie was a proud member of the greatest generation. She is survived by her four children, six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. Jim died in 2003. Billie’s children are Mary Thompson-Leary (Ken Leary), Patrick Callahan (Janis Gray), Sharon Callahan King, and Kathleen Callahan. The grandchildren are Yusef King, Rory Thompson, Derek King, Shannon King, Claire Villa, and Rosemary Callahan-Gray. Wherever Billie went, people knew her. The Amherst and UMass communities have lost a treasure in Billie Callahan. She will be dearly missed by her family. Appreciation goes out to the staff at the Elaine Center, to Billie’s roommate Suzy, and to Compassus (hospice care) for their kind assistance during a most difficult time. Calling hours will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 25, 2022 at the Douglass Funeral Home, 87 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. The funeral Mass will be Tuesday, April 26, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Brigid’s Church in Amherst. Masks at all services are respectfully requested. Burial will be private. Donations in Billie’s memory may be made to the Swift River Valley Historical Society, 40 Elm St., New Salem, MA 01355 or to a charity of your choosing. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Olivia Abui Ampiah-Bonney died at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA on Tuesday, April 12, after putting up a long and courageous fight.  She was born in Takoradi, Ghana, to Edward Kwaku Ahelegbe and Anna Ameyo Ahelegbe.  She was predeceased by her father and older siblings Sarah and Edwin. She is survived by her mother Anna, her husband of 25 years, Richmond, her five children; Kodwo, Joojo, Noah, Adwoa, Ekua, and many nieces and nephews.

Olivia graduated from Holy Child School in 1988, and earned her BSc degree in Chemistry from the Kwame Nkrumah University in 1992 and it was there that she met her future husband, classmate Richmond. She went on to receive a Masters Degree in Wood Technology & Management (1998), becoming the first woman to earn that degree in Ghana. She was appointed Lecturer in the Civil Engineering Department at Takoradi Polytechnic.  Moving to the US, she received a Bachelors and then a Masters degree in Nursing from UMass Amherst and was working on her PhD. 

Olivia worked for many years as a drug rehabilitation nurse in Springfield, as a tutor at the Westover Job Corps, Chicopee, and as an instructor at the School of Nursing, UMass Amherst.   She loved mentoring, especially young ladies and young men.

Visitation will be Saturday from 10 – 11 AM at the Wesley United Methodist Church, Hadley. A celebration of life will be held at 10:00 am, with burial following in South Cemetery, Belchertown. Memorial guestbook at www.douglassfuneral.com

Barbara Elizabeth (McKemmie) Jacque, 89, passed away peacefully on Sunday April 10th, 2022. Born in South Amherst, MA on December 5th, 1932 to the late John E. McKemmie, Sr. and Ebba (Tidlund) McKemmie, Barbara worked in the group pensions department at MassMutual Life Insurance Co. and Pension Associates in Springfield, MA, as well as the emergency room at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, CT.  An avid hometown sports fan who enjoyed the Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots and UMass Minutemen, Barbara also was a golf enthusiast who participated in many golf leagues in the area.  She also enjoyed crocheting and playing cards, even participating in a bridge league. Her greatest joy was her family and spending quality time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and watching them participate in their sporting and extracurricular activities.  Barbara is predeceased by her loving husband of 71 years, Louis O. Jacque, their son Dennis, their daughter Deborah, her brothers John E. (Grace) McKemmie Jr., Richard “Gus” McKemmie, Thomas McKemmie, and her sisters Dorothy (Harold) Bray, Ruth (Edward) Miller, Edith (Norman) Campbell, Janet (William) Fraser.  Barbara’s memory will be forever cherished by those she has left behind, including her beloved children, Martin (Angelina) Jacque, Diane (Carl) Croteau, and Kimberly (Vincent) Lombardo, her sisters Louise Micka and Virginia Downey, her sisters-in-laws Audrey McKemmie and Katherine McKemmie, and her many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Funeral Services will be held on Friday at 11:00 AM at the Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst, a calling hour will precede the service from 10:00 to 11:00. She will be interred with her husband at South Amherst Cemetery following the service.