Richard Michael Piccicuto, 71, of Hadley, MA passed away on April 7, 2020 in his home after a yearlong battle with cancer. Born in Fitchburg, MA on March 11, 1949, he was the son of Rocco C. and Josephine (Buttafuoco) Piccicuto. Richard was a small business owner, most notably owning Sheehan’s Cafe in Northampton, a hub for live music in the Pioneer Valley through the 1980’s and 90’s. Richard is survived by his brother, Sam Piccicuto; former spouse, Jane Kelley; two daughters Sara Ross and Adria Raphael; and four beloved grandchildren Claire Ross, Eamon Ross, Henry Raphael and Nora Raphael. Richard was predeceased by his sister, JoAnn Piccicuto. A private burial is planned at St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Fitchburg, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center or the American Diabetes Association.

Thomas Matthew Stolarski, of Hadley, passed away on April 14, 2020 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. He was born in Northampton, MA February 20, 1944 and was the son of the late Matthew and Victoria Stolarski.
Tom attended Amherst schools, Holyoke Community College and earned his B.A. through the University without walls Program while has was employed at Umass as a property manager.
Tom also owned Eastern Stamp Company for 10 years {making rubber stamps} working nights and weekends. He farmed on the side too at the family homestead in Amherst, growing pumpkins, squash and broadleaf tobacco with the help from his family and many close friends.
Tom was always on the move and if not working, he was attending sports games of his three children. On weekends and summer vacations he enjoyed driving the family {sometimes his kid’s friends came along} to campgrounds in the family mobile home. There was a very memorable family trip cross country to CA and back and others to Canada, Florida and all over New England.
After retirement form Umass after 34 years Tom and his wife, Jeanne took many cruises all over the world including; Hawaii, Alaska, Poland, Vienna, Ireland, Paris, Belgium, Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and their last adventure in 2019 to Cuba.
Tom was in the Army National Guard and was a member of the American Legion Post 271 where he was commander for three years while running the pitch card league. He was a member of the Polish Club of S. Deerfield as well as a member of Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley.
Tom is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jeanne {Drwila} Stolarski, his daughter Danielle of Topsfield and husband Brandon Pratt and grandchildren, Ella and Hudson, daughter Holly of S. Hadley and husband Travis Caron and grandchildren, Katie and Scarlett, his son, Jason of Holden and wife Emily and grandchildren Coraline and Russell. He also leaves his sister, Jean and her husband Joseph Adams of Amherst.
Funeral services are entrusted to the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. Due to the Corona virus, services will be private, with a memorial celebration held at a later date.

Richard Michael Piccicuto, 71, of Hadley, MA passed away on April 7, 2020 in his home after a yearlong battle with cancer. Born in Fitchburg, MA on March 11, 1949, he was the son of Rocco C. and Josephine (Buttafuoco) Piccicuto. Richard was a small business owner, most notably owning Sheehan’s Cafe in Northampton, a hub for live music in the Pioneer Valley through the 1980’s and 90’s. Richard is survived by his brother, Sam Piccicuto; former spouse, Jane Kelley; two daughters Sara Ross and Adria Raphael; and four beloved grandchildren Claire Ross, Eamon Ross, Henry Raphael and Nora Raphael. Richard was predeceased by his sister, JoAnn Piccicuto. A private burial is planned at St. Bernard’s Cemetery in Fitchburg, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center or the American Diabetes Association.

Gerald W. Clark (Jerry) was born on March 18, 1931 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He was the son of Alfred and Marjorie (Flanders) Clark. Jerry graduated from Pittsfield High School and attended the Stockbridge School at The University of Massachusetts, where he gained a degree in Animal Husbandry. Upon graduation, he entered active military service and was stationed in Munich, Germany during the Korean War. After returning home, Jerry took a position with the Large Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at The University of Massachusetts where he would advance to the position of Technical Specialist. There he became proficient in a new procedure, defined as tissue culture, that was essential to the impending challenges of Reproductive Physiology and Recombinant DNA technology.
During his tenure at the University of Massachusetts, Jerry was fortunate to become associated with many visiting scientists and graduate students from all over the world, making many lasting friendships. Jerry was an avid disciple of country and bluegrass music and played 5-string banjo as well as bluegrass guitar, performing as a member of the “Poverty Mountain Clan.” He was also fond of tramping the local woodlands with his faithful dog and companion “Tyler.” The Clark family are members of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst and have been active in the church’s activities throughout the years.
Jerry suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia. He passed away peacefully on April 1, 2020 while under the care of the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Beatrice Clark of Amherst and two sons, Eric Clark of Springfield, Massachusetts and Jonathan Clark of Amherst, Massachusetts. He also leaves a brother, Donald Clark of Pittsfield, Massachusetts and a sister, Marjorie Rollins of Hendersonville, North Carolina, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Byron Clark and Emerson Clark, and a sister, Norma Clark.
There will be a private burial, and a Memorial Service will be announced at a later date.

Barbara Aldrich was born September 25, 1935 in Natick, Ma to Fred and Elaine Smith. She was raised on a farm with cows, pigs and chickens and ate veggies everyday which made her strong, (her words.) This is where she found her love for growing things. Her gardens and all of her flowers were one of the many things that brought her joy. Barbara also loved cooking and baking, which she did often. She shared many meals with friends and family. From her cowboy cookies,and whoopie pies to her famous sausage soup, she was always happy to make something just to share and enjoy with others.
She moved to Pelham in her late teens to help her sister Nancy and her brother in law Bert Ketchen with their business. There she met and fell in love with Teddy Weaver. They were married for a short time due to his untimely death in 1959. They had two wonderful daughters Janet and Valerie Weaver.
Barbara stayed in Amherst and married Brook Aldrich where they had a daughter Julie. The family moved to Leverett where she raised her girls with a strict hand and lot of laughter and love.
Barbara was a vital member of the Amherst Rotary club. She helped organize and put together the Teddy Bear Rally, which was a big attraction for the town of Amherst for many years.
Barbara worked at UMass of 32 years where she spent most of her career managing the Fine Arts Center. This is where Barbara really came alive. She loved the Fine Arts Center, it was her joy and her passion. She worked with a wonderful crew of people, who became not only her friends for life, but part of her family. She would start a conversation with anyone around her, and before you knew it they were laughing out loud and becoming her friend. She touched everyone with her love of laughter, her quick wit, her sense of fairness, adventure, compassion, and her pure lust for life. She was unstoppable.
She was a funny, kind, independent, compassionate, politically minded woman who was never afraid to speak her mind.
She had a house built for her in Hadley, with a lot of thought and care, she stayed in what became her oasi until the end of her life.
She was close to her brothers and sisters Nancy (Bert) Ketchen, Pam ( Newt) Youst, Fred (Chris) Smith and David (Vinn) Smith.
She will be missed mostly by her daughters Janet, Valerie and wife Robin, Julie Woynar, and adopted daughter Debroah and her wife Cheryl; she was a proud grandmother of Daniel LaClaire, Melissa Steinbeck, Charlotte and Joe Woynar, and great grandmother to Jordan and Mark LaClaire and Vivian Franceschi.
Following Barbara wishes there will be no services and please no donations. The family will share a date for a get together soon. She would like you to write down one of your many memories of her and share it with her daughters.
As you, her friends, are sad at the loss of such a spirited woman please remember: Grief is just love with no place to go.

Jeanne Potash, a long-time resident of the Applewood Community, passed away on March 27 at the Hospice of the Fisher Home after a brief illness. She was born in St Louis, Missouri, on April 21, 1925 to John and Gertie (Meyer) Feinstein, the younger of their two daughters. Her sister, Anne, with whom she was very close, died in 2004. Jeanne grew up in a warm, loving home that encouraged her to be confident of her ability to do whatever she set her mind to do. And, indeed, she went on to live a life filled with accomplishment.
After graduating from Soldan High School in 1942, where she had been elected vice president of her class, she enrolled at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. Three years later, she received her B.S. degree with Highest Honors in Mathematics, and qualified for a teaching certificate that enabled her to get her first teaching job serving as the entire math department in a small high school in a coal-mining town in southern Illinois.
On June 9, 1946, she married Robert Potash, a 1942 graduate of Harvard College, whom she had met when she was a sophomore and he was a soldier temporarily stationed at the University of Illinois. During the first two years of their marriage, while Rob was a graduate student, Jeanne supplemented their income by tutoring pupils in mathematics at the Shady Hill School and by working at the Harvard Law School Library. In 1948, she accompanied her husband on the first of many research trips to Spanish-speaking countries over the next sixty years. Over time, Jeanne’s skill for speaking Spanish enabled her to navigate daily life and develop warm friendships during these times abroad.
In 1950 their first daughter, Janet Ruth, was born in Boston, shortly before she and Rob moved to Amherst, where Rob joined the History Department of the University of Massachusetts. In 1954 their second daughter, Ellen Bess, was born in Northampton. They remained life-long residents of Amherst. Over the next six decades Jeanne played a role in a wide variety of Amherst organizations and, in doing so, demonstrated her talent for seeing through to completion any task she took on.
Jeanne was a Town Meeting Member for many years and in 2002-2003, was appointed by the Town Moderator to serve on a special committee that was given the task of recommending changes to improve the operations of Town Meeting. She also showed her love for the Town of Amherst by serving on the Citizens Advisory Committee (1968-70), and as a Relocation Specialist for the Redevelopment Authority (1973-78). She also served on the Council on Aging (1982-87) and its Health Task Force (1988). Furthermore, Jeanne gave her attention to many other organizations, including the Jewish Community of Amherst (JCA), the UMASS Faculty Women, the League of Women Voters, and Applewood at Amherst. For the JCA, she served on a variety of committees including the building design committee responsible for the new social hall and kitchen, the committee to restructure dues, and the search committee for a new rabbi. She served on the board and as corresponding secretary for the Faculty Women (1977-78). She served in many different capacities for the League of Women Voters including vice president and chair of the voter service committee. In the late 1980’s, she joined Applewood’s Board of Trustees, participating in decisions that have made it an attractive place to retire to. Indeed, in 1997 she and her husband moved to Applewood where she played a leadership role in many of its activities including as president of the Residents Council. She had a lifelong interest in children, an interest that led her to offer help to a head-start group, participate in an intergenerational program for children from disadvantaged homes, and serve for many years as an usher at the Fine Arts Center concerts for children. She was equally interested in elderly people and had a sense of comfort in their presence.
No listing of committees or organizations can convey the other important facets of her personality. Jeanne was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister and friend to so many. She remains a role model for decency, integrity, acceptance, generosity and loving kindness. She was as caring and sensitive as a person can be and her instinct and ability to help others was remarkable.
Jeanne was predeceased by her daughter, Ellen Potash Arrick in 2005, and by her husband of seventy years, Robert, in 2016. She is survived by her daughter Janet Potash of Alexandria, Virginia and Applewood; by son-in-law Martin Arrick and his wife, Linda Arrick of Oakland, California, and by five grandchildren: Daniel, Graham and Alexander Arrick, Emma Bernstein Ago and Remy Bernstein.
In keeping with best practices of these times, the funeral was held privately at the JCA cemetery on March 30. The family hopes to hold a memorial gathering as soon as possible.

Timothy W. Brennan, 73, of Hadley, Massachusetts, the long-serving Executive Director of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, passed away at his home on March 12, 2020. He waged a courageous battle with appendix cancer with characteristic grace and stoicism.

During his more than 46 years of public service, Tim was instrumental in bringing major improvements to the people of the Pioneer Valley, especially in the areas of transportation, recreation, and the environment. He worked tirelessly on the clean-up of the Connecticut River, on the expansion of train service to the Springfield area, and on converting old railroad rights-of-way to recreational use, including bicycle paths. A leader who was able to work effectively with government officials at all levels, as well as with academia, business and industry, Tim helped make the Pioneer Valley a vibrant and desirable place to live and work.

Tim was also a mentor to his staff and to others across the country in the field of planning. He taught urban planning at UMass Amherst and Westfield State University for several years as an adjunct professor, and received an Honorary Doctorate from WSU in 2015. Over the years, Tim held several leadership positions in regional and national planning organizations, and was the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his service. Upon his retirement from the PVPC in October 2019, additional accolades poured in, attesting to the respect and standing he earned from his peers.

Tim Brennan, a native of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, was born in 1947. He received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his graduate degree in urban planning from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Upon graduation, Tim settled in the Pioneer Valley. Along with his former wife, the late Karen Leveille, Tim raised his beloved daughters Emily and Katherine Brennan, who survive him. Tim is also survived by his devoted long-time partner, Dr. Katherine Walsh, and by three aunts, numerous brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins who all mourn his passing.

Tim achieved one of his early goals in life when he received his pilot’s license, and enjoyed nothing more than flying over the Pioneer Valley, marveling at its beauty. Those who knew and loved him will always delight in remembering his lifetime love of jazz, travel, and good food, and will remain forever humbled by his everlasting belief in the goodness of humanity.

His family would like to thank Dr. Paul Jodka, the Cooley Dickinson 3 North nursing staff, and Tim’s hospice team for their compassionate care.

A celebration of life memorial is being organized for later this spring. Memorial gifts may be made to the Tim Brennan Leadership Fund with Leadership Pioneer Valley, 1 Federal Street, Building 101, Springfield, MA 01105.

Carolyn Hunter (Pierce) Samonds, of Amherst, MA died Friday, March 6th at Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton, MA. Carolyn died peacefully surrounded by her family.

Carolyn was born September 19th, 1941, in Hanover, NH, the daughter of Margaret (Mapes) and David Reuben Pierce. She graduated from Hanover High School (1959) and the University of New Hampshire (1963) with a major in biology. After graduating, she taught science classes in West Hartford, CT, then moved back to Hanover to work as an electron microscopy technician in Pathology with Professor George Margolis at Dartmouth Medical School. In 1968 she moved to Boston to work at Harvard’s School of Public Health, first in electron microscopy, then as supervisor of the primate nursery where she met her future husband Kenneth Samonds, a post-doctoral fellow. While working at Harvard, she studied Art History at Boston University towards a Master’s degree. From 1973 to 1977, she was the Head of the Mission Commission of Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston. In 1977, the young family moved to Amherst.

Carolyn had an avid interest in textiles, particularly lace. She was a lecturer on lace identification and lace making, and she amassed an impressive collection of lace and served as an appraiser of items or collections. In 1987, she served as Guest Curator of the exhibit “Textile Treasures: Lace & Embroidery” at the George Walter Vincent Museum in Springfield. She was a member of the New England Lace Group and a consultant for Lord and Taylor. For many years she was a costumer for the Valley Light Opera and she was Head of Costumes for the musical “George M” at Exit 7 Theater in Ludlow in 2009.

She was a member of both the Northampton and Amherst Historical Societies and the Amherst Women’s Club. At Grace Church, Amherst, she served on the vestry and was the chairperson of the St. Nicholas Bazaar for six years. The church’s repository for donated items which were distributed to needy refugees, homeless shelters, or home-fire victims was nicknamed “Carolyn’s Closet” in her honor. In later years, she worked as a librarian in the Jones Library’s Children’s Room, the North Amherst Library, and the Munson Library.

In 1993, Carolyn was diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a genetic form of emphysema. She attended several national conventions of the Alpha-1 Association and local education sessions, occasionally as a speaker.

She was the mother of two children; Karen (Samonds) Irwin, a paleontologist and teacher of anatomy at Northern Illinois University; and David Mark Samonds, a federal attorney in Washington DC.

In addition to her parents, Carolyn was preceded in death by her brother, Dexter Pierce, her half-sister Dorothy and her half-brother, David Jr. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Kenneth Samonds, sister-in-law Judy Pierce, daughter Karen and son-in-law Mitchell Irwin of Sycamore, IL, son David and daughter-in-law Megan Samonds of Fredericksburg, VA. She is also survived by five grandchildren, and several nieces and cousins.

A memorial service at Grace Church is planned for mid-April. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carolyn’s name to the Alpha-1 Foundation, www.alpha1.org

Shutesbury – Michael S. Sepanek, 71, died Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at home from congestive heart failure.
Born March 30, 1948, in Springfield, MA, he was the son of Walter Sepanek and Edith (Sepanek) Earleywine where he grew up in the Town of Shutesbury, MA. He attended Amherst Regional High School and graduated in 1966 and was active in sports. He served in the Army Reserves for three years in the Light Weapons Infantry.
In 1971, he met the love of his life, Kathy (Valotta) Sepanek, from North Adams, MA while skiing the slopes of Brodie Mountain. They married July 8, 1972, and settled down in Shutesbury for the next 47 years. He had two children; Brenda Sepanek of Charlotte, North Carolina and Bryan Sepanek of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Mike was a member of Local 596 in Holyoke where he spent his career as a laborer in the construction field. When he was not working, he enjoyed attending his children’s sporting events. He was an avid outdoorsman. He loved fishing on the Connecticut River, hunting, and grooming his yard. He loved his Boston sports teams, watching old car shows and western movies. He loved to dance and spin the ladies around. He loved meeting new people and telling larger than life, “back in the day” stories.
In 2000, Mike & Kathy became empty nesters and purchased an RV. They enjoyed traveling around New England and settled down at a seasonal campground in Maine. For 13 years, they spent their weekends in Maine where they enjoyed campfires, making new friends and walking the beach at Parson’s Cove.
Mike will be deeply missed by his wife Kathy, his daughter Brenda, and his son Bryan. He also leaves behind, his mother Edith, his two sisters, his sister-in-law, Nancy Howland, Shirley Valotta, Joanne Burnette, Patty Sloan & husband Phillip, Dawn Lampiasi & husband Alan and brother-in-law, Joe Valotta. Mike will also be missed by his dozens of nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his father Walter.
We invite friends and family to attend calling hours Thursday, March 12th, 2020 at Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst, MA from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 14, at 1:00 at the Holiday Inn Express in Hadley, MA. Food and refreshments will be served. If you would like to speak or have stories to share, please email bsepanek@hotmail.com.

Peter Kobel passed away peacefully on February 9, 2020 in Amherst, MA at the age of 67. He was born in Phoenix, AZ and received degrees in English Literature from Arizona State University.

As a peripatetic journalist, he covered music, movies and books for the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, before finally taking root in New York City, where he rose quickly to Editor at several highly regarded publications, including Premiere, Saveur, ARTnews, and Entertainment Weekly.

Ultimately unable to resist the siren songs of the natural world he’d loved from youth, he packed bags for western Massachusetts.

“Silent Movies: The Birth of Film and the Triumph of Movie Culture” (Little, Brown, 2007), his first highly-acclaimed foray into book length writing would soon be followed by “The Strange Case of the Mad Professor: A True Tale of Endangered Species, Illegal Drugs, and Attempted Murder” (Globe Pequot Press, 2013). Writing them allowed him to further explore two life-long interests: the history of film and the wild lemurs of Madagascar.

A creative spirit, scholar, humanist and adventurer, Peter will also be remembered as a kind and loving life partner, a steadfast friend, a devoted father and brother, who lived a rich, meaningful and ultimately inspiring life.

He is survived by his life partner, Ruta Duncia, his daughter, Olivia Hart-Kobel, his sister, Susan Kobel Rogers, his niece and nephew, Christine (Chrissy) Rogers and James (Rusty) Rogers, Jr., along with their respective families, and Izzy, his latest rescue beagle. He is much loved and will be greatly missed.

Known for his wry humor and easy erudition, his last letters always ended with a paraphrase of Shakespeare’s bemusing stage direction: “ – Exit, Pursued by Bears.”