Alexandra K. Kielty of Chevy Chase, MD passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 4, 2018 in Chevy Chase. Sandy, as she was known in Holyoke, was born in Holyoke, MA on March 1, 1946. She was the daughter of Edward A. and Kathleen (Bresnahan) Maher. Her brother William T. Maher predeceased her in 2007. She is survived by her brother Edward A. Maher and his wife Lyn of San Clemente, CA. Additionally she is survived by her cousins Jane Lenarsky of Natick MA, Jane Chalmers and Kathleen Weatherwax, both of Lady Lake FL and nieces Laurie Svitenko of San Clemente, CA and Colby Countryman of Agoura Hills, CA.

Sandy grew up in the Wyckoff Park area of Holyoke, attended Nonotuck, Highland and John J. Lynch schools and Holyoke High School. She loved Holyoke and had many friends there. Among many other things she was an enthusiastic patron of that beloved Holyoke institution, Luchini’s Restaurant on Hampden Street and likewise loved Nick’s Nest hot dogs.

After graduation from Holyoke High School, she went to college at CW Post College on Long Island and was married to Richard Kielty of Staten Island, NY. They lived in New Jersey and Sandy worked in New York City as a social worker.

Sandy and Richard divorced and she spent the rest of her adult life living in Chevy Chase, MD and the Washington D.C. area where she was known as Alex Kielty. In 1979 she suffered a devastating ski accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She adapted to the injury, and with the help of a very good friend, Linda
Kontnier, also of Chevy Chase, and other close friends there as well, she lived a very independent, productive and active life in Maryland. She worked for many years for the U.S. Department of Labor, becoming the head of its Disability Employment Program.

In spite of her severe physical issues, she traveled extensively over the years and enjoyed re-visiting western Massachusetts during its glorious fall seasons, always stopping by Atkins Farms Country Market in South Amherst and the Michelson Gallery in Northampton. In Maryland she enjoyed a very busy social life including being President of her condominium board and an active member of the Friendship Heights Village council in Chevy Chase. She will be deeply missed by her family and the friends who knew her. Throughout her years, she lived a very brave, courageous and generous life.

A graveside funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Dec 5, 2018 at 11 AM at the South Amherst Cemetery, located between South East & Middle Streets in Amherst. Funeral arrangements are being done by Douglass Funeral Services, 87 No. Pleasant Street, Amherst, 413 -253-3407. Douglass can be contacted for service details. A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held at a later date in Chevy Chase. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to Doctors Without Borders (NYC) or the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Jean Welsh MacGregor, 92, of Amherst, MA, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2018. Jean was born in Norwich, CT, and moved with her parents, Harry and Minnie Welsh, and her sister Roberta at an early age to Marcellus, NY, where she grew up surrounded by a bevy of aunts and uncles and cousins and friends. She later attended the University of Rochester, where she received a degree in nursing. After graduating, she took a job in New York City, where she spent her free time attending Broadway shows and trying (not always successfully) to avoid shellfish. On a train trip home she met her future husband, Paul MacGregor. 

Jean and Paul married in 1955 and then embarked on a multi-year tour of the US, partially funded by the Army, with stops in Baltimore: Spokane, WA; Annandale, NJ; Bound Brook, NJ; Spring Valley, NY; West Newton, MA, and Lexington, MA. Along the way, Jean dedicated herself to both her nursing career and her ever-growing family. Eventually she found her calling in the maternity ward of Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA, where she helped welcome countless babies into the world. Jean and Paul spent their retirement years in Endicott, NY, and later in South Hadley, MA. Jean spent her final months in the loving care of the staff at the Fisher Home in Amherst, MA. 

Jean was known as a gentle, caring mother and grandmother, and a conscientious, hardworking colleague. She showed courage in the face of adversity, whether dealing with medical emergencies or taking her children to Fenway Park even when the Yankees were in town. In her free time, she enjoyed travelling, watching classic movies and baseball, cooking, sewing, playing Scrabble, and doing crosswords. 

Jean was predeceased by Paul, her husband of 62 years, and by her sister, Roberta Welsh. She is survived by her children Barbara MacGregor of Saint Paul, MN, Carol Maloney and her husband John Maloney of Pittsfield, MA, Kathryn MacGregor and her husband Bruce Browne of Amherst, MA, Robert MacGregor and his wife Ruth MacGregor of Belfast, ME, and David MacGregor and his wife, Ana Arranz of Arlington, VA; her grandchildren Molly MacGregor of Denver, CO, Staff Sgt. Julian Herman, USMC, of Alexandria, VA, Helena Herman of Pittsfield, MA, Emily Browne of Amherst, MA, Cliff Browne of Amherst, MA, Anna MacGregor of Belfast, ME, Andrea MacGregor of Arlington, VA, and Jon MacGregor of Arlington, VA; and numerous cousins. 

Services will be held 12:30 PM Saturday, December 1, 2018, at Plis Funeral Home in Marcellus, New York. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/) or to the Hospice of the Fisher Home (http://www.fisherhome.org/p/donate.html).

Laurence Bruce Eaton Michie, 77, died peacefully November 7 after a long decline from Alzheimer’s disease. He had beat the odds of many life-threatening conditions that, in several instances, also defined his career decisions.

He started beating the odds the day he was born, July 21, 1941, in Chicago. He was born with pyloric stenosis, a certain death sentence in those days, but he became the first baby in Cook County to have the condition surgically repaired by Dr Loyal Davis, who later became better known to the general public as Nancy Reagan’s father.

Larry spent his early years in Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico, until moving to Racine, Wisconsin to live with his aunts when his mother became unable to care for him. He graduated from Racine Lutheran High School and subsequently attended Valparaiso University where he met Virginia, his wife of 56 years.

Virginia moved to Washington, DC in 1961, arriving just as the scaffolding from JFK’s inauguration was being dismantled. Larry arrived later that summer and hung around so much that it seemed easier to fall in love and get married than not and so they did, marrying in 1962 and living happily ever after.

Larry found work with Broadcasting magazine, starting as copy boy before becoming a full-time reporter. It was during his first year at Broadcasting, while reading and drinking a cup of coffee at the same time, thereby blocking his right eye, discovered that he couldn’t see out of his left eye. Many tests later showed an aneurysm that rather than growing as a bulge, was growing alongside the optic nerve and was in danger of reaching the crossing point and damaging his vision in the right eye. In a major surgery that sawed open his forehead where his carotid artery was permanently clamped off and an incision in his throat where the artery also was clamped off, the aneurysm could then be drained (or something of the sort) and it worked!! Virginia took the opportunity to quit a job she disliked to stay home and care for him and they soon took up where they’d left off, living happily ever after.

Larry continued to work for Broadcasting and, after a couple of brief employments, Virginia found her niche in the publications division of the American Chemical Society. Larry moved on to a couple of other publications and then settled at the Carpenter News Bureau owned by Les & Liz Carpenter. Liz was already working for LBJ in the Senate while her husband ran the bureau which provided DC news to a large number of Texas newspapers as well as to Variety magazine.

Larry thrived. He covered the Federal Communications Commission and Capitol Hill and all aspects of the burgeoning entertainment venues in the DC area in what would become his lifetime affiliation with Variety. His life had its aspects of “another opening, another show” as he, usually accompanied by Virginia, reviewed productions opening at the National Theater, Arena Stage, Olney Theater, Wolf Trap Farm and what is now the JFK Performing Arts Center.

It was also, of course, a time of enormous upheaval in the history of the United States. JFK was assassinated, LBJ sworn in, Martin Luther King assassinated, Bobby Kennedy assassinated, rioting in the streets of DC, at the Democratic convention in Chicago, and Larry was there, covering these events not so much as events, but covering how the press was dealing with these events. It was easy for him to work seven days a week and cover entertainment events several evenings a month and love every minute. The Michies were having a grand time living happily ever after.

In late 1973, Les Brown, the television editor of Variety, moved to The New York Times and Syd Silverman, the owner of Variety, asked Larry to come and take his place. It was a bit of a tough decision because Larry loved his job and he and Virginia both loved DC but they’d visited Manhattan a few times and the challenges of a new venue appealed to both of them so off they went.

And it worked. Larry was no longer a one-man-band but the world had been getting smaller since L&V married and faraway places were easier to reach so meetings and conventions and show openings were held in far-flung places and in order to attract press coverage, spouses were usually invited to tag along thus Virginia had lots of fun, free trips and lots of midnight drives to find the nearest Western Union office so Larry could file his stories — remember the days of no texting?

They bought a condo on West End Avenue and Virginia spent her free time scraping the ceiling of all its peeling paint beginning her unintentional career of buying “fixer-uppers.” But Virginia also became gainfully employed at Variety when it was discovered that a recently-hired subscription manger, unable to keep up with the volume of renewals had been stuffing them in a drawer at the end of the day and neglecting to do anything with them in the following days, weeks, months. Syd hired Virginia to come in and clean up the mess which took many months but eventually it got fixed and then it was time to get ready for a new automated labeling system and the 3×5” index cards that showed the detail for all subscribers were a nightmare of cross-outs for address changes, renewal dates, multi-addresses for those with multi-homes and so Virginia cleaned those up for many months and then what to do next? They were still living happily ever after but both of them were kinda bored compared with the life they’d led in DC.

Their next-door neighbors in the condo building had a cute cottage in western Massachusetts that they’d allowed L&V to use for several vacations and Virginia had become totally in love with the idea of moving to the country where Larry could write novels and she could do something artistic and they could live happily, happily ever after. So off they went to a house built in the early-1800s that was in great condition (the broker said so) and six years later it really was (almost) in great condition and working on it any longer seemed a bore. So what to do? No, they couldn’t put on a show. But they could buy a newspaper!! The Shelburne Falls & West County News. And thus began another wonderful life.

During the years they owned the newspaper, Larry once again began working for Variety, traveling a couple of times a year with another ex-Variety reporter, Frank Segers, to countries all over the world doing special sections on that country’s entertainment business. They traveled to South Korea for stories on the preparations for the Olympics soon to be held there and going on to China not long before the Tiananmen Square uprisings. In fact, over the years, they traveled so many places that Virginia uses trying to name the countries instead of counting sheep as a going-to-sleep device.

In 1993, Larry was discovered to have colon cancer which was successfully treated but it seemed prudent to sell the paper and do something less dependent on the Michies’ healthiness.

That job Virginia had been happy to quit back in the DC days had provided one positive. When she had worked there she became friendly with Jody O’Brien who was dating and married Dick Reston and they evolved into a foursome for bridge, going to baseball games, wishing they’d visited them when Dick was a correspondent in Moscow and visiting them in London when Dick was reporting from there and now Jody and Dick were running the family’s newspaper on Martha’s Vineyard. They suggested that the Michies come and work with them at the Vineyard Gazette.

It was a good decision to do so because a couple of years later, Larry was discovered to have liver cancer. However, as his surgeon gleefully told him, it’s no problem: remember Prometheus! And he also took out Larry’s appendix, just for good measure. They enjoyed their years at the Gazette but hitting their 60s it seemed a good time to retire which they did in 2000 and moved back to western Massachusetts.

Since then, they moved a few more times (to Alabama for a beautiful view, and five different places here in western Massachusetts; moving seems to be Virginia’s hobby) and Larry wrote a few more novels (that being Larry’s hobby; two of the novels are available thru Amazon).

And so in the grand scheme of things they did indeed live happily, happily ever after.

Donations in Larry’s memory may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or to the Dakin Humane Society, Leverett, MA.

A celebration of Larry’s life will be held at a later date in Washington, D.C.

Alexandra K. Kielty of Chevy Chase, MD passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 4, 2018 in Chevy Chase. Sandy, as she was known in Holyoke, was born in Holyoke, MA on March 1, 1946. She was the daughter of Edward A. and Kathleen (Bresnahan) Maher. Her brother William T. Maher predeceased her in 2007. She is survived by her brother Edward A. Maher and his wife Lyn of San Clemente, CA. Additionally she is survived by her cousins Jane Lenarsky of Natick MA, Jane Chalmers and Kathleen Weatherwax, both of Lady Lake FL and nieces Laurie Svitenko of San Clemente, CA and Colby Countryman of Agoura Hills, CA.

Sandy grew up in the Wyckoff Park area of Holyoke, attended Nonotuck, Highland and John J. Lynch schools and Holyoke High School. She loved Holyoke and had many friends there. Among many other things she was an enthusiastic patron of that beloved Holyoke institution, Luchini’s Restaurant on Hampden Street and likewise loved Nick’s Nest hot dogs.

After graduation from Holyoke High School, she went to college at CW Post College on Long Island and was married to Richard Kielty of Staten Island, NY. They lived in New Jersey and Sandy worked in New York City as a social worker.

Sandy and Richard divorced and she spent the rest of her adult life living in Chevy Chase, MD and the Washington D.C. area where she was known as Alex Kielty. In 1979 she suffered a devastating ski accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She adapted to the injury, and with the help of a very good friend, Linda
Kontnier, also of Chevy Chase, and other close friends there as well, she lived a very independent, productive and active life in Maryland. She worked for many years for the U.S. Department of Labor, becoming the head of its Disability Employment Program.

In spite of her severe physical issues, she traveled extensively over the years and enjoyed re-visiting western Massachusetts during its glorious fall seasons, always stopping by Atkins Farms Country Market in South Amherst and the Michelson Gallery in Northampton. In Maryland she enjoyed a very busy social life including being President of her condominium board and an active member of the Friendship Heights Village council in Chevy Chase. She will be deeply missed by her family and the friends who knew her. Throughout her years, she lived a very brave, courageous and generous life.

A graveside funeral service will be held on Wednesday, Dec 5, 2018 at 11 AM at the South Amherst Cemetery, located between South East & Middle Streets in Amherst. Funeral arrangements are being done by Douglass Funeral Services, 87 No. Pleasant Street, Amherst, 413 -253-3407. Douglass can be contacted for service details. A celebration of Sandy’s life will be held at a later date in Chevy Chase. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to Doctors Without Borders (NYC) or the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Eunice Rose (Stokes) Dudley of Belchertown, Ma, aged 87, departed this life peacefully on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 in her home surrounded by family.

Eunice, Eun to her many friends, was born on the 11th of December 1930 in Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia. She was the fifth child and second daughter to Joseph and Ada (Hiscocks) Stokes.

Eunice married Frederick John Dudley in Glebe, N.S.W. Australia on 14th October 1949. Their marriage was solemnized in the Ogden, Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 16, 1988. They raised 3 children together, Jennifer Lee, Judith Denise and John.

Eun and Fred resided on the Central Coast of New South Sales, Australia before immigrating to the United States in 1981, settling first in Syracuse, Utah and then in Belchertown Massachusetts.

Eun made friends easily, and was a reliable and faithful friend to many. She kept in contact with her friends and family through the lost art of letter writing, keeping them informed of the activities of family, and her thoughts on the world around her. A skilled knitter, there are few who came into contact with Eunice who didn’t receive a coveted hand-knitted hat or scarf, or whose newborn child wasn’t kept warm with a delicate cardigan or sweater. She was also dedicated to keeping a journal leaving us thoughts and memories of her life and ideas.

Family was of utmost importance to Eunice, and she loved and ardently protected every member with energy and passion. She will be missed for her generosity and devotion to those closest to her.

Eunice was a faithful member of the Ludlow Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and an early member of the Gosford N.S.W. Australia Ward, where she served in many positions in the Sunday School, Primary and as Relief Society President. She loved her Heavenly Father and Saviour, Jesus Christ and never neglected the opportunity to bear testimony of her Faith.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Ada, her sister Grace, brothers: Douglas, Ronald and Raymond, as well as granddaughter Tovah.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 69 years, Frederick, her children: Jennifer (Bob) KIng (West Haven, Utah), Judith (Humberto) Sepulveda (Hamilton, Missouri), John (Suzanne) Dudley (Belchertown, Massachusetts), her sister Glenys Aitken (Woy Woy, N.S.W. Australia), and her grandchildren Simone, Adam, Pilar, Joshua, Micah, Sacha, Domoni, Travis, Amber, Meghan and Bronwyn. She is also survived by her god daughter Julie Stokes (Kiama, N.S.W. Australia), 23 great grandchildren, 8 nieces and 5 nephews.

Internment and services to be held in West Haven, Utah.

Amherst, Richard A. Britt, 66, died Saturday November 17, 2018, on his birthday. He was born November 17, 1952 in Northampton, to the late George and Mary {LaRose} Britt. Richard is survived by his brother, James and wife April Britt of Florence his sister, Beverly Ross of Washington State, Aunt Shirley LaRose of Leeds and his aunt Marion and husband John Bak of Amherst. He was predeceased by his brothers, Thomas, Robert and John Britt. 

After a long and courageous battle with several major health issues, Sudro Brown passed away peacefully at home on November 17, 2018.

Born in Fargo, North Dakota in 1938 to the late Robert Clifford and Jane Sudro Brown, he spent his formative years in Neenah, Wisconsin. He graduated from Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam, WI before beginning the pursuit of his higher education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Ultimately, he earned a Ph. D. degree in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin.

He began his military service with the U.S. Air Force in 1960 as a 2nd Lieutenant with an aeronautical rating of Navigator. He flew world-wide transport missions that included going east to Calcutta, west to Bangkok, north to Greenland and Alaska, and south to Brazil, to the Congo and over the Kalahari Desert to Johannesburg, S. Africa. He participated heavily in the Vietnam resupply mission.

He continued his military involvement with the U.S. Air Force Reserves at Westover Air Force Base in Chicopee, MA until his retirement with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

At the same time, he began his teaching career as Assistant Professor of Accounting at UMASS. He went on to teach at RPI in Troy, NY, UVM in Burlington, VT, Suffolk University in Boston, MA, King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY.

He then enjoyed retirement activities including following his beloved Green Bay Packers, proudly holding an ownership in the team.

His love of model railroading began as a young child and continued with his deep involvement with the Amherst Railroad Society since 1975. He served several years as its treasurer, then as president. In 2018, he was made an honorary life-time member of the society.

He participated in the Amherst Belt Lines Modular Layout since 1982, enjoying 35 years with the ARS annual Railroad Hobby Show at the Eastern States Exposition in West. Springfield, MA.

He leaves his wife of 51 years, Lucia (Amato), his son and daughter-in-law, Sudro II and Kimberly (Land) of Port Hueneme, CA, and his daughter and son-in-law, Roselee Jane and Shane Conklin, his two granddaughters, Elena Rose and Anna Jane Conklin, all of Hadley, MA.

He also leaves his cousins, John W. and Frances Schranz, and Debby and Craig Karr, all of Wisconsin.

In addition, he leaves his brothers- and sisters-in-law, James D., and Leah A. Amato of Naples, FL, Joseph C. and Patricia A. Amato of Ithaca NY, and Mary Amato, also of Naples, FL.

He was predeceased by his brother, William T. Brown of Ukiah, CA.

His family deeply appreciated the years of support given to him by so many friends and family members. There are no words to describe the outstanding care given to him by the staff of Massachusetts General Cancer Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital where he was treated like visiting royalty.

Family and friends are invited to a calling hour at 10:00 AM, Saturday, December 29th at the Hadley Farms Meeting House in Hadley, MA followed by a memorial service at 11:00 AM.

Memorial gifts in his name may be sent to: Amherst Railway Society, P.O. Box 1018, Palmer, MA 1069-1018.

Dennis J. Meehan II of Hadley MA passed away November 17, 2018 at home. He was greatly loved and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.
He leaves his beloved wife of 52 years, Linda Anderson Meehan of Hadley MA and dear sons Dennis J. Meehan III of Easthampton MA and Brian A. Meehan of Belchertown MA. He is survived by 4 beloved grandchildren- Aurora, Erika, Angela and Thomas.
He also leaves his brother James G. Meehan Jr. and his wife Gael Meehan of Pittsburg PA and his sister-in-law and brother- in- law Ron Schram and Carol Schram of Hingham MA. Also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
He was the son of the late James G. Meehan Sr. and Anne Croxton Meehan.
He was a graduate of Middlebury College and Columbia University. Dennis served in the Army during the Vietnam War. He retired as CFO of Palmer and Dodge
Along with his passion for gardening, helping make the new Hadley Library a reality, Disney World and genealogy, his greatest pleasure was time spent with his family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to the two charities he loved most: “American Cancer Society” c/o Brian Meehan, 628 Warren Wright Rd, Belchertown MA 01007 or “Community Foundation of Western MA” with Hadley Library Fund in the memo line to: Goodwin Library, 50 Middle St, Hadley MA 01035.
Visiting hours will be 4-6 PM Monday November 26th at Douglass Funeral Home, 87 North Pleasant St, Amherst MA. A Memorial Service will be at 10:30 AM Tuesday November 27th at Douglass Funeral Home, followed by burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, 173 Main St, Haydenville MA.

Daniel Scott Thornton passed away at his home on November 10th, 2018 at the age of 51. Dan will be forever remembered by his son Timothy, mother Judy (Juan LIzardi), and his sisters Betsy (Jamie Fusek) and Jennifer (Mark Galisatus). He will also be fondly remembered by his Nephew and Niece Brad and Zoe (Galisatus), Cousin Trevor and close friend Michael Brown, as well as his numerous Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Dan was predeceased by his father Brad in 2008.

Dan was born in Northampton Ma. on March 16th, 1967. He grew up in Pelham Ma. and attended nearby Amherst High School. He spent most of his adult life in Massachusetts and the New England area. Dan was a devoted father who loved his son deeply. A Blue collar Renaissance man, excellent in many trades, including Roofing, Blacksmithing, and Construction. Along the way, he built custom homes in Nantucket, Apartments in California and repaired hurricane ravaged houses in Florida. Dan was currently employed at Progressive Rail Services in Palmer.

He was a walking Encyclopedia with an endless passion for learning and educating himself. A true searcher. Dan was genuine, with a magnetic personality. He loved people and had many friends from all walks of life.

Dan will be lovingly remembered for his beautiful sense of humor, his generosity, the twinkle in his eyes and his heart that was as big as his giant hands. Dan will be forever in our hearts.

Services will be at a later date at the convenience of the family.

Daniel Scott Thornton passed away at his home on November 10th, 2018 at the age of 51. Dan will be forever remembered by his son Timothy, mother Judy (Juan LIzardi), and his sisters Betsy (Jamie Fusek) and Jennifer (Mark Galisatus). He will also be fondly remembered by his Nephew and Niece Brad and Zoe (Galisatus), Cousin Trevor and close friend Michael Brown, as well as his numerous Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Dan was predeceased by his father Brad in 2008.

Dan was born in Northampton Ma. on March 16th, 1967. He grew up in Pelham Ma. and attended nearby Amherst High School. He spent most of his adult life in Massachusetts and the New England area. Dan was a devoted father who loved his son deeply. A Blue collar Renaissance man, excellent in many trades, including Roofing, Blacksmithing, and Construction. Along the way, he built custom homes in Nantucket, Apartments in California and repaired hurricane ravaged houses in Florida. Dan was currently employed at Progressive Rail Services in Palmer.

He was a walking Encyclopedia with an endless passion for learning and educating himself. A true searcher. Dan was genuine, with a magnetic personality. He loved people and had many friends from all walks of life.

Dan will be lovingly remembered for his beautiful sense of humor, his generosity, the twinkle in his eyes and his heart that was as big as his giant hands. Dan will be forever in our hearts.

Services will be at a later date at the convenience of the family.