East Longmeadow – Long time Pelham resident William Nathan Fuller, 85, died Wednesday March 1^st 2017 at the East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center following a long-term illness.

Born in Farmington, CT., to the late Nathan and Rebecca Fuller, he moved to Ashfield, MA as a teenager where he attended Sanderson Academy where he excelled at basketball while setting several scoring records. After graduation he enlisted in the Army and served during the Korean War.

After the war he met his future wife Beverly Perron, married in 1957 and started their family in Ashfield. They then moved to Pelham in 1963 where Bill started working at The First National Bank of Amherst, where later he retired from the position of Vice President.

Bill was an avid golfer and held a longtime membership at Amherst Golf Course. He was a fan of the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics keeping constant track of their statistics which carried into his grandchildren’s sports teams where he was an even bigger fan and he never missed a game.

Bill is survived by his wife Beverly Fuller of Pelham, his children Lewis Fuller of Myrtle Beach South Carolina, Douglas Fuller and his longtime girlfriend Jody Powell and her two daughters Jennifer (Boron) and Jillian all of Shutesbury, Michael Fuller of Amherst, Steven Fuller of Pelham and Elaine F Ryan of Pelham. Along with Bill’s four grandchildren, Brian Fuller, and triplet girls Ashley, Brianna, and Carissa Fuller all of Pelham and their mother Deborah of South Hadley. He is also survived by countless friends including longtime dedicated friend Rich Davis.

Calling hours will be held Tuesday March 7^th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Douglass Funeral Service, Amherst. A graveside Funeral service will be Wednesday March 8^th at North Valley Cemetery in Pelham at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers you can donate to Alzheimer’s Association P.O. Box 96011 Washington, DC 20090-6011 or a charity of your choice. 

AMHERST, Marian S. (Brown) Brown of Amherst passed away peacefully on February 27, 2017.  She was born in Hibbing, Minnesota on May 11, 1921 to Lawrence W. and Margaret (Grogan) Brown. 

Marian was the beloved wife of the late Bruce G. Brown with whom she shared 69 joyful years – marrying after knowing each other only 17 days.  She lived in Amherst for 70 years, most of the time on Bay Road in South Amherst, the last four years at The Arbors in Amherst where she made wonderful new friends and was looked after by a caring and loving staff.

Graduating from the University of Minnesota at Duluth, Marian taught briefly in Minnesota before taking a position teaching English in Everett, WA where she met Bruce who was serving as a legal officer in the United States Air Force. They moved back to Bruce’s hometown of Amherst in 1946. 

In addition to raising her two children, Marian was actively involved in Brownie and Girl Scout Troops, the Friendly Town program that brought children from Harlem to Amherst each summer, and the South Amherst Thursday Club. 

Marian over the years loved painting, skiing and golf, and was an avid Red Sox fan.  She also enjoyed traveling, with special trips to Italy, England, Spain, Greece and Norway as well as to her winter home in Florida.

She also loved poetry and was known and admired for her ability to recite many of her favorites.  In a somewhat different vein, she was also an accomplished joke teller, somehow never cracking a smile or forgetting a punch line.  Despite an active schedule she always found time to complete the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle – typically by the end of the day.  She was a very doting and generous grandmother to her five grandchildren.

Two special relationships that gave Marian great joy began in the 1950s and continued for the rest of her life. Leslie Kremer, a neighbor’s child, was welcomed to the family so that she could finish high school when her family left the area.  Niels Peter Thorshaug, from Norway, joined the family as the first AFS (American Field Service) student in Amherst.  Both Leslie, living in Maine, and Niels, living in Norway, have maintained their connection by communicating and visiting regularly, including most recently, Marian’s milestone birthdays of 90 and 95.  Marian’s children, Margaret and Jeff, fondly refer to Leslie and Niels as Marian’s “good children”.

Marian is survived her daughter Margaret Shullaw and husband Steve Shullaw of Coralville, Iowa; her son Jeff Brown and wife Deb Brown of Amherst; two granddaughters, Amy Cox and husband Shawn Gunst of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Kate Platis and husband Jim Platis of Chicago, Illinois; three grandsons, Douglas Cox of Huntington Beach, California, Peter Brown of New York City, New York and Jack Brown and wife Jessica Brown of Amherst; great granddaughter Hannah Brown of Amherst; her sister Betty Hall of East Lansing, Michigan; and her dear friend Connie Hamilton of Amherst.  She was predeceased by her husband Bruce G. Brown, her brothers Colin, Robert and Donald and her sister Harriet Davis.

A private celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

Amherst, Victor E Guevara (Cuco) passed away peacefully with his loving wife Gloria Guevara (Goggie) by his side in the early morning of February 23, 2017. Victor was born on July 24, 1939 in the beautiful town of Patillas, Puerto Rico to Virginia Colon and Juan Guevara. Victor had three siblings; Juan Guevara (Johnny), who passed away in 1982, Pedro Guevara and Virginia Guevara live in Puerto Rico and travelled to Amherst to be by his side recently.

When Victor was 13, he fell in love with Gloria, who was 12 at the time. While at a dance celebrating the patron saint of their hometown Patillas, a famous band played “Compadre Pedro Juan” and Victor gathered the courage to go up to Gloria and ask her to dance. Thankfully, she agreed to dance and this marked the beginning of their everlasting love and commitment to each other. Years later, they married and had two children, Marta and Gustavo Guevara, who is married to Kim Guevara. They now have 5 grandchildren; Tatiana, who is married to Andrew Moylan, Alyssa, who is married to Michael Santos, Gabriel, who is married to Yaritza Scott, Javier and Olivia and 2 great-granddaughters (Chloe and Lorelai). Victor and Gloria were sweethearts who were married for over 56 years!

Family was everything to Victor and he gave them all unconditional love. He lost his father when he was 5 and was raised by his mother and grandmother Guadalupe, who were loving, hard working women, devoted to him and his siblings. According to his mother, Victor loved learning and was always an inquisitive child. She encouraged Victor, her second son, to study to be a priest and sent him to the Manresa Seminary, in the town of Aibonito, Puerto Rico. This experience opened his eyes and mind to the love of learning about other cultures, music, languages, history, sports and many more beautiful things. Victor cherished this experience his entire life.

Victor loved people and he treasured his friends. He knew people from all over the world, from all walks of life and adored having conversations in person or over the phone with those he knew and loved. He was genuinely interested in getting to know everyone he came in touch with and always greeted them with enthusiasm and infinite positivity. There was no such thing as a short errand because he spoke with everyone he came in contact with and left them feeling better than when they started the conversation with him. He was always eager to lend a helping hand and did so without expecting anything in return. He never judged people, choosing to highlight their virtues and potential for greatness.

Victor spoke often about the great teachers he had, in addition to his family, and became interested in following in their footsteps. When his family moved to Amherst in 1974 for his wife to pursue a doctoral degree, Victor decided to study Spanish and Education at the University of Massachusetts. He worked as an adult literacy educator and a high school teacher. He retired early from Holyoke High School, following an illness, but he continued being a teacher to many. He kept in touch with countless students and remained a part of their lives and that of their loved ones.

Victor served his community in many ways, especially as an ambassador for the Puerto Rican people and culture. He was committed to the study of the island’s history and people, as well as the Spanish language. He followed island politics daily and stayed close to popular culture in Puerto Rico. He treasured his daily conversations about the political reality of the island with many and made it a point to read the newspapers from the island daily and watch the evening news. Everyone who knew him quickly learned about his love of Puerto Rico and his devotion to his home town and being “Patillense”.

Victor was a lover of music…all music. He attended as many music concerts, lectures and celebrations as he could. He loved having the opportunity to enjoy all of the cultural events available in his community and was an avid supporter of the Arts in general. He was a fixture in all of the art and music venues in our area and prided himself in enjoying all performances. He was a champion volunteer, devoted collaborator and loyal supporter of Public radio for over 30 years. He enjoyed working alongside his friends who hosted different shows, especially “Tertulia” on WFCR.

Victor loved to travel and did so all over the world. He was in awe of previous civilizations and loved exploring and learning. He was an avid reader and writer who revered words. He wrote many letters to the editors of local and Puerto Rican newspapers and awaited responses from the community with great excitement. He was never bored and refused to understand the concept.

Victor was a man who lived life to the fullest and was grateful for everything he was able to experience and enjoy. His enthusiasm and never ending optimism led him to dislike traditional wakes and funerals, always choosing to remember loved ones in the best of times. Following his wishes, his family has chosen to celebrate his life with the friends and community members he loved. Please join us for an afternoon of food, music and memories on March 11, 2017 at the Unitarian Church in the center of Amherst starting at 1:30 p.m.

 
She graduated from Lowell High School, class of 1942. Prior to her retirement, she was the bookkeeper for Synthetic Yarns.  June loved the City of Lowell and enjoyed many summers at Hampton Beach NH and “out to camp” at Long Pond in Dracut. She was also fond of her many VW Beetles.

 
She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Breen and her husband Paul of Amherst, MA and her son Thomas Callahan and his wife Lisa of Farmington Hills, Michigan; one sister, Beverly Begley of Chelmsford, MA and one brother Chapin Webb of Tyngsboro, MA.

 
She was predeceased by her two sisters, Marjorie Collins of Portland, Oregon and Shirley Gardiner of Ferndale, Washington and one brother, Jackson Webb of Lowell, MA. She also leaves four grandchildren, Andrea and Eric Breen and Cassie and Spencer Callahan and several nieces and nephews.

 
It being her request, all services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Burial will be at the Lowell Cemetery.

June Webb Callahan

Bookkeeper

Amherst, MA, June L. (Webb) Callahan, daughter of the late Frank and Mary A. (Bates) Webb, and the beloved wife of the late John F. Callahan passed away on February 26, 2017 at the age of 92.  She graduated from Lowell High School, class of 1942. Prior to her retirement, she was the bookkeeper for Synthetic Yarns.  June loved the City of Lowell and enjoyed many summers at Hampton Beach NH and “out to camp” at Long Pond in Dracut. She was also fond of her many VW Beetles. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Breen and her husband Paul of Amherst, MA and her son Thomas Callahan and his wife Lisa of Farmington Hills, Michigan; one sister, Beverly Begley of Chelmsford, MA and one brother Chapin Webb of Tyngsboro, MA. She was predeceased by her two sisters, Marjorie Collins of Portland, Oregon and Shirley Gardiner of Ferndale, Washington and one brother, Jackson Webb of Lowell, MA. She also leaves four grandchildren, Andrea and Eric Breen and Cassie and Spencer Callahan and several nieces and nephews. It being her request, all services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Burial will be at the Lowell Cemetery.

Florence Marguerite Boynton (nee Prenney), born 12/24/1922, died quietly in her home with her child and grandchild with her, on February 13, 2017.  Mrs. Boynton was born in 1922 in Everett, MA to Genevieve MacDonald Prenney and Joseph Prenney.  She graduated from Everett High School and the Bryant Stratton College in Boston.  She married Lloyd Coffin Boynton in 1942, settled in Groveland, MA and had one child, Anne.  She was active in Groveland, chairing the Finance Committee, scoring Little League games, and running an insurance agency, a plumbing company, and a law office.  She was the model of a working mother for her daughter, in a time when mothers didn’t tend to work outside the home. After the death of her husband in 1994, she moved to Amherst.  She was active in the South Congregational Church, Eastern Star, Thursday Club, the Amherst Women’s Club, and the Kanegasaki Sister City Committee. She loved playing cribbage at the Senior Center and being a Member of Amherst Town Meeting.  She traveled to Japan to celebrate the Sister City connection and traveled extensively in England, Scotland, and Europe.  She leaves her daughter, Anne Awad, and grandchildren, Yusef and his wife Muthoni Magua and Asha and her husband Kevin Santos, and great-grandchildren, Leonardo, James, and Nadia.  She also leaves her foster son, Zakaria Ahmed Gas, a Somali refugee, who came to live with her when he was a student and stayed with her for 14 years.  She leaves many close friends from Groveland and Amherst who will miss her. A service to celebrate her life will be held at the South Congregational Church in Amherst on Saturday, March 11, at 11 AM.  Contributions in her name may be made to the Friends of the Amherst Senior Center and mailed to the Center on Boltwood walk in Amherst.  

AMHERST – Margit H. Mintz passed away peacefully at home on February 20, 2017, at the age of 91.  Margit was born in Hannover, Germany and enjoyed a wonderful, idyllic childhood until the start of World War II, when her young life was changed forever by the Holocaust.  Both parents perished incidental to the war, and Margit lost years to concentration camp internment.  Her survival was made possible by the wit and will that made her such a memorable person in her lifetime.  After being liberated, Margit briefly returned to her hometown, and then, perhaps to slough off the burden of survival, traveled throughout Europe “with only a suitcase”.  She emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City on October 2, 1952.  She attended Hunter College where she received a bachelor’s degree, while working as a secretary.  It was on the tennis courts in Central Park where she met her husband, Abraham “Abie” Mintz.  Margit was evasive and reticent, but Abie’s relentless pursuit was rewarded when they married on his birthday in 1956, and they loved and supported one another until Abie’s death in 1999.  Margit was a kindergarten teacher, furniture store manager, and interior designer/fine art curator in her professional lives.  She loved all things artistic and decorative, and her style in both decoration and dress was boldly unique and often admired.  Margit introduced Abie and her children to Provincetown on Cape Cod, one of her favorite places and the site of traditional summer vacations which have continued into the next generation and will continue in her memory.  She was an avid and curious reader of books of all kinds, with a particular fondness for poetry and philosophy.  In addition to her loving husband, Margit was lucky to forge many strong friendships in her lifetime, including her closest friends Dr. Vidor and Nissan Bernstien of Wayne, NJ.  She moved from New Jersey to Amherst in 2004, where she found an engaging and supportive community at Greenleaves Condominiums. 

Margit was also predeceased by her sister, Etta.  In addition to her sister Helga (Rohlfs) and other family in Germany, Margit leaves her two sons, David Mintz, of Northampton, and Daniel Mintz, of Eureka CA.  She will also be missed by David’s wife and her daughter-in-law, Shawn Farley, and her granddaughter, Natasha (Mintz), now living in New Orleans, who was her beloved angel and with whom she was able to celebrate her 91^st birthday in December.

The family would like to extend genuine and heartfelt gratitude to the Center for Extended Care in Amherst, for their attention, affection, and wonderful care they provided to Margit in the final chapter of her life.  In lieu of any formal service, the family plans to hold a celebration of Margit’s life when Spring, the season of rebirth, arrives.  In lieu of flowers, donations in Margit’s memory can be made to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, ushmm.org. 

Amherst, Arnold Friedmann passed away peacefully at the age of 91 in his home on Thursday, February 16. After being diagnosed with pneumonia, he elected Fisher Home’s home hospice. He was surrounded by family in his remaining days. 

Friedmann was born in 1925 in Nuremberg, Germany. His parents Max and Else, and his sister Lotte, lived in Germany until 1939. After Kristallnacht (Night of the Broken Crystal) the family fled Germany for British Palestine. To earn money and develop a trade, Arnold apprenticed as a cabinet maker at age 14. At 18, he enlisted in the British Army and served as an ammunition specialist throughout the Middle East during WW II, attaining the rank of Sergeant. 

Throughout his time in Palestine and in the British Army, Arnold continued his high school studies and passed the London Matriculation in 1947. He then immigrated to the United States to study interior design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. He put his studies on hold in 1949 to return to Palestine to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces as a Sergeant Major in the Israeli War of Liberation.  

During his one year of service in the Israeli Army, Arnold married his long-time love, Susi Kirsch. After the war, she joined him in the United States in 1950, where she worked in the garment district to support his pursuit of a Bachelors of Fine Arts, which he earned in 1953 from Pratt. 

In the 1950s, Arnold worked as a furniture designer, cabinet maker, and interior designer while teaching at Pratt and continuing his studies there. In 1960, he earned a Masters of Fine Arts from Pratt. After that, he focused his energy on teaching. In the 1960s, he became a Full Professor and Chair of the Design Department. 

In 1972, Arnold moved his family to Amherst, MA to create an interior design program in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Massachusetts. During his 20 years of work and service at UMass, he grew the design department, mentored many students, and served on many committees. He became Chairman of the Department of Interior and Environmental Design and was the Associate Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts until he retired in 1990. 

Throughout his 40-year career, he was very actively involved in several interior design professional associations and a prolific author. As an active member and leader of IDEC, NCIDQ, and other organizations, he played a key role in turning interior design into an accredited academic pursuit and in establishing national qualifying examinations for interior designers.

He authored or co-authored four books, 60+ professional journal articles, and an Encyclopedia Britannica entry. He was also proud to receive numerous professional awards; including from the IKEA Foundation and IDEC. His favorite award was the Distinguished Teaching Award from UMass in 1980. 

After his retirement, he continued to teach part time for five years as Professor Emeritus. In retirement, he remained an active volunteer at the University Fine Arts Center and in numerous local organizations, including the Survival Center, Learning in Retirement, and foster care.  After his move to the Applewood retirement community, he continued in true form and became very involved in numerous committees and activities, including organizing an ongoing lecture series covering a wide range of topics. 

Most important to Arnold were the relationships he forged during his career. Many students saw him as both a mentor and a close friend, and he continued many relationships beyond graduation. 

Arnold’s leisure time was just as busy as his professional life: he traveled frequently with his beloved wife, Susi, played tennis 2-3 times per week until the age of 90, and entertained friends often at their home. From 1960 onwards, he collected a wonderful set of balancing toys many of which continue to grace their home.

Arnold Friedmann is survived by his wife Susi, of Applewood in Amherst, his sons, Dan of Chappaqua, NY and Ron of Arlington, VA, his much-loved grandchildren Tim and Jillian of Chappaqua, NY and Ron’s husband Stuart. He was pre-deceased by his daughter-in-law, Laurie Fessler. 

A memorial service will be organized this summer. Donations in his memory can be made to Learning in Retirement; the Institute for Holocaust, Genocide, and Memory Studies at UMass; or the Massachusetts General Hospital.