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Bud Stellati
Bud Stellati, 54, of North Conway, died on January 18, 1999 at his home, following a short illness. He was born in Somerville, Mass., and was the son of George and Mary Walters Stellati.
Mr. Stellati grew up in Revere, Mass. and lived in Wakefield, Mass. prior to moving to North Conway in 1981. He graduated from Revere High School, Class of 1962, and Northeastern University in 1968.
He was a mechanical engineer for Polaroid Corporation in Cambridge, Mass. for 17 years. Mr. Stellati owned and operated Classic Expressions in North Conway from 1981-1988, All Cotton Outlet, also in North Conway, from 1989-1993, and Northern Snowmobile Rentals, in Conway from 1993 to the present. He was also a member and Carroll County Director of the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association.
His family includes his father, George E. Stellati, Sr. of Cooper City, Florida; two sisters, Patricia A. Fulchino of Wellington, Florida and Janice DiPaola of Lexington, Mass.; a nephew, David J. Stellati of Winthrop, Mass. and a grandniece and grandnephew, Alexandra and Michael Stellati.
He was predeceased by a sister, Mary Ann Stellati, in 1960.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday at 1 p.m. at Our Lady of the Mountains Church in North Conway. Burial will be in the North Conway Cemetery. Visiting hours will be Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Paul Buonfiglio and Son Funeral Home, 128 Revere St., Revere, Mass. and on Thursday, also from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway.
Julia C. Reed
Julia C. Reed, 87, of Center Conway, died Jan. 15, 1999, at her home after a long illness.
Born in Cambridge, Mass., the daughter of Michael and Mary O'Connell, she lived in Somerville, Mass., for 56 years and in Londonderry for 15 years before moving to Center Conway in 1993.
Mrs. Reed graduated from St. Joseph's High School in Somerville, Mass.
The family includes two sons, Robert E. Reed Jr., of Somerville, and John P. Reed, of Center Conway; and 11 grandchildren.
She was pre-deceased by her husband, Robert E. Reed Sr., in 1983, and by her daughter, Jean M. Michael, in 1995.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of the Mountains Church in North Conway. Burial will be in Fort Devens, Mass. There will be no visiting hours. Donations may be sent to Project Good Morning, c/o Conway Police Department, P.O. Box 558, North Conway, NH 03860-0558.
The Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway is in charge of arrangements.
Eleanor P. Sanphy
Eleanor P. Sanphy, 86, of North Conway, died Jan. 15, 1999, at the Merriman House in North Conway following a long illness.
Born in North Conway, the daughter of Charles and Ethel (Perry) Palmer, she had been a lifelong resident.
She graduated from Kennett High School, class of 1929. She had worked for the New England Telephone Company for more than 40 years and was a member of the Telephone Pioneers.
The family includes her husband, Wallace T. Sanphy, of North Conway; her sister, Beatrice Monroe, of North Conway; a niece, Jane Seavey, of North Conway; two step-daughters and two step-sons.
Graveside services will be held in the Conway Village Cemetery later in the spring. There will be no visiting hours. Donations may be sent to the North Conway Library, North Conway, NH 03860.
The Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway is in charge of arrangements.
George E. Ryan
George E. Ryan, 89, of Bartlett, died January 12, 1999 at The Memorial Hospital in North Conway after a brief illness. He was born in Butler, N.J., the son of John and Ada Ryan, and had lived in Bartlett for over 50 years.
Mr. Ryan was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II and served in the South Pacific.
He worked for the Maine Central Railroad for 25 years before retiring in 1977.
He was a member of the Francis P. Murphy VFW Post 5386 in Bartlett and he was a member of the North Conway American Legion Post 95.
His family includes his wife, Katherine Dorsett Ryan of Bartlett; two stepdaughters, Sylvia M. Seavey of Conway and Sandra J. Mead of Bartlett; seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway, with the Rev. William Stockhaus, pastor of the Glen Community Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in the Bartlett Village Cemetery later in the spring. There will be no visiting hours.
Donations may be sent to the Gibson Center for Senior Services, North Conway, NH 03860.
Nancy L. Darling
Nancy L. Darling, 56, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, died Wednesday, January 13, 1999 at her home, after a ten-year challenge with breast cancer.
She was born in North Conway, the daughter of John Norton and Ruth Appleton Leighton, and graduated from Kennett High School in 1960. She went on to graduate from Keene State Teachers College in 1965, majoring in Physical Education. Her teaching career included positions in Melvindale, Mich., Newport News, Va., Belvoir, Va. and South Portland, Maine.
On July 1, 1967, she married Dana R. Darling. Their daugher, Sarah, was born in 1973.
Ms. Darling taught for 30 years at the Mahoney Middle School, the last twelve years were as Quest teacher, introducing a wide variety of communication, decision-making, and life skills to many hundreds of young people. She received the Lions Club Citizen of the Year award and was made an honorary lifetime member of Lions International for her contributions to the community.
She was active in the Cape Elizabeth Rescue Squad for several years and always enjoyed being able to help others in need.
In addition to her teaching, her passion was backpacking in New Hampshire and Maine. She continued this hobby during her illness and successfully climbed all of the 4,000 foot peaks in New Hampshire. She also enjoyed a number of creative hobbies including painting, counted cross-stitch, and rug hooking. She was also an avid gardener and took pride in several flower gardens at her residence.
Her family includes her husband of 31 years; her daughters, Sarah W. Long of Cape Elizabeth; her mother, Ruth Leighton of Chocorua; a sister, Jean Huntoon of Chocorua; and a grandson, Brandon R. Long of Cape Elizabeth.
A life celebration will be held from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, February 2 in the auditorium of Mahoney Middle School, Ocean St. South Portland, Maine.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Maine Cancer Research and Education Founation, P.O. Box 553, Portland, ME 04112-0553. Final arrangements are by Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Road, South Portland, Maine.
G. Malcolm McNeil
G. Malcolm McNeil, 95, a longtime resident of North Conway, died Friday, January 8, 1999 in Pompano Beach, Florida.
He was born in Winthrop, Mass. in 1903 and attended Boston English High School where he played the saxophone in the school's band. His interest in music was only exceeded by his love of science, and mathematics in particular. In 1926 he graduated from MIT with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, and thereafter served as a 1st lieutenant in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps at the Watertown Arsenal and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
In 1928 he joined the Arkwright Insurance Co. in Boston where he inspected industrial properties to assess their risk of loss by fire. His career with Arkwright spanned four decades. He went on to become the firm's corporate secretary, and was a vice president when Arkwright merged with Boston Manufacturer's Insurance Co. in 1967, to become Arkwright-Boston.
Mr. McNeil married Mary Jean Duncan of Portsmouth in 1932 and lived in West Milford, Mass. for most of his working years. He was a deacon of the Congregational Church of West Milford and chaired its endowment and business affairs committees. In 1954, he oversaw construction of the church's parish hall wing. During the 1960s he was also a vice president and trustee of the Winthrop Savings Bank, which is now part of BankBoston, and was a trustee of Nason College in Springvale, Maine until it was absorbed into the University of Maine.
He first came to North Conway as a schoolboy in 1923. Staying with his uncle, who owned a large farm on the west side of town, he skied in Jackson until a broken ankle ended his holiday. He visited the area often, bringing with him his younger sisters and brother, all of whom would come to own homes in Mt. Washington Valley, less than a short walk from each other.
He retired to North Conway in 1968. A registered professional engineer, he designed and built his own retirement cottage across the street from the farmhouse where he stayed as a boy. He and is wife spent summers in Conway for 25 years, until his wife's death in 1993. Winters were spent in Naples, Florida.
He was a member of the North Conway Rotary Club and was affiliated with the area's Masons.
He also had a great respect for nature. One year, a chickadee landed on his shoulder as he was planting tomatoes in his garden. The small bird stayed close to him for the rest of the day while he worked. A friend who was a professional photographer caught this moment on film, just as the chickadee mustered enough courage to sit in the palm of his hand. The photo ultimately appeared nationwide in nearly every church and synagogue, on calendars and greeting cards. It also appeared on the front cover of Country magazine.
His family includes his sons, Donald D. McNeil of Coral Springs, Florida, Robert M. McNeil of Leominster, Mass., and Gordon Bruce McNeil of Cambridge, Mass.; and four grandchildren. A memorial service is planned in North Conway for later in the spring.
Earl W. Ford
Earl W. Ford, 78, of Pembroke, Mass., died Sunday, January 10, 1999 in Jordon Hospital, in Plymouth, Mass. He was born in Lakeville, Mass. the son of the late Walter and Mary Jane Ford. He attended schools in Duxbury, Mass., but lived most of his life in Pembroke.
He was a retired chief of the Pembroke Fire Department. During World War II, he served with the 103 Battalion in the U.S. Navy Seabees in the Pacific. He was a member of the Navy Seabee Veterans of America.
He served on the board of Fire Engineers for 14 years, and rose through the ranks and was appointed fire chief in 1973. He retired in 1985. Under his leadership, the department grew from seven full-time firefighters to 18 and 45 call firefighters. The town ambulance service was begun with round-the-clock coverage. He was instrumental in the building of the central fire station in Pembroke, donating the land where the headquarters building now stands, and oversaw its construction.
He was a member of the Fire Chiefs Association of Plymouth County, the Fire Chiefs Association of Mass. and the N.E. Society of Fire Chiefs, Inc. He formed and chaired the committee to provide and expand the Emergency Medical Communications Systems throughout Plymouth County, and served as its director in 1986.
He was a member and elder of New Covenant Fellowship Church in Duxbury, Mass.; and summered in the Conway area for many years.
His family includes his wife, Janice Melanson Johnson Ford of Pembroke, Mass.; his children, Stephen E. Ford of Whitman, Mass., Mary J. Lauzon of Chocorua, Harold Johnson of Kingston, Mass., and Richard B. Johnson of Whitman, Mass.; two brothers, Richard Ford and Walter Ford, both of Englewood, Florida; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Agnes Hatch Johnson Ford; a daughter, Bernice Diaz; two sons, Walter J. Johnson and Calvin W. Johnson; and a sister, Madeline Crossley.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. at the First Church in Pembroke, Mass. Interment will be in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Pembroke, Mass. Visiting hours will be Wednesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Shepherd Funeral Home, Rt. 14, Pembroke Center. Donations in Mr. Ford's memory may be made to the IRIS Thermal Energy Fund, c/o Pembroke Fire Station, Center St., Pembroke, MA 02359.
Joseph G. Birch
Joseph G. Birch, 85, a longtime resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, died Sunday, December 13, 1998 after an extended illness.
He was a teacher, counselor and assistant principal at the old Palm Beach High School for many years. He was an expert in curriculum development, as well as the first guidance councilor in Palm Beach County, and probably the state.
He also served as principal of Lake Worth High School for five years. He served as president of the Florida Personnel and Guidance Association, and was the Florida Representative to the national organization.
As treasurer of the Palm Beach County Teachers Credit Union, he opened up (quietly) the Association to black teachers and all employees of the School Board, which was then a very risky action. His favorite expression was, "the individual is everything the mass is disaster."
He was a 1932 graduate of Kennett High School in Conway.
His family includes his brother, Mark Birch of North Conway; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held in Florida.
Joan A. Gagne
Joan A. Gagne, 54, of Fryeburg, Maine, passed away January 10, 1999 at the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine, following a sudden illness. She was born in Somerville, Mass., and was the daughter of Roger and Edith Dutra Lyon.
Mrs. Gagne was raised in Reading, Mass. and attended school there. She lived in Hudson before moving to the valley in 1982. She and her husband, Terry, founded and became owners of the Paradise Machine Co. of East Conway in 1982. Mrs. Gagne devoted her time to being a wonderful Nana to her grandchildren. She also enjoyed outdoor activities and for the last several years skiing with the Mountain Meisters (Trail Map Express).
Her family includes her husband, Terry Gagne of Fryeburg, Maine; her children, Roger Kenney of Newton, Mass., Jill Dicey of Albany, Jeff Gagne of Albany, Candy Gagne and Kevin Gagne, both of Long Island, N.Y.; four grandchildren; four brothers, David Lyon of Salem, Daniel Lyon of Northport, Florida, Timothy Lyon of Litchfield, and Roger Lyon of Stoneham, Mass.; and three sisters, Virginia Lyon of Gray, Maine, Edith Murphy of Rockland, Mass., and Diana Blanchard of Limington, Maine.
There will be an informal memorial gathering at the Furber and White Funeral Home in North Conway on Wednesday, between 6 and 8 p.m.
Flowers may be sent, or donations to the Conway Police Department DARE Program, P.O. Box 558, North Conway, NH 03860.
