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Leo Robert Legere
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Leo Robert Legere, 58, of West Palm Beach, formerly of Portsmouth, N.H., died on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2002, in Manor Care Health Services.
He was born in Fitchburg, Mass., son of Leo Legere and Irene Kennelly Legere. He graduated from Boston College. He moved to New Hampshire in 1980.
He pursued a career in restaurant management. He enjoyed sports, movies, music and computers.
He was predeceased by his wife of 32 years, Christiane Legere.
He leaves three daughters, Stephanie Reynolds of Orlando, Fla., and twins, Renee A. and Michelle Y. Legere, both of West Palm Beach.
LEGERE - Les Robert Legere died Sunday, October, 200, 2002. Services will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2002, at Del Largo Funeral Home, 131 Southlakes Drive, Lake Worth, FL 33460.
Col. John Morse Knight
OLATHE, Kan. - Retired Lt. Col. John Morse Knight, 67, died Friday, Oct. 18, 2002.
He was born Feb. 12, 1935, in Exeter, N.H. He graduated from Exeter High School and the University of New Hampshire. He served in the U.S. Army infantry. He was a Ranger and had earned his parachutist badge and combat infantryman badge. During his 28 years, he served in Korea and as an assistant professor of military science at Pittsburg State University, where he was "issued" a wife. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam, Europe and the U.S.
He enjoyed people, volksmarching, square-dancing and playing mah jongg. After retiring in January of 1988, he worked on improving his golf game and guiding stray balls in a safe direction.
Preceding him in death were his mother, Marjorie McWilliams Knight; and his father, Charlie Morse Knight.
Survivors include his wife, Jerri Lemon Knight, at home; a son, Bruce Creighton Knight of Derwood, Md.; a daughter, Maile Cathryn Drago and her husband, Jonathan, of Wichita; a brother, Charles Thomas Knight of Norway, Maine; a sister, Lynne F. Kopka of Exeter, N.H.; and mother and father-in-law Ruth and Bill Lemon of Pittsburg.
KNIGHT - John Morse Knight, 67, of Olathe, Kan., died Oct. 18, 2002. The family will receive friends today, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 143rd and Blackbob Road in Olathe. A celebration of his life will follow, beginning at 7 p.m. Friends are invited to bring an item to share on the "Table of Memories." You will have the opportunity to share your memory during the service or have it read by someone. Private interment will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery, Pittsburg, Kan.
William Lloyd Turner
LACONIA - William Lloyd Turner, formerly of 18 Ridgewood Ave. in Gilford, died Oct. 19, 2002, at Genesis Eldercare following a courageous battle with throat cancer.
Born Jan. 2, 1926, in Indiana, he spent his childhood in Michigan and Arkansas. He served his country as an electrician’s mate in the U.S. Navy, stationed aboard the submarine USS Thornback during World War II in the Pacific.
Upon his discharge from the Navy, he worked as an electrician at the Portsmouth Gas Light Company. He served his community as a uniformed officer in the Portsmouth Police Department for eight years, attending the University of New Hampshire part-time.
Combining his love of the outdoors and his experience in law enforcement, he then served the state of New Hampshire as a conservation officer for the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game. He was stationed in the Seacoast area (Portsmouth) and the North Country (Berlin, Erroll and Milan) and retired from the department in 1977 from the Lakes Region (Laconia/Gilford).
Considered by his peers to be particularly gifted in dealing with the public, he helped hunters, fishing enthusiasts, hikers and boaters to enjoy New Hampshire’s natural resources and to follow the law while respecting the environment he so loved in order that others could take the same pleasure in the outdoors.
He was instrumental in the development of the Group II Retirement System for the benefit of N.H. police officers and firefighters, as well as in the formation of the N.H. Conservation Officers Relief Association.
After retiring from Fish and Game, he and his wife, Margaret, owned and operated Lloyd’s Rare Coins in Gilford. Together they were also distributors of Shaklee products. A skilled woodworker, he also owned Acorn Woodworking in Laconia, specializing in handcrafted furniture.
To maintain his connection with the people and the outdoors in the North Country, he enjoyed his family’s fishing/hunting camps at Cedar Pond and Milan and in Maine. Until shortly before he died, he was an avid saltwater fisherman who had a knack for catching striped bass.
In addition to his zest for the outdoors, he was a hockey fan, avidly following the Boston Bruins.
In 1980, he rediscovered a latent faith in God, which brought him a large measure of peace in his later years. Along with his sports, computer and woodworking interests, he above all treasured his family, especially doting on his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 57 years, Margaret Turner of Laconia; daughter Brenda Armstrong Williams and her husband, Mark; daughter Linda Merrill and her husband, Peter, of Laconia; son Mark Turner and his wife, Jennifer, of Concord; his sister, Irene Kolynuk, and his brother, Jerry, both of Michigan; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
TURNER - William Lloyd Turner, of Laconia, formerly of Gilford, died Oct. 19, 2002. At his request, there will be no calling hours and no public memorial service. Alternatively, Bill would appreciate your participating in "Take a Kid Fishing" day or enjoying the outdoors with your family. The family would request contributions in his memory to one of the following organizations: N.H. Conservation Officers Relief Assoc., c/o James Kneeland, P.O. Box 692, Bristol, NH 03222; or Lakes Region Adult Day Health Care, 17 Church St., Laconia, NH 03246; or Genesis Eldercare, 175 Blueberry Lane, Laconia, NH 03246; or Community Health and Hospice, 780 N. Main St., Laconia, NH 03246. Wilkinson-Beane Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Visit the online memorial at www. wilkinsonbeane.com.
Josephine Cocchiaro Colombo
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - Josephine Cocchiaro Colombo, 79, died Oct. 14, 2002, at her residence.
She worked for Continental Shoes for nearly 30 years.
She is survived by her son, Dennis Colombo and his wife, Penny, of Incline Village; her sister, Mary Tierney of Portsmouth, N.H.; granddaughters Susie Colombo Sadeghi and her husband, Reza, and Trisha Lindauer; grandsons Joseph Colombo and his wife, Allison, and Mickey Colombo; great-grandsons Dante Colombo-Sadeghi and Lestat Lindauer; and great-granddaughters Emma, Lucia and Michaela Colombo.
She will be dearly missed by her loving family and many friends.
LEININGER - Eleanor B. Leininger, 90, formerly of Haverhill, Mass., died Sept. 15, 2002. Graveside services will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, 2002, at the Elmwood Cemetery in Bradford, Mass., with the Rev. Stephen Schick of the Universalistic Unitarian Church officiating.
Irene J. Farr
RAYMOND, Maine - Irene J. Farr, 89, died at Ledgewood Manor in Windham on Monday evening, Oct. 21, 2002.
She was born in Raymond on March 12, 1913, a daughter of the late George S. and Blanche M. Plummer. She had lived in West Poland before moving to Raymond, where she resided for the past 25 years. She worked for Pond’s Extract and Marcol Paper Co. in Mechanic Falls for 36 years. After her retirement, she did housework for many people.
She was predeceased by her husband, Martin A. Farr; two brothers, Everett and Kenneth; and several nephews.
Surviving are her daughter and son-in-law, Bill and Wilma Wheeler of Kittery; her sisters-in-law, Barbara Plummer of Raymond, and Olive Cole and Ellen Keene, both of West Poland; her brother-in-law, Arnold Fair of Poland; six grandchildren, Karen Seaward and husband David of Mechanicsville, Va., Donna White and husband Don of York, Connie Philbrick of Rochester, N.H., Bill Wheeler of Wolfeboro, N.H., Jeffrey Wheeler and friend Lori Tonkin of Kittery, and Lynn Antone and husband Michael of Dover, N.H.; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.
FARR - Irene J. Farr, 89, of Raymond, Maine, died on Monday, Oct. 21, 2002. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Highland Cemetery in Poland, Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Kim Mowatt, Activities Director, c/o Ledgewood Manor, P.O. Box 760, 200 Route 115, Windham, ME 04062. Arrangements are by Hall Funeral Home, Casco, Maine.
Thomas Julius Thayer
WARWICK, R.I. - Thomas Julius Thayer of Warwick, died Friday, Oct. 18, 2002, in Coventry, R.I.
He was born in Epping, N.H., son of Jeremy Thayer and Alice Leddy Thayer. He resided in Rhode Island for 52 years.
He attended Holy Cross College, Class of 1938, and graduated from the University of New Hampshire.
He was a veteran of World War II. In his early years he served as selectman for the town of Epping. He was employed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture before retiring in 1985.
He will be missed by his family and friends.
In addition to his wife, Helen S. Thayer, he is survived by a daughter, Candace S. Thayer of Portsmouth; a brother, Dr. Charles L. Thayer of New Castle, N.H.; a sister, Olive Thayer of Portsmouth, N.H.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his sisters, Phyllis Dow of Barefoot Bay, Fla., Patricia Pike of Concord, N.H., and Polly Holihan of Rye Beach, N.H.; and brother, Jerry Thayer of Wolfeboro, N.H.
THAYER - Thomas Julius Thayer of Warwick, R.I., formerly of Epping, N.H., died Oct. 18, 2002. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2002, at the Immaculate Conception Church, 98 Summer St., Portsmouth, N.H.
Marnie Wilson
KITTERY, Maine - Marnie Wilson, of 33 Leach Road, died of heart failure on Tuesday evening, Oct. 15, 2002, at the Edgewood Centre in Portsmouth, N.H.
She was born Margaret Anne Porter in Rensselaer, Ind., on March 17, 1917. She graduated from Watseka High School, Watseka, Ill., and attended Eureka College in Eureka, Ill.
She was the widow of Vic Wilson and the eldest daughter of Pete (George Boyd) and Anne Fitzpatrick Porter. For 17 years, the Wilsons and Porters ran the Classic Theatre on Main Street in Waupun, Wis. She is also remembered for the contributions she made as the first full-time executive director of the chambers of commerce in Waupun and Green Lake, Wis., though she is probably best remembered for the work of her heart as a writer. She was the primary writer for Green Lake Magazine from 1981 to 1988. In 1989 she moved to Banning, Calif., where she continued to write in her retirement, introducing herself to the community by researching and writing a history of the Precious Blood Catholic Church in celebration of its centennial. She published four books of poetry and also pursued her other passion, public speaking. As a member of ITC (formerly International Toastmistress Club), she was a frequent award-winner at local and regional competitions. She was a charter member of the San Gorgonio Pass Poets Society
and remained active until she moved to Maine in 2001.
During the last year of her life, she pursued her passions as a member of the Rice Library Poetry Group in Kittery and as a cast member for Senior Moments, an acting troupe of seniors sponsored by the Bow Street Theatre of Portsmouth, N.H. She was a member of St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Kittery.
She is survived by her children, Marnie Devine of Redway, Calif., Craig of Palm Springs, Calif., and Barbara of Kittery, Maine; one granddaughter, Nicole Devine of Briceland, Calif.; one sister, Peg and her husband, Pat Martin, of Portage, Wis.; and 18 nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband; her parents; her sister Betsy; and her brothers, Bud and Bill.
WILSON - Marnie Wilson of Kittery, Maine, died of heart failure on Oct. 15, 2002. In her memory, her family requests that you select a favorite poem and share it aloud with a child, a loved one, or someone who lives alone. A Mass and memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2002, at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Green Lake, Wis., followed by a lunch and gathering to celebrate her life, at Norton’s Marine Dining Room.
Rex McGuinn
EXETER - Rex McGuinn, 51, an instructor in English at Phillips Exeter Academy, died suddenly on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2002, while jogging. He and his wife, Margaret, have been teachers at the academy since 1987.
He was the founder of the Shakespeare Conference at Phillips Exeter, which attracted dozens of public and private high school teachers to the campus each summer. While at the academy, he lived in Bancroft and Soule halls and, since leaving the dormitory, has been an affiliate in Soule Hall. He also coached JV basketball, organized and supported the Habitat for Humanity student group, and advised PIP (People Interested in Poetry). In 1998, he and his wife, Margaret, led the academy’s overseas program in Stratford, England.
His impact on students was enormous and his love of Shakespeare especially contagious. He could find a quote from Shakespeare for any occasion, and he or his students would sometimes stand on a table while performing scenes from Shakespeare. In recognition of his work in and out of the classroom, the academy presented him the Brown Family Teaching Award in 1998.
His life goals were to attend live performances of all of Shakespeare’s plays and to visit every Major League Baseball park in the country. Though he fell short on the ball parks, he and his wife completed their Shakespearean odyssey by seeing all three parts of "Henry VI" performed in Stratford, England, during Christmas week of 1999. They treasured this trip always.
An avid birder, he belonged to the New Hampshire Audubon Society and enjoyed travels that took him to spots as beautiful and various as South Africa, Alaska, North Dakota and the Southwest. Perhaps his favorite birding spot, however, was his own back yard.
He deeply valued connections with family and friends, and in the final month of his life he enjoyed two weeks at Topsail Beach in North Carolina with his wife, his best friend from childhood; his sister and brother-in-law and their children; his brother and sister-in-law and their new baby; and his mother and stepfather. Two weeks later he sailed on a paddlewheeler on the St. Croix River in Minnesota with 37 members of his wife’s family, celebrating her mother’s 76th birthday.
A graduate of St. Andrews Presbyterian College, he received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina. He was an NEH fellow at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and an NEH fellow at the Montaigne Institute at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash. In 1998 he worked with the scholar Vivian Thomas and the actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, England.
He had presented papers on film and performance to the Shakespeare Association of America; the National Council of Teachers of English; the Blackfriars Conference, where he was part of the opening of their new theater; and the New England Teachers Conference. His articles appeared in "Shakespeare in the Classroom," "Multiethnic Literature of the United States" and in the MLA "Approaches to Teaching" series. He also published several volumes of poetry, and his poems have appeared in "Commonweal," "Kansas Quarterly" (for which he won an award), and other magazines.
The son of the late Raymond E. McGuinn of Charlotte, N.C., he is survived by his wife, Margaret; his mother, Hilda; his stepfather, Charles Horne; brothers Michael and Philip; a sister, Patricia; four nephews; and two nieces.
McGUINN - Rex McGuinn, of Exeter, died Sept. 28, 2002. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2002, at Rockefeller Hall, Philips Exeter Academy, Exeter. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Donations may be made to a scholarship established in his memory, c/o Phillips Exeter Academy, Attn: Bonnie Palmer, Exeter, NH 03833. Arrangements are by the Stockbridge Funeral Home, Exeter.
Lesleigh Ann Astbury
SOMERSWORTH - Lesleigh Ann Astbury, 76, of 337 Main St., died Monday, Oct. 21, 2002, at the Riverside Nursing Home in Dover after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Eliot, Maine, on Jan. 4, 1926, she was the daughter of Leslie and Pauline (Runnals) Quimby and had been a resident of Portsmouth for most of her life.
She was employed as a chef for many years at various Portsmouth restaurants including Two Brewers, Holiday Inn, and Buzzy’s.
A family-oriented mother, she will be sadly missed by her daughters, Alana K. Astbury and Karen A. Daggett, both of Somersworth; her sons, Leslie R. Astbury of Raymond, Maine, and Brian L. Astbury of Eliot, Maine; 10 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
ASTBURY - Lesleigh Ann Astbury, 76, of Somersworth, formerly of Portsmouth, died Oct., 21, 2002. Funeral services will be held at the Farrell Funeral Home, 684 State St., Portsmouth, on Friday at 10 a.m. Visiting hours are on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorials may be made to the N.H. Lung Association, 9 Cedarwood Road, Bedford, NH 03110.
Susan Louise Williams
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Susan Louise Williams, 28, formerly of Portsmouth, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002.
Born in Sumter, S.C., on Oct. 17, 1973, she had been a resident of Anchorage for the past five years, moving there from Portsmouth.
She was a tireless worker and often held down more than one job at a time including the World of Science, the Orange Julius, and the Burger King at the Fox Run Mall. She was presently employed as a secretary in Anchorage.
Survivors include her husband Joshua J. Longley, a son Joshua John Longley Jr., and a daughter Akayla Sue Ellen Longley all of Anchorage.
Her mother and stepfather Delores (Knight) and Tony Jones of Portsmouth; her father and stepmother William and Linda Williams of Coco Beach, Fla.; two brothers Bill Williams of Cape Neddick, Maine; and Anthony ‘A.J.’ Jones II of Portsmouth; a sister Delores Harris of Etowah, Tenn.; grandmother Nellie Williams of Columbus, Ga.; stepgrandparents Dick and Candy Jones of Oakford, Ind.; and Bill and Carol Mobley of Portsmouth; in-laws John and Nadine Longley of Anchorage. Five nephews and two nieces also survive.
WILLIAMS - Susan L. Williams 28, of Anchorage, Alaska, formerly of Portsmouth, died Oct. 8, 2002. A memorial service will be held at the Farrell Funeral Home 684 State St., Portsmouth, Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. Friends invited.
