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Leo ‘Skip’ Raymond McAloon Jr., 74
02/28/09 - Leo Raymond McAloon Jr., born August 25, 1934, the husband of Barbara (Balzano) McAloon, died Tuesday, November 4, 2008. He was the son of the late Leo and Agnes (Cooney) McAloon of Pawtucket, R.I. McAloon, a graduate of St. Raphael Academy and Bryant College, owned and operated Willow Brook Manor Nursing Home in Portsmouth, R.I. as well as Leo R. McAloon Real Estate and Insurance Agency.
McAloon loved boating, and he was especially fond of spending time on Block Island with family and friends.
He was national committeeman of the Young Democrats of Rhode Island and served under five Rhode Island governors. His duties included working as the governor’s representative to the Federal Highway Administration, head of the Coastal Resources Management Council, associate director of the Department of Business Regulation, personnel administrator of the State of Rhode Island and executive assistant to Gov. Philip Noel. McAloon served on the Board of Directors of Rhode Island Credit Union. He was a charter member of the Jr. Chamber of Commerce in Portsmouth, a charter member of Portsmouth Rotary Club and a member of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. A lifetime member of the Seaconnet Sportmans Club, he was also a social member of the Portsmouth Portuguese American Citizens Club. He served on the Portsmouth Town Council and was chairman of the Portsmouth Democratic Town Committee and was a former director of Civil Defense in Portsmouth.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his four children: Leo “Skip” McAloon, III and wife Sam of New Orleans, LA; Tara Wall and husband Robert of Belmar, N.J., Justin McAloon and wife Candace of Jamestown, R.I., and Katherine Bostian and her husband Walter of Manalapan, N.J. He is also survived by five grandchildren: Joseph and Henry McAloon and Emily, Robert and Cahill Wall, as well as brothers Vincent McAloon and Terrence McAloon and sisters Nancy Murphy and Sheila Lemoi.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hospice Program of Visiting Nurse Services of Newport & Bristol Counties, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, R.I., 02871 or the Portsmouth Volunteer Fire Department, 2300 East Main Road, Portsmouth, R.I., 02871.
Joy Hammell Allbright, 87
Joy Hammell Allbright, 87, of Longwood, Fla., passed away March 4, 2010.
Born in Eugene, Ore., Ms. Allbright moved to central Florida in 1964 from Indianapolis, Ind. A retired owner/broker for Allbright Realty, Ms. Allbright was a member of the First Church of Christ Scientist of Longwood, Fla., and a lifelong Christian Scientist.
Ms. Allbright first came to Block Island in 1984, said her daughter Nancy Sarah, and enjoyed coming out every summer thereafter. "She really loved it here," said Sarah.
Ms. Allbright was a master decoupeur and a past president of the National Guild of Decoupeurs, as well as a past member of the Garden Club of Clermont and Hummingbird Circle. She supported the fine arts in Orlando and was an avid bridge player.
She graduated from Smith College in North Hampton, Mass., in 1938. Survivors include Sarah of Block Island; sons Charles R. Skinner of Godfrey, Ill., and Paul A. (Trudie) Skinner of Daytona Beach, Fla.; three granddaughters, Edie Cassell, Jenny DeSilva and Jenny Maxfield; three grandsons, Jeff Skinner, Eddie Meyer and Brad Meyer; and many great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Beverly Farm Foundation, Inc., 6301 Humbert Road, Godfrey, IL 62035.
Paul Kane Smith, 97
3/06/10 — Paul K. Smith of Glastonbury, Conn., died February 5. Paul, a long-time Glastonbury and Block Island resident, was the husband of the late Mary Jane Hagan Smith and the late Katharine Lankes Smith.
He was born at Crescent Beach in Niantic, Conn., August 13, 1912 to Bernard J. and Margaret Kane Smith of Hartford. As a youngster he worked with members of his family at the Michael Kane Brick Company in Hartford and joined Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in 1936. He retired in 1977 as assistant manager, Product Support Field Engineering, after a 41-year career.
Paul first visited Block Island in the mid-1940s with his future first wife who had purchased a house on the West Side on Dunn Road near Grace’s Point. Several friends and relations were also introduced to the island at that time and decided to buy properties as well. Through the next 50 years Paul continued to take pleasure in his home on the West Side. He enjoyed sailing, and his Bullseye, Tea Cup, happily occupied its mooring in New Harbor for many years.
Paul is survived by his daughter Kate (Lankes) and her husband James Lathrop of Massachusetts; his beloved grandson, Benjamin Kane, and his wife Leslie Lathrop of New York City; and by his brand new great-grandson, Samuel Irwin Kane Lathrop. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and beloved cousins.
A funeral Mass was celebrated on February 9 at Saint Augustine Church in South Glastonbury, Conn.
Joseph J. Seebode, 80
02/20/10 - Longtime Corn Neck Road summer resident Joseph J. Seebode, M.D. passed away peacefully January 4, 2010 in Cedar Grove, N.J., surrounded by his wife and family.
Dr. Seebode was born in Yonkers, N.Y. He attended Manhattan College on a full athletic scholarship for track and field. Upon graduation, he attended Georgetown University School of Medicine, receiving both his M.D. and a Master’s degree in physiology. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, where he was a physician aboard a military transport ship in the North Atlantic. After completing military service and medical training in urology, he became an assistant professor in surgery at Seton Hall School of Medicine. He was soon appointed to chief, Section of Urology at UMDNJ-NJMS (University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School) and director of the Urology Residency Program. He became a full professor in surgery, training over 75 residents in urology. He received the Humanities Fellowship Award, and the Harris L. Willits Chair in Urology, which was the first chair ever received at UMDNJ.
Seebode was also an accomplished fisherman, known for his love of the waters of Block Island. He first visited the island in the late 1950s and spent a number of summers at Cutting Cottages before building a home on Corn Neck Road. He was a fixture at the Block Island Club, often seen in his Boston Whaler, The Seaboat, heading out the channel for blues and stripers. He was a self taught painter, an avid gardener, and a competitive tennis player. He was a religious man and an active member of his church, where he was a eucharistic minister, a Pre Cana instructor, and a member of the Cornerstone Group.
He was predeceased by his parents Joseph and Vera Seebode and his sister Joan Sheehy and her son Daniel. He is survived by his wife Dr. Anna M. Seebode (Dunne); children, Joseph and wife Joanne (Lystash), Dr. Elizabeth Seebode-Zazzali and husband Dr. Peter Zazzali, Christopher and wife Tracey (Bergwall), David Seebode and Mary Seebode, R.N.; six grandchildren: Joseph and John Paul Seebode, Peter and Jonathan Zazzali, and Julia and Christopher Seebode. He is survived by his sister Virginia Hill and six nieces and nephews.
Donations may be made in Dr. Seebode’s honor to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, N.Y., 10016, and to Nyumbani (a children’s AIDS orphanage in Kenya), 3050 K Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C., 20007-5108.
John Chatfield, summer resident
John H. Chatfield, 82, an insurance executive and Block Island summer resident who as a merchant marine sailor survived an ordeal in the stormy north Atlantic during World War II, died Sunday, June 2, 2002, in St. Raphael Hospital, Hamden, Conn.
A resident of Woodbridge, Conn., for many years, he owned the Mayberry Insurance Co. of Seymour, Conn. He and his wife Elizabeth bought a house off Seaweed Lane (at the top of Pilot Hill Road) in the early 1970s and vacationed there until selling it in 1997, according to Gene Davis of Seaweed Lane, a distant cousin.
"John first came to Block Island at the age of six months, when his family would stay at the New Haven House (on what is now Amy Dodge Lane)," she said.
Keith Lewis, who said he had visited with Chatfield through the years, said, "As a teenager he spent summers working on the fishing boats and things like that. He once told me that two major influences in his life were Evan Dodge and Miss [Elizabeth] Dickens. He would walk over and visit Miss Dickens a lot. Evan was a contemporary and a neighbor on New Haven Lane then and I think that’s why he went into the Merchant Marine." Dodge won renown as a very young Liberty Ship captain in WWII.
Chatfield was born in New Haven, trained for the Merchant Marine at Gallup’s Island off Boston, and Fort Trumbull, New London, and rose from able seaman to a second mate rating during his five years of service.
Chatfield’s ship was bombed by German planes while in the Russian port of Murmansk, Lewis said. "He told me a bomb dropped in the cargo hold but it didn’t go off."
In an article published in the Block Island Times Feb. 28, 1998, Lewis described a frightful westbound voyage that Chatfield had in 1944. Ballast shifted in the hold during rough weather, the ship listed 65 degrees, the engine’s suction ports were out of water and power was lost. Some panicked seaman took to a lifeboat or jumped overboard and were lost. Chatfield headed a shift that day after day shoveled tons of coal slag in the hold; gradually they brought the ship up to 45 degrees, enough to resume power and limp into port at Newfoundland.
Chatfield had served on the Woodbridge Wetlands Commission and Conservation Commission and as president of the Woodbridge Park Association. He was a member of the VFW Post 2871 and the First Church of Christ in Woodbridge.
Beside his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Susan C. Miller, and her husband Theodore Miller of Swanzey, N.H., a brother Minotte M. of Allentown, Pa., three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 8, in the First Church of Christ in Woodbridge. Memorial contributions may be sent to the church, the Woodbridge Park Association or the Block Island Conservancy, PO Box 84.
William R. “Bill” Stelzner, 81
William R. Stelzner of Lyme, Conn., passed away October 2. He was born October 8, 1925, in Norwich, Conn., the son of William and Lillian (Etter) Stelzner.
Stelzner was predeceased by Caroline Littlefield Stelzner and his second wife, Phyllis Stelzner; his son, Paul J. Stelzner, and a granddaughter, Valerie M. Stelzner.
He was a graduate of Norwich Free Academy and the University of Connecticut. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, Stelzner enlisted immediately after graduating high school. After serving in the Pacific theater, he attended the University of Connecticut, courtesy of the G.I. Bill. He was self-employed for 20 years with the Kent Agency, Inc. and then employed at CE/ABB.
He was an active past member of the Glastonbury Lions Club. Right up to the end, he was very involved with the Lyme-Old Lyme American Legion Post 41 and the New London Sea Notes Chorus. He will be missed by all these groups.
Stelzner is survived by three sons and their life partners, William R. Stelzner Jr., and his wife Nella of Hebron, Conn.; Daniel M. Stelzner and Raymond St. Germain of Block Island; and Peter J. Stelzner and Melinda of Lyme, Conn.; two grandsons, Paul Stelzner of Hebron, Conn., and Michael Stelzner of Fla., and one great-grandson, Bradley W. Stelzner.
A memorial service will be held Monday, October 8, at 11 a.m. in the First Congregational Church, Hamburg Rd., Lyme, Conn. Burial will be private.
Sears Wilson Ingraham, 80
Sears Wilson Ingraham, a 50-year resident of Darien, Conn., died suddenly January 8.
Born March 11, 1927, in Providence, he was the son of Earle and Eunice Ingraham. He graduated in 1945 from Moses Brown School in Providence and then served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. He graduated from Brown University in 1950, and retired from the Naval Reserve shortly thereafter as a lieutenant J.G.
He worked for Colgate Palmolive for 12 years, living with his family in England and Jamaica for six years, returning to the United States and Darien to become Colgate’s export sales manager.
He was subsequently with Noxell Corporation for 27 years in charge of their international operations, retiring in 1990 as executive vice president and a corporate director.
For 14 years he spent summers at his Block Island home on Blueberry Hill, where he was known to shoot off his refurbished cannon from the Spanish-American War.
He was a competitive clay bird shooter, a member of Wee Burn Country Club, Woodway Gun Club, Norwalk Yacht Club, Naples Yacht Club (Fla.) and treasurer at the Camp Fire Club of America for six years.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Laura King Ingraham; son Robert S. Ingraham of Stamford, Conn.; daughters, Laura Justinius of Naples, Fla., and Taylor Tait of Montreal, Canada. He leaves grandchildren R. Taylor, David and William Ingraham; and Rory, James and Charlie Tait.
A memorial service was held at Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien January 12.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Camp Fire Conservation Fund, Campfire Road, Chappaqua, NY 10514.
Joseph J. Pastor Jr., 57
04/11/09 - Joseph J. Pastor Jr. died Thursday, April 2, 2009 at Westerly Hospital. He was the son of the late Joseph Pastor and Leona Pastor. Born in Worcester, Mass., Joe lived in South Grafton, Mass., before coming to Block Island with his friends Kenny Gosselin and Brian “Red Eye” in 1988.
Joe was a faithful employee of Barbara Sprague of Pennington Sprague. Neither rain nor sleet nor snow, nor dark of night (or wind) kept him from delivering the oil. If an uninformed customer with half a tank or more called for oil, Joe would make sure that he or she knew exactly how many feet of hose he had to pull for the 50 gallons of fuel. He was also a longtime employee of Joe Sprague and Sprague Farm, Inc., working as a heavy equipment operator. During his early days on the island Joe worked for Joe Brennan. He also worked for Andy Transue, Chris Hobe, mowed lawns for Glen Hall, sanded cars for Jim Stockman, drove trucks for Mike Ernst, drilled wells with Rick Batchelder and delivered propane for Peter McNerney of Hull Suburban Propane.
Joe served in the U.S. Army, completing his tour of duty in Vietnam as a decorated M-16 specialist. He received the National Defense Service Medal. He was a proud member of the Block Island Volunteer Fire Department, and a past member of the American Legion.
Joe loved fishing aboard the M/V Kate/Sara, and was looking forward to preparing the boat for the season with Capt. Peter Gempp. Pete will never again find a first mate like he had in Joe.
Joe had a wonderful way with children and animals. Every island dog looked forward to the sight of the oil truck, and knew to tap Joe’s pocket for a treat. He saved and bagged his pennies to give to young school children, and was generous with gifts as well as his time. Joe also had a tremendous respect for his elders and for Block Island.
He was a serious New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan. While watching Patriots games at Don and Maggie Thimble’s house, if the score wasn’t looking good and someone hinted that the game may be over, Joe would scold: “The game is not over until we see zero, dot, dot, zero, zero on the clock.”
Sadly, for the many who were fans of Joe, it is now 0:00, his definition of the absolute end.
The parking lot at Club Soda will be forever changed without his ’84 Toyota custom bed pickup, which always seemed to have a current inspection sticker and a valid registration. Joe and Mike Ernst spent many hours administering TLC to that truck.
Never one to candy-coat his words or thoughts, Joe’s gruff exterior belied his true nature and heart of gold. Whether you knew him as “Joe Oil,” “Joe Bud,” “Pesky,” “Potato Joe,” or myriad other nicknames, he was always a dependable and loyal friend. More people will miss him than he ever could have imagined.
A graveside service with military honors is planned for Saturday, April 11, at noon, in the Island Cemetery.
Donations in Joe’s name to the Block Island Fire and Rescue Squads, or the Early Learning Center, would be greatly appreciated.
Kevin Smith, 48
05/09/09 - Kevin A. Smith passed away on May 3, 2009, on Block Island. He was born April 7, 1961, the son of the late Capt. Carlton Spencer Smith of Block Island and the late June Marie Byrnes of Preston, Conn.
A life-long resident of Block Island, Kevin died unexpectedly after a brave battle. He leaves his longtime companion and best friend, Joan Wholey of Block Island; and his three daughters, Amanda Kirby, Jenny and Lizzy Smith, plus two grand children, who all reside in Oregon.
He also leaves his brothers and sisters: Deniece Cecelia Champlin of Preston, Conn., Carlton Albert Smith of Brownsmead, Ore., Jeanette Deborah Lobe of Olympia, Wash., Capt. Steven Charles Smith of Bradford, R.I., Laurie J. Remondi of Preston, Conn., and Gregory Scott Smith of Preston, Conn., and many nieces and nephews. Not to be forgotten is his black lab Lucy, a dear friend who Kevin worshipped.
Kevin was known for his love of metal detecting, treasure hunting and being a man of few words. But his smiling eyes spoke volumes. Growing up on the island he loved the ocean and all that came with it. He worked for many years for ZMA Designs and was a meticulous craftsman and a jack-of-all-trades.
Those who had the good fortune to know Kevin knew of his love of Block Island. With that in mind memorial gifts to the Block Island Historical Society or the Block Island Rescue Squad would be appreciated in lieu of flowers. A service in his honor will be held at Settlers Rock at a later date.
Paul J. Rivers, 50
07/18/09 - Paul John Rivers, a longtime summer staple at Payne’s Dock who marched in the island’s July 4 parade as a fife player in the Spirit of ’76, died Wednesday July 15, 2009 at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven after a struggle against cancer.
He was the cherished husband of Marla Mailhouse and devoted father of Max and Cooper Rivers; brother of Robert (Lisa) Rivers of Seattle, Wash.; Elizabeth (Anthony) Doornweed of Meriden, Conn.; Katherine (John) Kenney of Branford, Conn.; Mary (Gary) Redman of Wallingford, Conn.; Patricia (Doug) Tedford of Colchester, Conn.; Michael Rivers and fiancee Chandra Smith of West Hartford, Conn.; and Richard (Wendy) Rivers of Wallingford, Conn.; brother-in-law of Robert Mailhouse of Los Angeles, Calif., and Emily Mailhouse of Matthews, Va.
He is also survived by his father and step-mother-in-law Robert and Joyce Mailhouse of Branford and mother and step-father-in-law Betty and Peter Dunston of Pinehurst, N.C., as well as seven nephews and six nieces and a grandniece. He was pre-deceased by his parents Aldore and Barbara Bruce Rivers and nephew Mark Kenney.
Friends are invited to a Mass of Christian Burial Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Branford and may call Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home 504 Main St., Branford. Burial will be in St. Agnes Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be sent to the Block Island Conservancy, P.O. Box 84, Block Island, R.I. 02807.
