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LISTON W. REGAN
ST. ALBANS -- Mr. Liston W. "Puggie" Regan, age 79, died Saturday morning, May 11, 2002, in the Northwestern Medical Center, following a brief illness. He was born in St. Albans Jan. 22, 1923, son of the late Fay and Sarah (White) Regan. Liston was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving during World War II. He was a member of the American Legion Post 1, and the V.F.W. Post 758. After high school and his military service, Regan was employed on the section for the Central Vermont Railway and later employed in construction by the Bocash Construction Company in St. Albans.
Liston is survived by his sister, Janette Regan, residing at Brownway in Enosburg Falls; and a special friend Robert Ryan of St. Albans. Besides his parents, he was predeceased by a sister, Abby Regan, and a brother, William Regan, who was killed in action during the Korean Conflict.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the Brady & Levesque Chapel. There will be no public calling hours. Interment will be in the Regan family lot in Holy Cross Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to the Brady & Levesque Funeral Home.
GEORGE J. BELLROSE
SWANTON -- George J. Bellrose, 79, a lifelong resident of Swanton died late Thursday, May 9, 2002 in the Haven Health Center in St. Albans town.
George was born in Montpelier on June 29, 1922, the son of the late George & Ida (Seymour) Bellrose. He attended local schools and on, Dec. 30, 1949, married the former Delores Dumont who pre-deceased him on Jan. 1, 1994. George and Delores enjoyed a very happy 45 years of marriage. He later married the former Noel Hoagne, who predeceased him.
George worked over 35 years for the United Stated Postal Service and received several excellent service awards and accommodation metals, prior to his retirement in 1977. George owned and operated a very successful trucking and garbage business for 30 years. For many years George played Santa Claus to little children throughout the local community. He also enjoyed camping, fishing, attending lawn sales, picking apples, doing crossword puzzles and playing his guitar "Blue Bird". George lived two years at the Brownway Residence in Enosburg. The family would like to thank the entire staff at Brownway Residence for the wonderful care provided to him during his stay, a special thanks to Gala Dragon, "an angel on earthî"
George was predeceased by Robert Dumont, Theresa Dumont, Leonard Bellrose, Shirley Ashwell.
George is survived by his brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, Ruth Dumont, Fred Dumont, Russell and Selina Dumont all of Swanton; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Funeral service will be celebrated on Sunday, May 12, 2002, at 2 p.m. from the Kidder Memorial Home, 89 Grand Ave Swanton, Vt. Father John J. Meagher, SSE pastor of The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary will officiate. Friends may call at the Kidder Memorial Home on Sunday, May 12, 2002, from 1 p.m. until the hour of the funeral.
Gifts in George's memory may be made to The Church of the Nativity, 65 Canada St., Swanton, Vt. 05488, or to a charity of one's choice.
ANNETTE GAMACHE
SWANTON -- Miss Annette Laurette Gamache, age 72, died Wednesday afternoon, May 8, 2002, in the Genesis Elder Care Center in Morrisville following an extended illness.
She was born in Swanton June 5, 1929, daughter of the late Edmond and Georgianna (Gamache) Gamache. She lived in St. Albans and attended Holy Angels School.
She is survived by her sisters Theresa Bergeron of St. Albans and Claire Gamache of North Hoosick, N.Y.; several nieces and nephews. Besides her parents she was predeceased by her eight brothers and sisters and brother-in-law John Bergeron.
Private funeral services will be held Friday in the Brady & Levesque Chapel, 86 South Main St., St. Albans. There will be no public calling hours.
Interment will be in the Gamache family lot in St. Mary's Cemetery in Swanton. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Multiple Sclerosis Society, 152 Bank St., Burlington, Vt. 05401. Arrangements are entrusted to the Brady & Levesque Funeral Home.
TERRY BLESSINGTON JR.
LAKE CHARLES, La. -- Terry Blessington, Jr., 55, of Lake Charles, died at home on Sunday, May 5, 2002, after a courageous battle with lung cancer.
Terry was born in Jennings, La. on Nov. 11, 1946 and lived most of his life in Lake Charles. He was a 1965 graduate of Lake Charles High School. Uncle Terry served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict and spent the last two years of service assigned to the St. Albans Radar Base. While assigned to the base he met his wife, Gloria Jean Lamothe.
After returning to Louisiana, Terry worked for many years at Blessington Hydraulics. He eventually purchased the business and built Diamond "B, " Inc. into a strong entity in the Lake Charles area.
Terry was an avid hunter and fisherman, spending time at both sports with his wife and sons. He also enjoyed spending time with his lifetime friend, Gary Roth.
His loving wife of 32 years, Gloria, and two sons, Michael and his wife, Melissa of Liberty, Texas and Roy Blessington and Tonya Fontenot of Kings Farm, La., survive him. A brother, Howard of Lake Charles; two sisters, Sandra Mabry of Houston, Texas and Sharon Jane of Picayune, Miss.; and two grandchildren also survive him.
He is also survived by his wife's parents, Henry and Rose Lamothe; two brother-in-laws, Marcel Lamothe and his wife, Doris, and Donald Lamothe; a sister-in-law, Lillian DeCell and her husband, George all of St. Albans; and a sister-in-law, Claire Ordway and her husband, Denis of Henderson, Nev. He also leaves several nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be in the Heald Funeral Home on Monday, May 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. at the St. Albans Bay Cemetery with Father Maurice Roy of Holy Angels Parish officiating. Arrangements are by the Heald Funeral Home, 87 So. Main St., St. Albans.
JAMES FORTUNA SR.
ST. ALBANS, Vt./JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For more than 50 years, James Fortuna Sr. never stopped working for the community that he called home.
The man who especially reached out to Jacksonville's senior citizens passed away May 6. He was 87.
Before moving to Jacksonville, Fortuna grew up in St. Albans. He joined the military in 1935 as a private in the Vermont National Guard, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1945. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1969.
He had been the first officer to receive the Legion of Merit, the fourth highest Army medal, for reserve duty only in Florida.
In addition to working with Prudential Insurance for 23 years, during which time he received the Prudential Community Service Award three years in a row, Fortuna accomplished so much more for the people of Jacksonville.
In 1973, he had been appointed administrative assistant to the mayor for Adult Services.
He was a charter member of the Jacksonville-Duval County Council On Elder Affairs. In 1973, Fortuna had been elected the group's chairman and had been reappointed to the council several times.
Fortuna had chaired a community-wide task force that studied the state of transportation for the disabled and made far-reaching recommendations for complete reorganization, resulting in a successful plan for restructure through JTA. He continued the oversight of re-organization as chair of the COEA Transportation Committee.
Fortuna helped establish the Senior Citizens I.D. Card program that reduced bus fare for senior citizens.
He was one of the foremost promoters of the multi-purpose Singleton Senior Center on First Street, helping to bring about its establishment as well as the creation of 25 active neighborhood centers.
In 1981, Sen. Lawton Chiles gave a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate, complimenting Fortuna for developing a model senior center for the nation.
For more than 20 years, Fortuna hosted two television programs on local access cable - "Senior Citizens Issues and Updates" and "Yesterday Today."
Fortuna also never lost sight of those who served in the military. One of the last things that he worked on was leading a movement of veterans' organizations to successfully urge that the new coliseum built under the Better Jacksonville Plan retain the name of "Veterans Memorial" and keep it from being commercialized.
Fortuna is survived by his wife of 60 years, Louise Conner, Jacksonville, Fla.; sons James L. Fortuna, Jr., Ph.D., professor of English, Winston-Salem, N.C.; R. Wayne Fortuna, teacher in Duval County Public Schools, Macclenny, Fla.; sisters Frances Villemaire, Winooski, Nancy Raine, Louisville, Ky.; and grandchildren Compton, Carolyn, and twins Michael and Patrick.
A vigil will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at George Hewell and Sons Funeral Home on University Blvd. A Mass for Christian burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, at Christ the King Catholic Church. Interment will be at Greenlawn Cemetery.
WANDA HEMOND
ENOSBURG -- Wanda Hemond, age 77, and a long time resident of Enosburg passed away on May 6, 2002, at the Loma Linda University Medical Center Hospital in Loma Linda, Calif., where she has been living with her son and daughter-in-law, John and Marla Hemond of Ridgecrest, Calif.
In her passing, she leaves her three children, Joyce LeClair of Newport, John Hemond of Ridgecrest, Calif. and Marlene Hemond of West Jay; seven grandchildren, Penny LeClair, Fred LeClair Jr., James LeClair all of Newport, Jennifer Roberge of Essex, Chris Burns of Swanton, Courtney Burns of Enosburg and Karen Hemond of Virginia Beach, Va.; she also leaves ten great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Patricia McAllister, Sandra Shover, both of Vernon, Bernice Sloan of Mallets Bay, and one brother, Leon Paquette Jr. of New York.
In loving and happy memories of our mother; funeral arrangements will be made by Spears Funeral Home and her family upon Wanda's return.
ANTHONY DANIEL "BUSTER" PAFUNDI
MILTON -- Anthony Daniel "Buster" Pafundi, 77, died Monday evening, May 6, 2002, at the Vermont Respite House in Williston, following a long illness.
Buster was born on Oct. 22, 1924, in Troy, N.H., the son of Daniel and Albia (Marrotte) Pafundi.
He was married to Beulah Ellen Sheriff on Nov. 3, 1945 in the United Church of Fairfax. They have been married for over 56 years with the last 37 years in Milton.
Buster was known by most as the owner of the A.P. Garage in Milton, where he was known for his excellent auto body and mechanic work. He had also included state inspections since 1966.
In addition to his wife Beaulah, Buster is survived by his children, Mary Mayo and her husband Robert of Venice, Fla., Betty Pafundi, Tony Pafundi, and Kathy Gordon and her husband, Norman, all of Milton; by his grandchildren, Michael and Vicki Mayo, Dan and Tammy Mayo, Angela Silver, Eric LaFromboise and Jason Gordon; and by five great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Louis Pafundi of Fairfield, his sisters Anna Desmarais of Leominister, Mass., and Lucia Pelkey and her husband Frank of Mallets Bay; and by several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, Buster was predeceased by his stepfather Edgar Ellsworth, whom he was very close to and respected greatly.
Contributions in Mr. Pafundi's memory may be made to Milton Rescue, P.O. Box 15, Milton, Vt. 05468.
There will be no visiting hours. A funeral service will be held Thursday, May 9, 2002, at 2 p.m. in the Minor Funeral Home, 237 Rt. 7 South in Milton.
