InDepthNH.org scans the websites of New Hampshire funeral homes each week and selects at random some of our friends, relatives and neighbors to feature in this column. The people listed here passed away during the previous week and have some public or charitable connection to their community. InDepthNH.org is now offering obituaries through the Legacy.com service. We view this as part of our public service mission. Click here or on the Obituaries tab at the top of our home page to learn more. And if you know of someone from New Hampshire who should be featured in this column, please send your suggestions to NancyWestNews@gmail.com.
Ann Trugman Ackerman, Ph.D., 76, a longtime resident of Nashua, died April 22, 2023. She was elected four times to the Nashua Board of Alderman, representing Ward 1. She was also one of the founders of the Mayor’s Ethnic Awareness Committee. She earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of North Texas (then North Texas State University) and was a history and social studies teacher. She taught in Hawaii and continued her career as a teacher, administrator, and professor at many educational institutions, including Hollis-Brookline High School, Nashua (South) High School, Daniel Webster College, Salem High School, Rivier College, and Nashua Community College. She and her husband Phil were involved with local, state and Democratic Party politics, hosting many presidential candidates at their house over the years. They also operated Images and Ideas, a printing and publishing company, and she was the editor of the New Hampshire Jewish Reporter, a paper published by the New Hampshire Jewish Federation. (Davis Funeral Home)
Charles Michael Pride, 76, of Palm Harbor, Fla., and Concord, better known as Mike Pride, editor emeritus of the Concord Monitor, died April 24, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he attended the Defense Language Institute and taught Russian. He started his journalism career at the Tampa Tribune, then was city editor for the Clearwater Sun, moving to the Tallahassee Democrat in 1977. He came north to the Concord Monitor, where he worked for more than 30 years. He won a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard in 1984, the National Press Association’s Editor of the Year award in 1986 and a Yankee Quill award for contributions to New England Journalism in 1997. In 1999, he was named to the board of the Pulitzer Prizes, serving as co-chairperson in 2008. That same year, he retired from the Monitor. He came out of retirement in 2014 to run the Pulitzer Prizes as their administrator. He was the author, co-author and editor of eight books. (Legacy.com)
Lt. John Karl Scarinza (Ret.), 63, of Randolph, died April 22, 2023. His family moved to New Hampshire in 1970, opening the Grand View Lodge at the top of Gorham Hill on Route 2, still operated by his mother Vivian. He started his career with the Gorham Police Department, joining the New Hampshire State Police in 1982. He rose through the ranks to become lieutenant commander of Troop F based in Twin Mountain, retiring in 2009. He continued in an auxiliary role with the State Police and twice served as interim Gorham police chief in 1994-95 and 2019. He was also a Randolph police deputy and the Gorham code enforcement officer. He helped create and manage the 12,000-acre Randolph Community Forest and served as chairman of the Randolph Forest Commission, Randolph Planning Board, and Coos County Planning Board. He was a member of the County Conservation Commission Board, past president of the Randolph Mountain Club, and was a founding member of the North Country Safety Council Foundation. He and his wife Jenn operated Scarinza’s Sugarhouse, winning the Carlisle Award in 2020, given by the N.H. Maple Producers Association, for best syrup in New Hampshire. (Bryant Funeral Home)
Leo Rene Goyette, 84, of Laconia, died April 25, 2023. He received a hero award from the state for pulling a pilot from his burning plane after it crashed upside down outside of Tangent Tool in the Laconia Industrial Park. A veteran of the N.H. Army National Guard 197th Anti-Aircraft Division, he was president of the United Steel Workers Union 5332 and a 25-year employee of Laconia Needle Co. When the company closed, he became a broker for Stonewood Realty in Meredith. He coached Laconia Little League teams, including girls’ softball, Babe Ruth baseball, and Lakes Region youth soccer. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home)
Scott Nielsen, 92, of Unity, died April 22, 2023. He earned a Ph.D. and taught at MIT, then worked at Travelers Insurance Co. in Connecticut. He joined the War on Poverty as a staff member for the American Friends Service Committee in Pennsylvania, helping form a housing program for immigrant farm workers. He moved to Vermont, where he was a professor at Goddard College. He retired to Unity, and volunteered to build and restore community and buildings he loved, including two historic Quaker meeting houses. He was an activist who worked for causes including conservation, renewable energy, recycling, fair treatment of people domestically and abroad, and creative ways to reduce the human footprint on the environment. He taught classes in civil disobedience and nonviolent social change. (Stringer Funeral Home)
Mary Sweet, 90, of Plainfield, died April 21, 2023. A native of England, she was a member of the Mothers & Daughters Club, Plainfield Community Baptist Church, where she was secretary for several years, the committee to establish the first school library, and Friends of the Philip Read Memorial Library. She was a past trustee of the Philip Read Memorial Library. (Knight Funeral Home)
David Ryder Weber, 79, of Exeter, died April 21, 2023. He taught English at Phillips Exeter Academy for 47 years. From his research while a doctoral student at Cornell University, he compiled an anthology of American writings, titled “Civil Disobedience in America,” published in 1978. While at Phillips Exeter, he and a colleague began a weekly meditation series. He was active with Marriage Equality in New Hampshire, which culminated in a legislative victory for same-sex marriage in 2010. He was a two-term trustee of Dartmouth College, a member for several years of the Exeter Police Community Advisory Committee, the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter, the Racial Unity Team of Exeter, the board of Exeter LitFest, and the local Southeast Land Trust (SELT) Advisory Committee. (Brewitt Funeral Home)
Rudolph E. Urban, 92, of Berlin, died April 19, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a member of the N.H. Softball Officials Association, the N.H. Baseball Officials Association and the N.H. IAABO Basketball Officials. He served as secretary-treasurer of the N.H. Women’s Basketball Officials and president of the N.H. IAABO Basketball Officials Union. He was a member of the American Legion Post 36, the Berlin Lodge of Elks and the Fraternal Order of Eagles, serving as secretary-treasurer for many years. He was also a member of the N.H. Athletic Commission as well as the N.H. Boxing/Wrestling Commission. (Bryant Funeral Home)
Sister Camillus Frechette, RSM, 99, of Windham, died April 20, 2023. She was a Sister of Mercy for 75 years, teaching in Catholic elementary schools in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. For 35 years, she taught in Manchester at St. Joseph School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, St. Raphael School, St. Patrick School, St. Catherine School, and served as principal at Mt. St. Mary Day School. She taught in Concord at St. John School, St. Thomas Aquinas School in Derry, Holy Trinity School in Somersworth, St. Joseph School in Keene, and St. Patrick School in Portsmouth. For 15 years, she was an instructor at the former Castle College in Windham. (Carrier Family Funeral Home & Crematory)
Mark W. Ober Sr., 73, of Ashland, died April 26, 2023. He worked as a farmer until 1972 when he went to work for the Ashland Highway Department, serving as road agent and public works director from 1978 until his retirement in 2014. He also served as a town trustee and served on the committee for Pemi Baker Solid Waste District. (Dupuis Funeral Home)
James Robert Rotta, 84, of Boston, Mass., and a physician in Nashua for 50 years, died April 26, 2023. He and his family lived in Nashua, where he established a successful urology practice, serving Nashua and the surrounding communities until his retirement in 2016. (Farwell Funeral Service)
Matthew Edward Budway, 49, of Londonderry and formerly of Hooksett, died April 21, 2023. He participated for decades in the New Hampshire Special Olympics in swimming and represented the U.S. in the Special Olympics World Games twice, once in sailing and once in golf. He worked at Home Depot in Hooksett and Intervale Country Club in Manchester for many years. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)
Timothy James Brand, 80, of Alton, died April 23, 2023. He worked on the Apollo space program at Draper Laboratory and was employed there for almost 40 years, involved in both the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, along with many other projects. He retired in 2005 and moved to Half Moon Lake in Alton. (Lord Funeral Home)
Richard Arthur West, 81, of Contoocook, died April 22, 2023. A certified public accountant, he worked at Coopers & Lybrand in Boston and as a partner at Nathan Wechsler & Co. in Concord. He served as chief financial officer at Bay State Produce in Chelsea, Mass., and at other small companies. He was treasurer of the New England Association of Teachers of English and the New Hampshire Council of Teachers of English. He and his wife Ann shared a lifetime of service to Pinkerton Academy in Derry. He served as president of the Alumni Association and chair of the Alumni Building’s restoration. He was elected to the Academy’s Hall of Fame and bestowed the Trustees’ Meritorious Service Award. He was correspondent for the Class of 1959. (Peabody Funeral Home and Crematorium)
John McCallister, 82, of Milton, died April 23, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was an inspector for nuclear submarines at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for 26 years. He was a past president and lifelong member of the New England Ice Racing Association, racing No. 145 Ice in the modified division. He raced cars for several years at Lee, Star and Dover Speedway. He was also a founding member of the Milton Historical Society in 1976. (Peaslee Funeral Home)
John Mammone, 86, of Middleton died April 20, 2023. A veteran of both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army, he helped reorganize the Middleton Fire Department in 1980. He also resurrected the women’s auxiliary called the “Sirens.” He served as fire chief and forest fire warden for more than five years. He was elected in 2001 to the school board and served for six years during the time that Middleton built a new elementary school. He became Middleton’s building and code enforcement/health officer in 2008 and served for 13 years until he retired in 2021. (Peaslee Funeral Home)
Susan M. Miale, 67, of Barrington, died April 22, 2023. She was an administrative assistant for the Oyster River School District for more than 20 years, and one year the Oyster River High School yearbook was dedicated to her, with students writing that she “made us feel safe and protected.” Staff members wrote that “She has a dry sense of humor that makes me laugh every day. She has such a way with words sometimes that everyone in the office cracks up.” (Purdy Memorial Chapel)
Charles H. Peck Jr., 85, of North Hampton, died April 23, 2023. He taught in North Hampton for more than 31 years, retiring in 1993. In his earlier days, he played in the men’s softball league in Exeter and coached in youth programs in North Hampton. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home – Crematory)
Merton W. Fowler Sr., 86, of Hampton, died April 22, 2023. He was a volunteer Seabrook firefighter and a member of The Moose Lodge, the Sons of the American Legion, and the Seabrook Firemen’s Association. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home – Crematory)
Melvin Lee Covey, 88, of Gilford, died April 22, 2023. A technical sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, he retired from the U.S. Army after 23 years. He was a member of the Knights Templar of New Hampshire and served for many years in the masonic association, including at Mount Lebanon Lodge No. 32, F. & A.M., in Laconia, where he served as Worshipful Master in 1981. He served as Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire, F. & A.M., in 1992 and 1993 and was a member of the New Hampshire Society of Veteran Freemasons and a Charter Member of William Pitt Tavern Lodge No. 1789, F. & A.M., in Portsmouth. He was awarded the Major General John Sullivan Service Medal by the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire in 1990, among many other honors including service as Most Illustrious Grand Master of the Representative of the Grand Council of Ohio near the Grand Council of New Hampshire. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home)
WORDS OF WISDOM: “I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would be also free.” Rosa Parks, Feb. 4, 1913, to Oct. 24, 2005