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.
Former State Sen. Roger C. Heath, 80, of Salisbury, died May 18, 2023. He was elected to the N.H. House of Representatives for three terms, and to the N.H. State Senate for four terms. He trained and raced a five-dog team of sled dogs. He was a talented artist, an accomplished writer and always a teacher. His first job was on the Hopi Indian Reservation at Keams Canyon teaching Hopi and Navajo children. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)
Raymond N. Patry, 93, of Gorham, died May 20, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he joined his father-in-law, Oscar Fleury, in Fleury Funeral Homes, graduating from the New England Institute of Sanitary Science and Embalming in Boston in 1957. He worked alongside Fleury for 26 years, then he and his wife purchased the business after Fleury’s retirement. They operated the renamed Fleury-Patry Funeral Homes, along with their son Michael, until Raymond’s retirement in 1996 after 42 years in funeral service. He was a life member of the American Legion Post No. 82 in Gorham, the VFW Post No. 2520 in Berlin and the National Rifle Association. He was a charter member and past president of the Gorham Lions Club, member of the Berlin-Gorham Lions Club, past member of the NH 100 Club, charter member of the Msgr. Connors Knights of Columbus 5930, 4th Degree member of the Msgr. Walsh Assembly and White Mountain Council No. 506 of Berlin and was the recipient of the New England Institute Presidential Citation in 1989. He was a past member of the N.H. Funeral Directors Assn. and the National Funeral Directors Association. (Bryant Funeral Homes & Crematory)
Dr. Paul Kruzel, DDS, 72, of Canterbury, died May 22, 2023. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving as a pharmacy technician. He then served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a dentist. He began his private practice in Manchester and later moved his practice to Concord. After retiring from dentistry, he founded RGB Holographics. (Bennett Funeral Home)
Christine Ann Marbach Kellett, 75, of New London, died May 23, 2023. She was a public defender, did legal aid work, was an assistant town attorney in Colonie, N.Y., first assistant county attorney in Albany, N.Y., assistant counsel at the New York State Parks and Recreation Department, town attorney in Guilderland, N.Y., and retired as the chief administrative law judge at the New York State Division of Human Rights. She and her husband retired to New London in 2014. (Chadwick Funeral and Cremation Service)
Verne E. Barrett, 88, of Elkins, died May 19, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a resident of Elkins since 1965 and worked as an accountant, retiring as the owner of Patriot Investment Company in Concord in 2000. He served on the New London Planning Board and the New London Service Organization, and was a member of King Solomon’s Lodge No. 14 F & AM, Bektash Temple, Scottish Rite Body in the Valley of Nashua, Lions Club, March of Dimes where he received the Boot Award, N.H. Association of Public Accountants, National Society of Accountants, New London Little League Coach, New London Boys Club, New London Archives, and The Order of The Eastern Star. He volunteered at the Ice House Museum. (Chadwick Funeral Home)
Claude W. Webster, 87, a longtime resident of Walpole, died May 19, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he also served in the U.S. Army Active Reserves and retired as E-8 Master Sergeant after more than 20 years of service. He worked at Hinsdale High School for 35 years teaching industrial arts. (Cheshire Family Funeral Chapel and Crematories)
Gerald D. Callahan Sr., 78, of Troy, died May 18, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he owned and ran Gerald Callahan General Contracting from 1975 until he retired in 2007. He was a Troy selectman for three terms, served on the Troy Fire Department for 20 years, and the budget committee for 12 years. He was also an active member of the Lions Club and Ruck-up of Keene. (Cheshire Family Funeral Chapel and Crematories)
John J. Bugden, 71, of Londonderry, died May 18, 2023. He taught at Marian High School in Framingham, Mass., his alma mater, and the American Community School in Athens Greece. He was a guidance counselor at Franklin High School for three years and at Manchester Memorial High School for more than 26 years. He was a track and cross-country coach for girls and boys and a counselor at Camp Foss for more than 30 years. He and his wife were volunteers with Special Olympics. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)
Barbara A. Edwards 73, of Fitzwilliam, died May 21, 2023. For many years, she operated Barb’s Grinder Shack at the annual Cheshire Fair. (Foley Funeral Home)
Jacqueline E. (Cote) Dumont, 89, of Manchester, died May 24, 2023. She was a member of the family business, Century 21 Dumont, since 1978. (Legacy.com)
Helen Dougherty Melanson, 78, of Amherst, died May 18, 2023. She taught for several years at Nashua High School, followed by 40 years of teaching at Hollis-Brookline High School. She earned her master’s degree at Dartmouth College and traveled to study in China and Scotland. (Rochette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)
Michael F. Sewick, 93, of Randolph, died May 18, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a member of St. Agnes Church, Gate of Heaven Parish in Jefferson, a member of the Dupont-Holmes Post No. 82 American Legion in Gorham and trustee of the trust funds and supervisor of the checklist in Randolph. (Bryant Funeral Home)
Paul R. MacDonald, 90, of Bedford, died May 19, 2023. He was a self-employed heating contractor and owned Armstrong Heating for many years. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)
Nancy J. (Biddiscombe) Lindsey, 79, of Laconia, died May 18, 2023. She taught art class at Kingswood High School in Wolfeboro from 1967 to 1972. She and her husband purchased the Lodge at Loch Haven on Route 3 in Meredith, where they ran Burlwood Antique Market. They turned this business into the Burlwood Country Store. They renovated the building that houses Twin Barns Brewing Company on Route 3 and opened Burlwood Antiques Center in 1983, a large cooperative of over 170 dealers. She served on the Meredith’s Planning Board and the Inter-Lakes School Board, serving as chair for many years. She was also a member of the board of directors of the Meredith Village Savings Bank. (Mayhew Funeral Homes and Meredith Bay Crematorium)
James Russell Bell, 79, of Enfield, died May 19, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves, he was chief of cardiology at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, Vt. serving 41 years as a dedicated cardiologist and beloved physician at the VA. He was an associate professor at Dartmouth Medical School, winning the title of “Teacher of the Year” four times. (Rand-Wilson Funeral Home)
Jeffery S. Jousset, 67, of Greenland, died May 20, 2023. He officiated high school football games across New Hampshire for nearly 25 years as part of the New Hampshire Football Officials Association. He was a member of the Greenland Recreation Department from 2005 to 2010, and coached softball and basketball for several years. He was a member of the St. John’s Masonic Lodge in Portsmouth and was raised to Master Mason at the Pitt Tavern in 1994. He worked as a foreman at the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, and he and his wife owned and operated an electrical business, Ramsdell Electric, for almost 30 years, inheriting the business from his father-in-law. He also taught electrical courses at the New Hampshire Vocational Technical Institute in Stratham. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home)
Elizabeth Catherine (Hanlon) Lochman, 83, of Merrimack, died May 18, 2023. She and her husband moved to Merrimack in 1983 and became active in Our Lady of Mercy Parish. She was director of religious education until her retirement. She oversaw the A.C.T. kindergarten program, the youth religious education programs, taught the RCIA program for adults along with her husband, and was a eucharistic minister for many years. (Rivet Funeral Home)
Raymond Walter Kunsman Jr., 85, of Exeter, died May 19, 2023. He had a 35-year career with the Colgate-Palmolive Company starting as a salesman and retiring as executive vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. (Stockbridge Funeral Home)
Donald Silverman, 85, formerly of Bedford and recently of Boca Raton, Fla., died May 10, 2023. He was the father of comedian Sarah Silverman, who referred to him as “Schleppy” in an Instagram post announcing his death. He had a masters in social work and died only a little more than a week after his second wife, Janice, died after being married for 40 years. (Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles)
Sister Angela Moreau, CSC, (Sister Mary Angela of the Eucharist), 89, of Windham, died May 20, 2023. She was the 15th of 16 children. She entered the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1955 and made her final profession in 1962. She served her congregation for 67 years, mainly in culinary duties at the convents of the Sisters of Holy Cross in Gonic, Manchester, Newmarket, Suncook, Rollinsford and Pittsfield, as well as in Massachusetts and Connecticut. She returned to St. George Manor in Manchester in 1981 and transferred to Holy Cross Health Center in Manchester in 2014. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)
Sister Denise Therriault, (formerly Sister M. Monique), 89, of Windham, a Sister of Mercy for 71 years, died May 19, 2023. She taught in elementary schools at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Manchester, St. Patrick School in Portsmouth, St. John School in Concord, St. Joseph School in Keene, and St. Mary School in Claremont, where she taught and also served as principal. From 1985 to 2009 she ministered within St. Kieran Parish in Berlin as pastoral minister and manager of Guest House, a licensed boarding house for elders in need. From 2009 to 2014 she volunteered at Androscoggin Valley Hospital. (Carrier Family Funeral Home & Crematory)
Sister Patricia Sullivan, 81, of Windham, a Sister of Mercy for 63 years, died May 16, 2023. She graduated from Mt. St. Mary College and St. Anselm College. She held an M.S. degree in nursing from Boston University and a Sc.D. degree from Harvard University. She taught school in Manchester and Nashua and was a staff nurse in the former Sacred Heart Hospital. She taught in the graduate nursing programs at Boston University, St. Xavier College in Chicago, and the University of Maryland. She was also coordinator of public policy for the seven southern states and Belize ministries of the St. Louis Sisters of Mercy Health Care System. She was president of the New Hampshire Sisters of Mercy and from 2010 to 2015 served on the Northeast Community Leadership Team. She had been director of N.H. Catholic Charities, director of mission at St. Andre Health Care in Biddeford, Maine, and a co-author of a book on leadership. (Carrier Family Funeral Home & Crematory)
Nancy (Hannah Maude) Carney, of Salem and most recently of Freedom, died May 8, 2023. She served as the director of adult education for the Salem School District for 22 years. In 2021 the school district named the continuing education program for those with developmental disabilities as the Nancy Carney Pathways for Extended Learning Program in her honor. Nancy was called out of retirement to become the executive director of the Salem Chamber of Commerce and finished her working career as a Realtor. She won the Nice Gal of the Year Award from the Salem Board of Trade in 1975, and she and her husband Michael jointly won the Chief John P. Ganley Community Service Award in 2009. In 2016, she received the Mother of Pearl Award from the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce. She served on many local and national boards. (Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home)
WORDS OF WISDOM: “Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.”
Poet John McCrae, 1872-1918, from “In Flanders Fields”