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. Robert E. Clegg Jr., 69, of Hudson, died Aug. 31, 2023. He was Republican Majority Leader of the State Senate from 2002 through 2006 and is a former speaker pro temp of the House and senior partner at Legislative Solutions, a New Hampshire-based government relations firm. He ran for Congress in 2008. He served in both the State House of Representatives and Senate from 1995-2008. He owned his own construction business which he started when he built the house his children grew up in. He kept a finger in the construction trade with his last project being his daughter’s house. He was also a justice of the peace and performed many wedding ceremonies, some in his garden. He worked with numerous groups over the years to support those who had hit hard times, organizations that support veterans, the local food pantry, helping families at Christmas, and helping foster children gain independence with learning to drive. He was especially fond of Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire and Presentation of Mary Academy. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Sheraton of Nashua at 11 Tara Boulevard in Nashua. (Farwell Funeral Service)
Donald William (Underhill) Dollard, 88, of Auburn, died Sept. 7, 2023. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serving as sergeant, and a member of the N.H. Air National Guard. He was an Auburn selectman, cemetery trustee, and chairman of Auburn’s 150th anniversary celebration. He was also master of Massabesic Grange, president of Auburn Historical Association, and instrumental in the creation of its museum. He retired as a senior member of Auburn volunteer fire department. He was a 50-year member of Rockingham Lodge 76 F&AM. He worked for many years as an appraiser supervisor with the state Department of Revenue Administration and was a property tax review appraiser with the Board of Tax and Land Appeals. He was self-employed as a property tax assessor and cartographer for many communities in New Hampshire, retiring in 2011. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home & Cremation Center)
Doreen Mary Moore, 83, of Danville, died Aug. 31, 2023. She served two terms as a Danville selectmen starting in 1989 and volunteered as president of the PTA in Danville. She was a deputy town clerk for a number of years before being elected town clerk in 1997. She was also a library trustee and the welfare officer. She managed the food pantry at town hall. (Brewitt Funeral Home)
Emory Wilson Sanders, 82, of New London, died Aug. 29, 2023. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and over three decades oversaw the auctions of several historic New Hampshire grand hotels. He was a volunteer for the John Hay Estate, the Ausbon Sargent Land Trust, and the Kearsarge Youth Hockey Association. He established the Emory and Susie Sanders Scholarship for Nursing at Colby-Sawyer College. (Chadwick Funeral and Cremation Service)
Virginia Deachman Dearborn, 98, of Plymouth, died Sept. 1, 2023. She taught in area schools including Monroe, Beebe River, Thornton, Holderness and Plymouth Elementary. She volunteered for 20 years at the Plymouth Regional Senior Center and this past July was recognized as Plymouth’s oldest resident and became the sixth recipient of the Boston Post Cane Award. (Mayhew Funeral Homes)
Roland L. White, 90, of Center Harbor, died Aug. 30, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a golf course superintendent at the Lake Placid Club Golf Course and a consultant for several area golf courses. He retired in 2000 as superintendent of Bald Peak Colony Club in Melvin Village. He and his wife Alta owned the Melvin Village General Store from 1994 to 2001. (Mayhew Funeral Homes)
Michael A. Caverly Sr., 69, of Alton, died Aug. 28, 2023. He was a member of the Alton Fire Department for 27 years as a firefighter, lieutenant and EMT. He helped refurbish a Model T fire truck and Maxim fire truck. He worked for the Alton Highway Department and the Alton Water Department. (Peaslee Alton Funeral Home)
Francis P. “Frank” Croteau Sr., 77, of Pelham, died Sept. 3, 2023. He was known as “The Can Man,” collecting cans which helped keep the beauty of the community and protect the environment. He was a former member of the of St. Patrick Men’s Club, the Pelham Snow Mobile Club and the Good Neighbor Fund. (Pelham Funeral Home)
John J. Abbott, 71, of North Hampton, died Sept. 3, 2023. He opened Honeybee Donut in Seabrook and Hampton during the 70s with his college roommate Pat, then purchased Jackson’s Bakery in Amesbury, Mass. He opened North Hampton Grocery in the mid-80s and the Hungry Horse Cafe in Rye. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home & Crematory)
David C. D. Rogers, 91, of Rye, died Sept. 2, 2023. He lived in Surrey, England from 1932 to 1937. He taught at Harvard Business School and ran a food company. He was a department chairman at the University of Michigan from 1968-1975 and a consultant at Ford Motor Company. He was a professor of business policy and competitive analysis at Babson College from 1975-1984 and a consultant in management and competitive intelligence research until he was 84. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home & Crematory)
Denis Salvail, 69, of Canaan, died Aug. 30, 2023. He was a general contractor and a member of the Canaan Budget Committee member. He was a driver for Canaan Ambulance for 20 years. He helped build the Mascoma Community Health Center and served on its board. (Ricker Funeral Home)
Kenneth D. Pepper, 75, of Laconia, died Sept. 6, 2023. A U.S. Navy veteran, he owned and operated Doc Pepper TV Service in Saugus, Mass. After moving to Laconia, he worked for PSNH for more than 25 years until retirement. Ken was active with Sacred Heart Church as a eucharistic minster, CCD teacher, and member of the Holy Trinity School Board. He was an active member of the Christian Motorcyclist Association and was a motorcycle safety instructor for the state. He volunteered for Habitat for Humanity for six years. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)
Donald Paul McLelland Sr., 85, of Webster, died Sept. 3, 2023. He served as a police commissioner in Bristol, Conn., and was president and CEO of several successful businesses ranging from manufacturing to consulting to real estate in Connecticut and New Hampshire. He served on town boards in Belmont and was town administrator. He served for more than 20 years as finance chairman for St. Joseph Parish in Belmont. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home)
WORDS OF WISDOM: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, Nov. 30, 1874, to Jan. 24, 1965