Notable New Hampshire Deaths: Former Manchester Deputy Police Chief; Former Derry Judge

Print More

BOB CHAREST photo

Maple Grove Cemetery sits on a hill overlooking Baptist Road in Canterbury. It is also known as Kezer Seminary Cemetery. John Fletcher and several of his family members are buried here. He died in 1876 and was listed on census records as a farmer. Kezer Seminary opened in 1889 with 27 students. The pastor of the Freewill Baptist Church served as principal in the beginning years, and the school existed until the early 1900s.

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 weeks 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.

Frederick Edward Bradstreet III, 84, of Hopkinton, died March 12, 2024. He attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and was pilot for eight years in the U.S. Air Force. He then was a pilot with American Airlines for 32 years. He was captain of the N.H. State Color Guard for many years and served two years as commander of the VFW 4th District of New Hampshire. He led the VFW’s annual Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy competitions for Hopkinton Middle and High School. (Bennett Funeral Home)

Robert C. Brodeur, 87, of Nashua, died March 14, 2024. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was employed by Alexander’s Markets for 25 years.  He was the first store manager of their Nashua location and was promoted to grocery buyer for the entire chain.  In the 70s, he was co-owner of Dembros Hobbies and started Granite State R/C Products in the 80s.  In 1991, he retired from the grocery business to pursue his lifelong dream of opening his own hobby store known as R.C. Buyers Warehouse.  (Rochette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

Bruce W. Burroughs, 77, of Newport, died March 16, 2024. A U.S. Army veteran, he was chief of tramway and amusement ride safety for the State of New Hampshire for 37 years. (Stringer Funeral Home)

Ruth H. (Crewe) Cobb, 89, of Keene, died March 16, 2024. She and her husband Wes started the Lucky Leaf 4-H Club in Keene and were involved in Cheshire County 4-H activities including the Cheshire Fair where Ruth was a project judge and helped run the 4-H Food booth. In 1980, the Cobb family was awarded the Cheshire County 4-H Family of the Year. She was awarded the 4-H Volunteer of the Year in 1985 and 2001. (Cheshire Family Funeral Home)

David J. Corriveau, 71, of Derry, died March 13, 2024. He worked throughout his lifetime at Corriveau-Routhier, the family masonry supply business, becoming president of the company. He played hockey with the MYRHA, Memorial High School Hockey Team, the Manchester Blackhawks, then several men’s hockey leagues, now senior hockey groups and served on the board of directors of N.H. Legends Hockey. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)

Casper A. “Skip” Crouse, 79, of Wolfeboro, died March 18, 2024. He served in the U.S. Army as a combat and psychiatric medic. In 1974 he moved to Effingham, where he farmed, worked construction, and served as Effingham town clerk. He was also a member and chairman of the Governor Wentworth Regional School District, member of the Effingham Fire Department, and a founding member of the Effingham Rescue Squad. He received his special education certificate and taught in the special education program at Kingswood Regional High School, then in 1984 as a teacher at Moultonborough Academy retiring in 2012. (Lord Funeral Home)

Patricia J. Dawson, 94, of Concord, formerly of Hooksett and Hopkinton, died March 12, 2024. She volunteered at the Slusser Senior Center in Hopkinton and was a co-director of the Hopkinton Dial-a-Ride for many years. She received the Joseph D. Vaughn Volunteer award for Merrimack County in 2016.  (Bennett Funeral Home)

Roger A. Duhaime, 75, of Bedford, died March 20, 2024. He was a banker for 45 years, starting as a messenger and retiring in 2012 as senior vice president of the Municipal Lending Division at Citizens Bank. He was recognized with several awards including the President’s Award and the Community Service Award. He was a trustee of the Manchester City Library and the Library Foundation Board. He was a board member of the Salvation Army and member of the Allocations Committee of Greater Manchester United Way. He served on the AARP Volunteer Committee and was a volunteer aerobics instructor at the Manchester YMCA for 18 years. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)

Nancy Ann (Wisnesky) Feraco, 60, of Milford, died March 18, 2024. She was a small business owner running Nelson’s Candy & Music in Wilton since 2019. She was an accomplished seamstress who lent her talents to the Souhegan Valley community theater for several years. She participated in site excavations with the Northeastern Educational Research Association and was an avid organic gardener who completed the UNH Master Gardener program. (Smith & Heald Funeral Home)

Paul Goodridge, 89, of Merrimack, died March 16, 2024. He was a founding member of the Merrimack Youth Association in 1968. He coached numerous MYA and Merrimack High School freshman basketball teams, often working alongside his son Tim, the varsity coach. Paul was instrumental in bringing wrestling to Merrimack High School.  He served three terms on the Merrimack School Board.  (Rivet Funeral Home)

Paul R. Houghton, 88, of Manchester, died March 16, 2024. A U.S. Navy veteran and active with the Seabee Reserves, he was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 5260 and the Legion of 1,000 Men of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. He was a former member of the Diocesan Real Estate Board, president of the O.L.P.H. School PTO, and member of the Memorial High School Booster Club. He was a draftsman in the City of Manchester Engineer’s Office, and in plant management at Sander’s Associates and Computervision Corporation. He retired as a building inspector for the City of Manchester. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)

Mary Lou Martin, 84, of Greenland, died March 19, 2024. She operated a day care in town for more than 50 years, and friends often joked that Mary Lou had “helped to raise at least half the population of Greenland.” (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home and Crematory)

Frederick L. Mason Jr., 95, of Laconia, died March 14, 2024. He was a mechanical design engineer who was on a design team that designed and manufactured bellows used on the Apollo 8 spacecraft. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus for his entire adult life. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

James Michael McGrevey, 95, of Manchester, died March 14, 2024. He was a U.S. Army veteran and joined the Manchester Fire Department in 1952, climbing the ranks to captain.  In recognition of his dedication to the betterment of the city, James received the Key to the City of Manchester.  He retired as the chief’s aide. He was member of the East Side Club, American Legion Henry J. Sweeney Post 2, and Manchester Fireman’s Relief Association. He also served on the board of directors of Members First Credit Union for more than 10 years. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)

Margaret “Peggy” Meyette, 93, of Cornish, died March 17, 2024. She was a longtime member and president of the Meriden Bird Club and spent about 25 years as a volunteer at the Plainfield Elementary School. She later worked as a volunteer reading tutor for the Claremont School System. She was known as “The Bird Lady” by her students. She received the Goodhue-Elkins Award from New Hampshire Audubon in 2018 for her contributions to ornithology. (Knight Funeral Home & Crematory)

Paul S. Parker, 75, of Farmington, died March 19, 2024. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served 18 years in the Army Reserves. He was a Farmington selectman and served on the zoning board for many years. He also was president of the Golden Circle Road Association for several years. (Grondin Funeral Home)

Thomas H. Reynolds III, 90, of New London, died March 13, 2024. He was the men’s and women’s ski team coach at the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF). His teams won three Canadian-American Collegiate championships and numerous NESCAC North Division championships. In 1980 he spent a winter sabbatical coaching the United States Ski Team on the World Cup circuit in Europe. He wrote three books on competitive ski coaching and ski instruction. He was inducted into UMF Athletic Hall of Fame, the Maine Ski Hall of Fame, and the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, the United States Ski Coaching Association created a lifetime service award in his honor. (Chadwick Funeral & Cremation Service)

Gary R. Rowe, 80, of Salem, died March 18, 2024. He was deputy director of finance for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. He was a member and former interim pastor of the Christian Fellowship Church in Londonderry. He served the Southern Baptist Convention of New England as president for two years, treasurer of the New England Baptist Church, and trustee for the Northeastern Baptist College. He went on four missionary trips to Belarus. (Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home)

Gordon F. Sargent, 91, of Lebanon, died March 14, 2024. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he worked in the family business, McNeill’s Drug Store on the mall in Lebanon. He was a member of the First Congregational Church of Lebanon, a member of the Lions Club International on both the local and state level, and a former chairman of the Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital board. (Ricker Funeral Home)

Edward Nathanial Sawyer, 88, of Salisbury, died March 13, 2024. He was the owner of Sawyer Apple Orchard and Sawyer Tree Service in Salisbury. He also worked at New Hampshire Explosives and Beauregard Equipment, Inc. in Concord. He managed the Salisbury Transfer Station and served on the Salisbury Budget Committee for many years. He was a member of the Salisbury Congregational Church, the Salisbury Historical Society and the Meridian Masonic Lodge 60 in Franklin. (Bennett Funeral Home)

Jo Ann K. Smith, 82, of Mont Vernon, died March 14, 2024.  She served in leadership roles with the library study committees, high school building committees, Girl Scouts, and Mont Vernon Congregational Church. She was instrumental in establishing kindergarten in Mont Vernon. She also served as tax collector and was involved in the UNH home extension program and Amherst Garden Club. (Smith & Heald Funeral Home)

James H. Stewart, 79, of Manchester, died March 17, 2024. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Manchester Police Department for 26 years, retiring as deputy chief in 2002.  (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)

Edward Stokel Jr., 75, of Rye, died March 17, 2024. He was the former director of technology for the Portsmouth School System. (J. Verne Wood Funeral Home – Buckminster Chapel)

Nathaniel Meigs Stout, 72, of Keene, died March 15, 2024. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a former Keene city councilor of 10 years. He served on the Keene Library Board of Trustees, the Keene Planning Board, the Keene Zoning Board of Adjustment, and the nonprofit Keene Family YMCA. He was senior warden of St. James Episcopal Church, which he attended for nearly 40 years. He worked as a reporter for the Keene Sentinel, director of publications and public relations and communications director for The Brattleboro Retreat, Vermont Academy and the NH Automobile Dealers Association. He was also office manager at the Monadnock Conservancy. (Legacy.com)

Dorothy Rose Sullivan, 77, of Hampton, died March 19, 2024. She taught at St. Ann’s Neponset School in Dorchester, then at the Vinal School in Norwood, Mass.. In 1971 began teaching 8th grade language arts at Hampton Academy Junior High School, retiring in 2002. For many years she served as president of the Seacoast Education Association. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home and Crematory)

M. Robinson (Rob) Swift, 75, of Durham, died March 5, 2024. He was professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at the University of New Hampshire, joining the  faculty in 1976 and retiring in 2022. He was recognized with a University teaching award in 2007. His research included a range of ocean engineering topics, from measuring tidal patterns in order to aid in oil spill containment to work on deep sea fishery cages to sustainable energy projects. (Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home & Crematory)

Lawrence F. Warhall, 87, of Londonderry, died March 14, 2024. He served in the U.S. Army and from 1961 to 1970 worked for Ford as an accountant, then Ralston Purina Company managing egg processing plants throughout the Midwest and New York. In 1970 he and his family returned to New England where he managed the Agway egg processing plant in Derry. After passing the bar exam in 1975, he had his first law office at Buckley’s Egg Express in Derry, later joining with Edmund Boutin and Robert Fryer at the law practice of Fryer, Boutin and Warhall. He was a part-time judge in Derry District Court starting in 1981, then became the full-time judge of Derry District Court from 1988 to 2004. He was a member of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club, the Sunshine Soup Kitchen, the Hoodkroft Country Club, Parkland Medical Center and the Domestic Violence Council of Derry. (Peabody Funeral Homes & Crematorium)

James Edward Wimsatt, 89, of Concord, died March 20, 2024. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he served 20 years. He then worked another 20 years with the N.H. Lottery Commission, rising through the ranks from warehouse stock clerk to eventually becoming the N.H. Lottery Commission’s executive director. (Waters Funeral Home)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, president of South Africa, July 18, 1918, to Dec. 5, 2013

Comments are closed.