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.

Thomas Turley Barry, 76, of Concord, died Aug. 15, 2024. While a law student, he worked for U.S. Sen. Norris Cotton (R-N.H.)  in Washington, D.C. He was in private practice and was nominated by former Gov. Stephen E. Merrill to a part-time seat on the New Hampshire Circuit Court, where he served as a judge for 21 years.  He was past president of both the Merrimack County Bar Association and the Daniel Webster Inn of Court.  (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)

Leonard I. Cheney, 94, of Concord, died Aug. 13, 2024. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a professor of electrical engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology and coached the men’s basketball team. He then was a professor of electrical engineering at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, where he taught from 1966 through 1992. He was a department head for many years. (Bennett Funeral Home)

Richard A. Clark, 80, of Hampstead, died Aug. 19, 2024. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served as chief financial officer for several hospitals including Frisbee Memorial Hospital in Rochester. He was a member of the Hampstead Civic Club, Salem Elks Club, and the American Legion Post 115. He served as treasurer for the Town of Hampstead. (Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home)

Richard Gary Courville, 77, and his wife, Denise (Bulmer) (Robidoux) Courville, 65, of North Hampton, died Aug. 17, 2024, in a fatal motor vehicle accident on Route 101 in Candia. He was a U.S. Army veteran who founded The Courvilles nursing facility in Nashua and at age 25 became the youngest nursing home administrator in New Hampshire. He grew the business to locations in Nashua, Manchester, and Bedford. Denise Courville was a licensed practical nurse who had worked for The Courvilles for many years but had since retired from nursing to pursue a more administrative role. Visitation for the couple is Friday, Aug. 23, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lambert Funeral Home in Manchester. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)

Ronald John Nowe, 78, of Loudon, died Aug. 19, 2024. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served from 1995 to 2008 in the New Hampshire State House, as a state legislator, committee chairman, and assistant Majority Whip. He served on the Amtrak Transportation Committee and the Water Access Advisory Board. He also served on the town planning board, industrial development committee, and zoning board of adjustment.  He was general manager of radio station WWNH, an insurance company sales manager, built homes and ran a miniature golf course. He received the Sentinel Award from the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation. (Brewitt Funeral Home)

Statton “Buzz” Rice, 92, of Wolfeboro, died Aug. 18, 2024. He served in the U.S. Navy as legal officer. He was an independent scholar and writer and was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship. He served as an intern on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood at Pittsburgh’s public television station WQED.  He was also an intern on NBC’s Huntley-Brinkley Report. He produced his own show on astronomy. In the 1960s, he was an associate dean at the State University of New York (SUNY). A lifelong student, he focused on semiotics and theories of communication. He also founded a company, Training Communication, Inc., developing training programs for industry. (Lord Funeral Home)

Rita (Ciampaglia) Sampson, 93, of Plaistow, died Aug. 18, 2024. She was co-owner of the Busy Bee Donut Shop in Plaistow from 1965-1977.  She was one of the original members of the Timberlane Music Association Band Parents Association. She volunteered at the Vic Geary Center and weeded the flower beds at town hall. (Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home)

Joseph Stephen Scire, 69, of Windham, died Aug. 16, 2024. He was a meteorologist who specialized in air pollution. One of his contributions was the atmospheric dispersion model CALPUFF,  used by researchers, environmental consultants, and regulatory agencies (including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) globally. He consulted the Stars & Stripes sailing team competing in the America’s Cup. (Carrier Family Funeral Home)

Nathan W. Smith, 79, of Gilford, died Aug. 15, 2024. A third-generation farmer, he owned the Smith Farm Stand on Sleeper Hill Road in Gilford. He was an electrical engineer and while in the U.S. Navy, he worked with the naval nuclear reactors program led by Admiral Hyman Rickover. He returned to Gilford in 1974, preferring the life as a farmer rather than a career in the U.S. Navy. He farmed for 40 years and offered pick-your-own strawberries and raspberries as well as vegetables and maple syrup. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

Dwayne Wrightsman, 87, of Lee, UNH Professor Emeritus of Finance, died Aug. 14, 2024. He taught finance and banking at the Whittemore School of Business at the University of New Hampshire for 29 years and wrote several textbooks in his field.  After his retirement, a professorship was established in his name at the UNH Whittemore School/Peter Paul College of Business by an alumnus’ gift to the UNH Foundation. (Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home & Crematory)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “Because life is fragile and death inevitable, we must make the most of each day.” – Thomas S. Monson, Mormon religious leader, August 21, 1927, to Jan. 2, 2018