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.

Laura T. Berni, 93, of Atkinson, died Feb. 8, 2026. She and her husband Nino lived in New Jersey, where they started in the amusement industry at Palisades Park. In 1958, they purchased Canobie Lake Park in Salem, along with the Captell and Ulaky families. She was in the accounting department at Canobie Lake Park, retiring at age 83. She was inducted into the New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame in 2004. (Cataudella Funeral Home)

Willam Francis Childs, 91, of Exeter, died Feb. 4, 2026. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and taught art at Oyster River High School in Durham for 30 years. He also taught art education at UNH and created a prolific portfolio of mostly watercolor work, accompanied by pen and ink sketches and oil monoprints. In retirement, exhibited as a member of the Seacoast Art Association, N.H. Art Association and at A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words in downtown Exeter. (Stockbridge Funeral Home)

Louis Anthony Datilio II, 87, of North Hampton, died Feb. 6, 2026. He taught physical education in New Jersey and then launched UNH’s gymnastics program in 1967. He bought a North Hampton farm in 1973 and transformed the barn and horse stalls into the New Hampshire Academy of Artistic Gymnastics and Sport), now in its 53rd year of operation. He led the Men’s UNH Gymnastics team to nationals, then went on to establish the Women’s program, guiding them to the national finals as well. He opened seven gymnastics schools across the state. Over seven decades, he helped create standards that shaped the future of gymnastics nationally. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home & Crematory)

Helen T. Emma, 92, of New Ipswich, died Feb. 9, 2026. She started her teaching career at Wilton Elementary School in 1973 and then taught at Mason Elementary School for 24 years, including several years as head teacher. She was a consultant to the Society for Developmental Education, training other educators in specialized math curriculum. (Jellison Funeral Home)

Paul Thomas Fitzgerald, 75, of Laconia, died Feb. 5, 2026. He had a law practice in Laconia for nearly 50 years and served two terms as mayor of Laconia and later chairman of the Laconia Police Commission. He was secretary and president of the board of trustees of the Mount Washington Observatory, receiving the observatory’s Founders’ Award the day after his passing. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

Rev. Elizabeth Arlene Little French, 87, of Concord, died Feb. 4, 2026. She was pastor of Webster Congregational Church from 2001 to 2011. She was also secretary to the N.H. Liquor Commission, a bank teller, legal secretary for N.H. Legal Assistance, and a real estate agent/broker. (Bennett Funeral Home)

Robert Girardin, 88, of Sanbornton, died Feb. 10, 2026, at his home. He owned a 23-acre farm in Sanbornton where he and his family raised cattle and other farm animals, eventually moving into pick-your-own strawberries and Christmas trees. He  grew exotic conifers and spoke to groups and wrote articles for other growers. He taught for many years at Laconia High School, Gilford High School, and Southern N.H. University. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

Karen Solomon McGinley, 73, of Bedford, died Feb. 4, 2026. She was an attorney who spent the majority of her legal career as a partner with Devine, Millimet & Branch. She served for many years as a member of the Bedford Planning Board, was a past chairperson of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, and served as a director of the Gunstock Ski Club for many years. (French & Rising Funeral Home)

Joanne “Jodi” Paradis, 71, of Groveton, died on Feb. 9, 2026. She was a supervisor of the checklist in  Northumberland for 24 years and the official greeter at the election polls for the past three years. She was a founding member of the Groveton Community Christmas Committee, past member of the Groveton Ambulance Corp., past cubmaster of Pack 233, Cub Scouts, and board member of Troop 233, Boy Scouts. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 17, Groveton. (Armstrong-Charron Funeral Home)

Bruce J. Parsons, 71, of New London, died Feb. 8, 2026. He and his family bought a 48-acre farm in Georges Mills in 1965. He worked for the Star Island Corp. at the Isles of Shoals and was elected in 1981 as a lifetime member of the Star Island Corp. He volunteered and served on the facilities committee for 45 years. He was a member of the board of directors and vice president of the board. He co-authored the Islands Zoning Ordinance and chaired the Property Standards Committee overseeing the zoning ordinances. In 2006 he published a collection of his photographs and memories of Star Island, titled “Star Light: Thirty Years of Photographs.” At their New London home, he and his wife, Carole Horton, created a park-like landscape on their property, featured in 2024 as one of six secret gardens by the New London Garden Club and published in the an issue of New Hampshire Home Magazine. He was a residential architectural designer and won more than a dozen architectural design awards.  He chaired the New London Recreation Commission, the Recreation Task Force, multiple building committees, Tracy Memorial Library board of directors, and the Police Advisory Committee.  He designed the Transportation Museum at the New London Historical Society. (Chadwick Funeral and Cremation Service)

Emile G. Poisson, 87, of Tuftonboro, died Feb. 3, 2026. He was commissioned in the N.H. Army National Guard and attended the N.H. Military Academy, where he rose to the rank of first lieutenant. He taught French at Holderness School, where he founded the rock-climbing program within the school’s Outing Club. He taught for four years at Laconia High School and in 1982 joined the faculty of New Hampton School, where he was chair of the Foreign Language Department. He directed the school’s Safety, Outdoor and Freshmen Orientation Programs. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

Louise Prudhomme, 95, of North Haverhill and formerly of Bristol, died Feb. 5, 2026. She was a co-owner of custom home building and development companies in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. She was a co-owner of Century 21-Country Lakes Realty serving the Newfound Lake area and authored a book of her life, “A Journey of a Lifetime from Ocean to the Lake” in 2009. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

Lorraine V. Robie, 88, of Laconia, died Feb. 6, 2026. She was awarded the “Spirit of the Judiciary Award” by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and retired as deputy registrar of probate in2002. She also served as an account clerk for the Laconia State School and the Belknap County Probate Court. (Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services)

John W. Weeks, 74, of Greenland, died Feb. 7, 2026. He worked at the Fairchild Dairy Teaching and Research Center in Durham for 43 years and served as a Greenland selectman, budget committee member, and on numerous Greenland Community Church committees. (J. Verne Wood Funeral Home & Buckminster Chapel)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi, Oct. 2, 1869, to Jan. 30, 1948