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.
Russell F. Ingram, 98, of Salem, died Oct. 19, 2023. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, he started his career as a lender with the U.S. Farmers Home Administration then in 1953, took a junior management position at the Farmers and Traders National Bank in Colebrook, where he ultimately became president. He was past president of the N.H. Bankers Association. He was a four-term state representative, serving on the Ways and Means and Public Works committees. He was a member of the board of directors for the Salem Boys and Girls Club and was inducted into their board of governors. He was a member and past chairman for the Council on Aging, a member of the Evening Star Masonic Lodge in Colebrook and a member of the Bektash Shriners Temple in Concord. He was the recipient of the 2012 Ganley award in Salem and the 2013 Enterprise Bank Celebration of Excellence Award. He and his wife gave a generous donation that enabled the town of Salem to build the Russell and Roberta Ingram Senior Center. He and Robert Shaw donated to build the Ingram-Shaw Library Annex and Masonic Lodge in Colebrook. (Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home)
William P. Gould, 65, lifelong resident of Henniker, died Oct. 21, 2023. He owned and operated Gould Well Company in Henniker for more than four decades. He coached Henniker Youth Girls’ Basketball at many age levels and played on men’s softball teams across the state for 15 years. He sponsored and played in many annual golf tournaments, including the Henniker Food Pantry tournament. He participated in the Men’s League at Duston Country Club., the Tournament Committee, and started and ran the annual end of season Duston CC vs Angus Lea Ryder Cup tournament. He started the Rick Hall Golf Classic in 2016 and ran it through the 2022 season. During the years he managed the tournament, $150,000 was raised with proceeds benefiting the Henniker Food Pantry, Henniker Fire & Rescue, John Stark Regional High School scholarships, and Homeless Veterans. He was appointed an honorary member of the Henniker Fire Department this year. (Holt-Woodbury Funeral Home)
Susan Levin Wessels, 79, passed away on Oct. 14, 2023, at the Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, NH. In 1989, Susan married Tim Wessels, and they built a home together in Rindge. She gave up her consulting work and opened “The Mighty Pen,” which offered print marketing services. She later added website design. As Susan moved toward retirement, her passion for gardening and photography strengthened. Her photographs were primarily of flowers from her own and nearby gardens, and she sold and exhibited her work at various venues. (Cremation Society of New Hampshire) Read full obituary at InDepthNH.org
Bradford C. Benton, 82, of Thornton, died Oct. 17, 2023. He greeted and seated customers at Benton’s Sugar Shack, which he built with his wife Judy and two sons. He owned his own construction and landscaping company and was a fourth-generation maple syrup producer. He was Thornton’s cemetery sexton for almost 40 years. He was a 50-year veteran and past master mason of Parker Lodge 97 in North Woodstock. (Mayhew Funeral Homes)
Paul A. Szoc, 72, a lifelong resident of Keene, died Oct. 16, 2023. He was retired chief of Southwestern N.H. District Fire Mutual Aid and retired deputy chief of the Keene Fire Department Call Company Operations. He retired from the City of Keene in 2017 with 40 years of service. He was active on many state and national organizations governing, directing and advising public safety emergency communications. He was chairman of the NH 911 Commission, N.H. Federation of Mutual Aid Districts, IMSA-Public Safety Advisory Committee, SAFECOM, National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and the NFPA Technical Committee on Public Safety Tele communicator Professional Qualifications. (Foley Funeral Home)
Paul A. Lamberti, 78, of Goffstown, died Oct. 18, 2023. He spent two and a half years in the Philippines as a member of the Peace Corps. He was a public relations officer and volunteer coordinator at the VA Medical Center in Manchester. In 2002, he was recipient of the Maurice L. McQuillen Award for outstanding service to New Hampshire veterans. He volunteered as a greeter at church and as a golf coach with Special Olympics. He and his wife Ginny cared for adults with special needs in their home. (Legacy.com)
Ruth Naomi Green Rollins, 95, of Cornish, died Oct. 18, 2023. She was a contributing writer for the Eagle Times newspaper from 1962-2004 covering local events, town and district meetings and many events. She was director during the early years of the Cornish Fair and served as chairman of the Prince and Princess Contest, as well as the children’s section of the fair parade for many years. She received the District Award of Merit and the Silver Beaver Award presented by Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America for exceptional service to youth. She and her husband Paul were awarded the Non-Grange Member Community Citizen Award, presented by Cornish Grange No. 25, in recognition of outstanding service to community and mankind. She was a member of the South Cornish Home Economics Club for 60 years, much of the time as president. She was chairman of Supervisors of the Checklist from 1976 – 2022. She received the Boston Post Cane this year on her 95th birthday, as the oldest living resident of Cornish. (Stringer Funeral Home)
Robert F. Mulroy, 82, of Manchester, died Oct. 18, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was also a member of the Air National Guard for six years, achieving the rank of sergeant. He joined the Manchester Police Department in 1965, rising through the ranks and retiring in 1995 as captain of the juvenile division. He joined the U.S. Marshals Service as a court security officer at the bankruptcy court in Manchester for another 22 years. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)
Maurice “Mac” H. Corriveau, 90, of Manchester died Oct. 22, 2023. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, he studied accounting and worked for the Manchester Highway Department for 36 years in administration. He also served on the board of directors for Manchester Municipal Employees Credit Union. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)
Ernst (Fred) Klittich, 81, of Bow, died Oct. 18, 2023. He taught high school German, then changed career paths and became a minister in the Church of Nazarene, named in 2002 as Pastor of the Year for the Church of Nazarene. During his 38 years of ministry, he led churches in five states including New Hampshire. (Bennett Funeral Home)
Shawna Rae (Scott) Fellows, 67, of Groveton, died Oct. 18, 2023. She was active with the Toys for Tots program, which she ran in Stratford for many years. She was a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. (Armstrong-Charron Funeral Home)
Libby A. Canuel, 58, of Raymond, died Oct. 17, 2023. She worked for the Town of Londonderry as an administrative assistant and later became a permit technician in the building, health and zoning departments. She was a member of the N.H. Building Officials Association. (Brewitt Funeral Home)
Raymond E. Lavertue, 93, of Berlin, died Oct. 19, 2023. He was a U.S. Army veteran and was a member of Good Shepherd Parish, the White Mountain Post 2520 VFW, the Dupont-Holmes Post 82 American Legion, the F.O.E. where he was a life member, the Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree, and the Holiday Center, where he was a past president and ward member. (Bryant Funeral Home)
Mabel Mae Mason Patten, 88, of Springfield, died Oct. 22, 2023. She was a former Girl Scout and 4-H leader and a teacher’s aide at Grantham/Springfield Kindergarten from 1977 until 1989. (Chadwick Funeral Home)
Edward A. Dexter Jr., 94, of New London, died Oct. 21, 2023. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He and his wife bought “The Candy House” in 1963, selling penny candy and doing watch repair until 1994. He was a custodian in the Kearsarge Regional School District, retiring at the age of 82. He was a member of the American Legion Post 40. (Chadwick Funeral Service)
Joann L. Miele, 85, of Candia, died Oct. 16, 2023. She completed the Appalachian Trail and also climbed to the base camp of Mount Everest in Nepal, hiked from the North Sea to the Irish Sea in England and Yorkshire, hiked the New Hampshire 4,000-foot mountains in the summer and winter, the Long Trail in Vermont, and Machu Pichu in Peru. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)
Elizabeth La Freniere, 97, of Peterborough and formerly of Rindge, died Oct. 19, 2023. She was hostess and activities director at Woodbound Inn in Rindge and for many summers helped in the family business, Atlas Display Fireworks in Jaffrey, taking over ownership in 1965. She was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels for nearly 30 years. She also was a member of the Jaffrey Woman’s Club, Girl Scouts, and Friends of the Library. (Cournoyer Funeral Home & Cremation Center)
Ruth E. Quinn, 98, of Temple, died Oct. 19, 2023. She was a lifetime member and past president of the Miller Grange in Temple, member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a 62-year member of the American Legion Auxiliary. She belonged to the Historical Society of Temple, the Congregational Church of Temple, and the Temple Ladies Aid Society, where she had served as president. She was a nurse at Monadnock Community Hospital for more than 40 years. An accomplished seamstress and quilt maker, she created and donated more than 100 infant-size quilts for AIDS babies born in and around the Northeast. (Cournoyer Funeral Home)
Yvonne “Bonnie” (Crosier) Jacques, 79, of Nashua, died Oct. 18, 2023. She volunteered for the American Red Cross for many years at the blood drives held at the Nashua Elks. She was a member of Nashua Lodge of Elks 720 since 2011, Elk of the Year, 2020-2021, recipient of the Grand Exalted Ruler’s Making a Difference Special Citation 2013-2014, member of Nashua Emblem Club 170 since 1977 and held many offices including president of Nashua Emblem Club (1981-82, 2003-04), N.H. state association president (1998-99), and multiple offices for the Supreme Association of Emblem Clubs. She retired from N.H. State Liquor Commission as manager of the Pelham store. (Dumont-Sullivan Funeral Home)
Robert P. George, 74, of Barrington, died Oct. 21, 2023. He volunteered as a firefighter for the Barrington Fire Department, reaching the rank of captain. (R.M. Edgerly & Son Funeral Home)
Robert Henry Constant, 90, a lifelong Nashua resident, died Oct. 24, 2023. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 122 of Nashua, 4th Degree and St. Anthony’s Fraternity Secular Franciscan Order. He served as a eucharistic minister and collector at St. Louis de Gonzague Church and the former St. Francis Xavier Parish. He was an active volunteer at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital and Greenbriar Healthcare Center. He received the Exchange Club of Nashua’s Book of Golden Deeds award. (Farwell Funeral Home)
Dr. Robert R. Moheban, 93, of Nashua, died Oct. 16, 2023. A native of Tehran, Iran, he moved to the U.S. in 1956 to pursue his medical career. He was a board-certified general and vascular/thoracic surgeon and practiced in Nashua for 35 years. He was affiliated with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital (Southern New Hampshire Medical Center) where he was chief of surgery, chairman of the surgical department, director of the trauma service and president of the medical staff. He was also a successful real estate developer, co-founder of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua and a long-time board member where he established the Moheban Family Scholarship Fund. He has been an active member of the Lions Club for more than 50 years and was recently presented with a life membership. He was a member of the board of directors for Home Health and Hospice for more than 15 years and a board member of the New Hampshire Cancer Society. He volunteered at the local soup kitchen and received the Humanitarian Award from the Nashua Charitable Foundation. He was selected, as a Community Hero, to carry the Olympic torch through the streets of Nashua in 1996. (Farwell Funeral Service)
Doris H. Bellerive, 77, a lifelong resident of Manchester, died Oct. 23, 2023. She assisted with the CCD program at St. Anne’s Church and ran the church Bingo games for 25 years. (Lambert Funeral Home)
Robert Gray Dearborn, 85, of Newport, died Oct. 18, 2023. He was a member of the board of directors of the Newport Senior Center, furthering the Meals on Wheels program among other initiatives. (Newton-Bartlett Funeral Home)
Carol Ann (Flood) Richardson, 82, of Alton Bay, died Oct. 24, 2023. She volunteered on the Alton Beach committee, the Garden Club, Alton Old Home Week, and UNH Alumni activities. (C.E. Peaslee & Son Inc.)
Alfred Cochrane Banks Sr., 88, of Milton Mills, died Oct. 23, 2023. A U.S. Army veteran, he served in the Army Reserves and was a member of the Milton Historical Society, Milton Farm Museum, Milton Townhouse Restoration, Milton Cub Scouts Troop 155, and local 4-H group. He was a deacon at Acton-Milton Mills Baptist Church in Acton, Maine, and later a member of the congregation at Nute Ridge Bible Chapel in Milton. He was a teacher of industrial arts at Sanborn Seminary in Kingston, then in 1966, was industrial arts teacher at Nute High School in Milton, where he also taught driver’s education. When he retired from teaching in 1980, he worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a machinist. (C.E. Peaslee & Son Inc.)
Lauri John Etela, 80, of North Hampton, died Oct. 21, 2023. He began his own construction consulting business and continued his passion for architecture by working on various projects, most notably as client representative for the owners of Blue Dream, an innovative architectural masterpiece in East Hampton, N.Y. He was a member of the North Hampton Planning Boad and Conservation Commission. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home)
Arden E. Niswender, 85, of Hampton, died Oct. 17, 2023. He was a U.S. Army veteran and was an airline pilot for 33 years with Trans World Airlines, retiring in 1998. He was a former trustee of the United Methodist Church and a member of the church choir. He was a member of the Airline Pilots Association, had been active with Boy Scout Troop 177 as the advance chairman and was a member of St. James Lodge 102 F & AM of Hampton. (Remick & Gendron Funeral Home)
Betty Kelley, 94, of Merrimack, died Oct. 21, 2023. She was a member of Our Lady of Mercy Church and Ladies Guild, Reeds Ferry Women’s Club and Merrimack Welcome Wagon. She was a part-time secretary at the rectory of Our Lady of Mercy Church for many years and later retired from her employment as an administrative assistant at Radio Shack. (Rivet Funeral Home)
Laury E. Nichols, 79, of Chichester, died Oct. 19, 2023. She developed a unique sculptural art marketed professionally for over 50 years as L Nichols Woodcarving. Her work may be seen at her website, www.laurynichols.com. (Roan Family Funeral Home)
William R. Kielty, 86, of Concord, died Oct. 18, 2023. He started his career as an accountant and became an executive in international operations at Harnischfeger Corp., which took him all over the world. He was chief financial officer at TBS International, Ltd. And retired as president of Cline Corp. in Greenville, S.C. He volunteered as a youth sports coach, member of the Knights of Columbus and the rotary club, serving in various church ministries, and working on neighborhood boards. (Waters Funeral Home)
WORDS OF WISDOM: “Death is a challenge. It tells us not to waste time… It tells us to tell each other right now that we love each other.” – Leo Buscaglia, motivational speaker and author, March 31, 1924, to June 12, 1998
