Stephen J. Britt passed away on December 31, 2021, in Stuarts Draft, VA at the age of 86. Mr. Britt was born on July 13, 1935, in Hartford, Connecticut to Paul E. and Emma Britt. He is survived by his sisters, Jean Derby and Sheelah Britt. Steve grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut and it was there that he met his wife, Ann Margaret Papineau. Married on December 28, 1958, the couple had three children, James E., Catherine Marie, and Karen Anne. Steve and Ann were married for 58 years and had 4 grandchildren, Sean & Catherine Britt and Sarah & Peter Favinger. Ann passed away on June 19, 2016. After serving in the Marine Corps, Steve began a long and successful business career. He worked for Mobil Oil, Dewalt, Black and Decker, Arcata Graphics, Intersource Technologies, and Anchor Continental. During his 23 years at Black and Decker, Steve achieved national recognition as the “Father of the Dustbuster” from numerous publications, including Time Magazine and New York Magazine. After retiring, Steve was a member of the First State Antique Tractor Club for several years and was a member of the scholarship committee. A memorial service will be held on Monday, January 10, 2022, at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 1210 S. Washington Street, Easton, MD. The family will receive visitors at the church from 10:30-11:00 a.m. and the service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Masks will be required in the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, Md 21741-5014 or online at michaeljfox.org/donate.
Ellen Clifford McGuire, 73, of East Longmeadow, MA, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Holyoke and raised in South Hadley, Ellen was the only child of John Clifford and Mary Long Clifford. After her father’s death in 1961, Ellen and her mother lived with her aunt and uncle, Margaret and Arthur Higgins, and their daughters, Carol and Margaret. While attending the Northampton School for Girls, Ellen lived with her beloved aunt and uncle, Helen and Pat Padden. Ellen earned her bachelor’s degree from Newton College of the Sacred Heart and a master’s degree in education from American International College. A lifelong educator, Ellen began her teaching career at Blessed Sacrament in Holyoke. Ellen would later teach at Peck Middle School also in Holyoke, and spent decades as a children’s reading tutor, a role she truly relished. Speaking of relish, you may know Ellen from her popular food column, The Readers Exchange, which she first edited and then authored in this paper from 1988 until the column’s retirement in 2020. Ellen was a talented writer and self-taught cook, and The Readers Exchange proved the perfect forum to share both of those gifts as well as her love for the community, as the recipes she highlighted were often requested and/or submitted by readers. She also authored two cookbooks. Her columns and featured recipes were approachable, and, well before the emergence of today’s cooking blog, imbued with entertaining and honest personal anecdotes. The Reader’s Exchange may live on eternally thanks to the power of the internet, and Ellen’s family encourages you to try summertime favorite, cold soup, or perhaps J.P. McMahon’s Irish beef stew. Ellen wore many hats, and she wore them all well. In addition to teaching, she worked as a real estate agent for nearly three decades. Based in Longmeadow, where Ellen settled to raise her daughters, she was often seen driving to a house showing with her beloved poodle in the front seat. Ellen loved the role she played helping families find their home and community. Countless relationships that began as generic “fellow agent,” “buyer,” or “seller” acquaintances evolved into deep and long-lasting friendships that continue today. While real estate, teaching, and writing all kept Ellen busy, her top priority and true source of light and love was her family and her friends. Ellen leaves behind her loving husband, Dr. Arthur T. McGuire. Ellen and Art married in 2003 and shared an intellect and sense of humor and an enthusiasm for new ventures, including international travel, Italian lessons, and ballroom dancing. Ellen is survived by her two daughters, Molly Kenney and her partner Joseph O’Brien IV of Brookline and Longmeadow, and Bevin Kenney and her husband Scott Davidson of Jamaica Plain, and their two children, Neve and Desmond Davidson, adoring fans of their “Nani.” Through her very nature, Ellen impressed upon her girls the truly important things in life, beginning with kindness, humor, love, and acceptance, including of oneself. Ellen and her girls were and will forever be a unit, a package deal. She leaves behind four stepsons, Timothy, John, Mike (Amanda), and Matthew (Kara) McGuire, as well as 11 McGuire grandchildren: Maggie, Frank, Maureen, Justin, Elizabeth, Mabel, Joe, Ellen, and Charlotte, Ted, Gus, all of whom Ellen adored. She will be dearly missed by a vast community of friends and family. The family would like to thank her care teams at Baystate Medical and Kind Hands, both of which provided exceptional care and support. Calling hours for Ellen will be Tuesday, June 14th from 4-7PM at Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 N. Main St., East Longmeadow. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, June 15th at 10:30AM at St. Michael’s Church, 128 Maple St., East Longmeadow. The family appreciates if masks can be worn. Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Springfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Michael Steingart Endowment or D’amour Center for Cancer Care, both at Baystate Health Foundation, 280 Chestnut Street, Springfield, MA, 01199.
Richard B. McKinley of Prospect Heights, Illinois, age 68, passed away May 8, 2022 after a brief illness. Beloved husband for sixteen years of Nian Zhen Zhao; dear brother of Gail Donovan (late Paul); Maryl Hook (late Phil); Jane Gardner (Lee) and Kyle Esh (Mike); fond uncle, cousin and friend of many; preceded in death by loving parents Gerard Alan McKinley and Helen Sullivan McKinley. After earning a B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Madison and J.D. from DePaul, Rick practiced law and was a court-appointed arbitrator. He was a kind and devoted man of many interests, with an amazing encyclopedic knowledge of music, sports and history. Visitation Saturday, June 4, 9:30 a.m., St. Norbert Catholic Church, 1809 Walters Avenue, Northbrook, IL, followed by 10:00 a.m. Mass. Inurnment All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL. In lieu of flowers, donations to American Cancer Society will be appreciated.
Richard W. Hoppenstedt, 78, of Geddes, NY, passed away Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at Upstate University Hospital. Born in Poughkeepsie, he was raised in Gardiner before moving to Syracuse in 1963. A graduate of The Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts, he received a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University where he was a proud member and past president of Phi Delta Theta. Richard was a United States Army veteran. He was employed as an accountant for the Diocese of Syracuse, and later worked as a dealer at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Oneida for 20 years, retiring in 2012. Richard enjoyed fishing and vacationing in Cape Cod, but above all, loved spending time with his family. Richard was predeceased by his parents, Clifford and Eleanor. Surviving are his wife of 54 years, the former Margaret Holihan of Syracuse; sons, Richard “Ted” of Syracuse, and John (Marisa) of Camillus; brother, Robert (Peg) of Hamden, CT; nephew, Matthew; and niece, Isaura Bozu. There will be no calling hours. Services will be private. Richard will be laid to rest in Greenlawn Cemetery, Warners.
Paul “Buck” Joseph Carroll, Jr., aged 78, died on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 in Boston of respiratory failure following a long illness. Paul was born in Springfield, January 13, 1944, the son of the late Paul and Teresa Carroll. He is survived by his wife Pamela Leary of Pinehurst, NC; daughter Cailly Anne Carroll (Daniel Serna) of Concord, MA; son Matthew L. Carroll (Jennifer McGowan) of Middleton, Delaware and children Finnegan, Teagan and Jack; his sister, Debra Carroll Packard of Lexington, MA; nephews, John Packard of North Andover, MA, Matthew Packard of Hingham, MA, Erich Carroll of Fairhaven, MA and Sydney Carroll Millette of Deerfield, MA. Paul/Buck was predeceased by his brother, Richard Carroll of South Yarmouth, MA.
A Celebration of Life at Annunciation Chapel, 85 Beacon St., Florence, MA will be held Friday, June 17 at 10 am, followed by Burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Northampton. In lieu of flowers, donations in Buck’s memory may be made to Pine Street Inn, Attn: Development Office, 444 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118 (www.pinestreetinn.org).
Nancy Atwood Gordon Brewster, 96, died peacefully on May 11, 2022 with her family nearby. She is survived by her daughter The Rev. Elizabeth (Gordon) Meade of Ballwin, Missouri, son Geoff Gordon of Norwell and daughter Carol (Gordon) Stone of Duxbury, six loving grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and five nieces and nephews. Her beloved husband, Bill Brewster, passed away in February. She loved this country and loved all the birds and all the flowers that grow between its Atlantic and Pacific Northwest shores. Nancy was born in the summer of 1925, raised in Litchfield and Madison, Connecticut. She graduated from Northampton School for Girls and Smith College, a longtime active alumna of both. She taught grade school at Derby Academy and in Marshfield. She married Andrew Gordon in 1950 and moved to Norwell to raise their three children. The family spent time in Freedom, New Hampshire where they enjoyed skiing, hiking, swimming and socializing with friends. She and Andy then pivoted to Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas for many winters into springs, enjoying the flora, boating, swimming and friends. Nancy was an active member of the Norwell community, including the North River Gardeners, the Community Club, the VNA Rummage Sale and other Norwell community magnets. Nancy was among the original group that conceived a Congregational Church in Norwell, signing as an esteemed Charter member of the United Church of Christ, Norwell. Nancy moved to Seattle in 1991 and immediately became involved in the Washington Beaches cleanup campaign. She continued to play a lot of tennis with friends near their home in Innis Arden, not giving up the game until age 88. After her husband Andy died in 2005, Nancy reconnected with her childhood friend William Brewster, also of Litchfield, Connecticut. Nancy and Bill married on July 2, 2021, and lived in Duxbury tackling crossword and sudoku puzzles together daily, and enjoyed watching tennis, golf, Jeopardy and football. Nancy loved travel, gardening, bird watching, her family and friends, and all kinds of music, especially the Hallelujah Chorus. She loved collecting things, including shells from Abaco, and clearing debris from Washington coast beaches, and found joy on the community tennis courts. Friends and family will miss her, but she knows not that she is gone: “Do not weep for me, child of my womb. Do not weep for my life gone by; my agony, my pain. For I am with you.” Special remembrances to the caring and compassionate team at Newfield House, to Cranberry Hospice and to Always Safe at Home, most notably Laura, Maxine, Chrissy and Guerline, for their tender care. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in Nancy’s name may be made to the Massachusetts Audubon at massaudubon.org.
Robert Alvin Sweet of Ripon, California, passed away on May 7, 2022. Born in Holyoke, Massachusetts on September 14, 1934, to Mary Grace (nee) Pierce and James Howard Sweet, Bob lived and embraced his childhood to the fullest. During this rich period, he was nurtured and taught the principles of hard work, diligence, honesty, fairness, and mercy that wove themselves into the fabric of his life. Bob completed his studies in Engineering from Yale University, served two years in the National Guard and achieved an MBA from Xavier University. Shortly after his discharge he married Dorothy Thomas (nee) Sheller, and nine months later welcomed the apple of his eye, Mark Thomas. Eleven months later came his “favorite daughter”, Lorelei Jane and bringing up the rear, eleven months later, Benjamin Pierce. Bob was an “all in” Dad. His sacrificial teaching, leading, inspiring, disciplining, and loving model left a legacy of three born again Christian children. As his father before him, Bob had an incredible work ethic. His career as a computer engineer began at B&O Railroad in Baltimore and continued through many adventures – NCR in Dayton, Polaroid in Boston, Bechtel in San Francisco, Safeway in Walnut Creek, and for the last 30 years at Sweet Properties in Modesto. He was preceded in death by his love and best friend, Tommie. He leaves behind his children, Mark (Ann), Lorelei (John), Ben (Jill), his beloved grandchildren Ryan (Jaci), Josiah (Reanne), Megan (Ben), Jahred, Joel, Aaron, Marcella (Jon) and his great grandchildren Colton, Savannah, Charlotte, Deilianna, Ciercina, and Ellie. Also, his sister Barbara (Allen) and dear nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 1 PM on Friday, May 27th, at Calvary Chapel, 4300 American Ave. Modesto CA 95356. Family and friends are welcome to a gathering with refreshments immediately after the service. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation in honor.
Mark Clemens passed quietly on May 2, 2022, after a brief battle with lung cancer; he was 69 years old. At his side as he slipped away was his loving and devoted wife of fourteen years, Kimberly. Born at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina on November 5, 1952, he was the oldest child and only son of Walter Henry Clemens ’47 and Margaret (Peggy) Dwyer Clemens. Mark lived his formative years on Long Island, New York, first in Wantagh and then in Garden City, where he attended Garden City High School, transferring to Williston Academy in Massachusetts for a year, and then graduating from Acalanes High School ’71 in Lafayette, California. After high school Mark attended Claremont Men’s College where he studied Psychology, earning his degree in 1975. After college, Mark spent his career working for two large national insurance companies, specializing in the Surplus Lines area of the business. He eventually went out on his own, using his great knowledge to form his own company. He was a humble and unassuming man, known for his integrity, his wicked sense of humor, and his love of family. He especially enjoyed going to The Alisal Guest Ranch every year with his entire family to play golf, ride horses, spend time with his nieces and nephews, cowboy up to the bar for a drink or two, play dominos, and most of all, make lasting memories. His love of family extended to the fury kind as well, doting on his dogs, Bailey and Bella, every chance he could. He is now joyfully reunited with his all-time favorite dog, Hermie, an Olde English Bulldogge. Mark also enjoyed all types of sports from college to professional. He had a love of NASCAR and Formula 1 racing, attending races, and rooting for his favorites on TV. Mark married Kimberly Rae Henderson on April 5, 2008. In their time together, they enjoyed many things, especially traveling in their RV around this great country, visiting friends and family, and seeing new sites. They were two peas in a pod, and totally devoted to one another. Mark leaves behind the love of his life, his wife, Kimberly, his son Terrance (Stephanie), his brother-in-law Terry (Maureen) and his sister-in-law, Jennifer; his sisters Marybeth (Greg), and Susan; stepdaughter Ashlee, grandchildren Makayla, Kyler, Easton, Hadley, Adalynn, Rachel, and Joshua; great grandchildren Dominic and Stephen; nieces, Katie and Laura, nephew, Michael; great nieces Dakoda, Emma, and Stella and great nephew Max. Visitation is on Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 5-7 pm at Tetrick Funeral Home Bluff City Chapel. Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 6, 2022, at 11:30 am in the Chapel of the Bluff City Funeral Home 245 Main St, Bluff City, Tennessee. Followed by internment at 2:00 pm in the Mountain Home National Cemetery, Mountain Home, Tennessee. Donations in Mark’s name may be made to The Washington County Animal Shelter 3411 North Roan Street, Johnson City, TN 37601 and The Washington County Humane Society 2101 West Walnut Street, Johnson City, TN 37604.
Joanna Freeman Ewing was born in Keene, N.H., June 9, 1937, to Anna Kraatz Ewing and Donald Freeman Ewing. In 1947 the family, now including a younger brother, was transferred by the State Department to Sofia, Bulgaria, where her father was assigned as a Vice Consul to the American Legation. After returning to the U.S., her parents separated, and Joanna and her brother were raised by their mother, a teacher. Joanna attended the Northampton School for Girls, in Northampton, Mass., where she received the award as the outstanding graduating senior in 1955. She attended Smith College, Northampton, Mass. graduating in 1959. Remarkably, this made her the sixth consecutive generation of women in her family to attain a bachelor’s degree. After Smith, Joanna lived in Boston and worked at Union Mutual insurance (a forerunner of Unum). Of this job, Joanna recalled that gender discrimination was the norm at the time: Her director told her unapologetically that he couldn’t pay her as much as her male peers because she was “already the highest paid woman in the company”. In the early ’60s Joanna met her husband, Griffith Jones “Griff”, an Electrical Engineer at MIT Lincoln labs. The couple met at The Sevens pub on Beacon Hill, a place they frequented with a circle of friends that they remained close to for the rest of their lives. The couple married, settled in Marblehead, Mass., and started a family. There they enjoyed skiing, sailing, and socializing at Maddie’s Sail Loft. The family moved to Leominster, Mass. for a few years and started an auto parts store in 1973 before heading to Bath, Maine in 1977. Their second auto parts store, Bath Automotive Supply, was a fixture in downtown Bath for nearly 30 years. Always into fitness, Joanna attended jazzercise classes for almost as long. In 2006, Joanna and Griff sold their store and retired. Joanna enjoyed traveling with longtime friends, visiting with family, and spending time at their place on Saddleback Mountain. She enjoyed working out with her YMCA friends, dining out, gardening, cooking, and being a part of the Holly Street Gang. Joanna was predeceased by her husband, Griff in 2020. She is survived by her brother, David, of Portsmouth, N.H.; her three sons, Darrick and Melissa Jones of Southbury, Conn., Channing Jones and Amy Leonard of Bath, Chris and Sue Jones of Wadmalaw Island, S.C.; and eight grandchildren, Trevor, Ethan, Justin, Emelia, Evan, Porter, Cameron, and Benjamin. The family would like to express their gratitude to the wonderful people of Thornton Hall and CHANS Hospice. A date for her Celebration of life for will be announced soon. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of your choice.
Thomas William Murphy III passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 21, 2022, at the age of 78 years. Thomas was born in Washington, DC, the son of the late Dr. Thomas and Rosemarie Murphy.
A native of Washington, DC, Thomas graduated from St. John’s College High School. He later attended Williston Academy and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a competitive and nationally ranked swimmer when he was younger. For a brief time, he worked at Green Spring Dairy, which at the time was owned by his grandfather. Soon after that he moved to California to begin his career in sales, starting with NCR in San Francisco. As he got older he was an avid tennis player at Congressional Country Club where he also had served on the finance committee. He lived the last 15 years in Bethesda, Maryland near many family and friends.
Thomas was preceded by his late loving wife Heide. Thomas is survived by his son, Thomas (Kelly), and his daughter, Jennifer (Allan); and four beloved grandchildren, Patrick, Hope, William, and John. He was preceded by his late sister Michele. He will also be forever remembered by his surviving siblings, Martha, Mel, and Mark along with his beloved relatives and friends.
Visitation will be at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, 917 Montrose Road, Rockville, Maryland on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 12:15 p.m., followed by a 12:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be at Gates of Heaven cemetery at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Thomas may be made to Catholic Charities of DC.
