James Merritt Hitchings, Sr. of Mount Pleasant, SC passed away on February 7, 2021. Jim was born September 28, 1948 to Frank and Jane Hitchings of East Aurora, NY. He attended Northeastern University. Jim is survived by his wife of 37 years, Margaret “Peggy”, his son James M. “Jimmy”, Jr., and daughter-in-law Lynn, his sister Betsy Hitchings Hampton (Brian), many cousins, nieces, nephews and his beloved dog Oscar.

Jim spent most of his adult life living and working in the Boston area before moving to South Carolina in retirement. He had many lifelong friends from school, work and golf who will miss his humor, political views and rabid support of the Buffalo Bills.

Jim loved traveling, playing golf with his son, hosting dinner parties, attending theatrical performances and concerts with his wife. He was a warm and exceptionally kind man whose love and devotion to his family will forever be treasured.

Due to the Covid pandemic, funeral arrangements will be private. Contributions in Jim’s memory can be made to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org) or First Tee (firsttee.org).

James Edward Dowd, 86, died peacefully on Wednesday, February 24, 2021. James was the eighth child born to the late Jack and Grace (McGowen) Dowd of Worcester and had fond memories of growing up on Westover Air Force Base with his 12 siblings. He attended St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Chicopee, Cathedral High School, Williston Academy and graduated from Fordham University in 1958, where he studied a year abroad in Avignon, France. James attended Boston College Law School and received his law degree from Western New England Law School in 1965. He worked in both private practice and with the City of Springfield in the roles of City Solicitor and Labor Relations. James married Maureen Coughlin in October of 1958 and lived most of his life in Springfield. James was predeceased by his beloved wife of 49 years in 2007. He is survived by his son Michael Dowd and his wife Regina of Southport, CT, daughters; Patricia Lutch and her husband Scott of Milton, MA and Sheila Byrne and her husband Stephen of Longmeadow, sisters Dorothy McMahon of East Longmeadow and Eileen O’Keefe of Ware, grandchildren; James, Kelly, Ryan, Matthew, Kelsey, Brendan and Eamonn and two great granddaughters; Rose and Victoria. In addition to his wife, James was also predeceased by his son James E. Dowd, Jr. in 1978 and his grandson Sean M. Byrne in 2017. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 28th from 2:00 – 5:00 PM at Wilbraham Funeral Home, 2551 Boston Rd., Wilbraham. Family and friends may meet for James’ Funeral Mass on Monday at 10:00 AM at St. Mary’s Church, 519 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow. Burial will follow in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Springfield. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Sean Byrne Music Foundation, 17 Cherry Lane, Longmeadow, MA 01106.

Thomas J. Garstka , 69, of Southampton, MA, died on January 16, 2021 after a short illness. He was born July 3, 1951 in Northampton to Max and Dorothy Garstka. He attended Williston Academy graduating in 1969. Tom was a home builder with his father and brother Dave as Max T. Garstka & Sons for many years. He was a Deputy Tree Warden for the Town of Southampton for 40 years and in his younger years Tom was a member of the Southampton Volunteer Fire Department. He married Donna Syriac on September 7,1975 in the Williston Academy Chapel. In 2003 Tom and Donna started raising pastured poultry and sold their eggs to local stores under the name Cold Spring Chicken Ranch. He also sold firewood for a time as AX Man Firewood.

Tom loved gardening, country music and wearing western hats and boots. He will be remembered for his laughter, many stories about his dad in WWII, and love of the outdoors. He was a member of the Philadelphia Church of God. He served by giving opening and closing prayers. Tom is survived by his loving wife Donna, sons Randy and Paul, brother David and his wife Mary Ann and niece Jillian and sister Susan in Denver, CO. Donations may be made in Tom’s name to Philadelphia Church of God, P.O.Box 3700, Edmond,OK 73083.

Ronald “Ron” Stuart Duncan, 91, a lifelong resident of Granby and Simsbury, CT, passed away peacefully on January 30, 2021. Son of the late Stuart and Jessica (Weiant) Duncan, he is survived by his beloved wife of 20 years Janet S. Duncan; two sons, Mark (Diane) and John Duncan; his grandchildren, Jacob, Michael, Matthew and Kyle Duncan; daughters by marriage, Pamela and Joanne; granddaughters, Heather and Marcy; and great grandchildren, Maddie, Blake Jr., and Anna. Having graduated from Williston Academy, he served in the United States Air Force for 4 years. He then attended the University of Vermont and Central Connecticut State University to earn his Master’s Degree in Education. Ron retired after teaching Industrial Arts for 31 years at King Philip Middle School in West Hartford. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Placeda Hall and her three girls, Susan, Kelly, and Kerry, brother-in-law Britt Hall (Daisy), and nephew Shawn. He was predeceased by his sister Charlotte, wife Nancy (Hall) Duncan, brother-in-law Dr. Francis Hall, and niece Traci. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations in Ron’s memory may be made to Farmington Canal Heritage Trail or Granby Ambulance Association, 1 Pegville Rd., Granby, CT 06035. Hayes-Huling & Carmon Funeral Home of Granby has care of the arrangements.

Allen Peirce Doe, of Holden, MA, passed away unexpectedly at home on Friday, January 29, 2021. He was born in Springfield, the oldest son of Chester and Lillian (Peirce) Doe and was raised in West Boylston.

He attended West Boylston schools through the 9th grade then transferred to Williston Academy in Easthampton, graduating in 1949. He attended Clark University for two years before he transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, graduating in 1954. After college, Allen proudly served his country with the US Army Combat Engineers in Germany for three years. After being honorably discharged from the service, he worked briefly for Riley Stoker Corp in Worcester and then the New England Forestry Foundation in Vermont. In 1961, he joined the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company as a sales representative retiring in 1990 after twenty-nine years of service. He was a former trustee of High Plains Cemetery in Oakdale for many years. Allen also spent many summers with his family at his camp on Queen Lake in Phillipston where he enjoyed boating, swimming and water skiing. He also enjoyed gardening and working in his yard and was a regular at Donut Kitchen in Holden for many years.

He is survived by his three sons, Paul C. Doe and his wife, Susan of Derry, NH, Robert A. Doe of Boulder, CO and Steven W. Doe of Macedon, NY; his daughter, Adrienne L. Lawrence and her husband, Garrett of Mill Valley, CA; his brother, Kingsley W. Doe and his wife, Janet of South Dartmouth; his sister, Meredith A. Smith of Spencer; his five grandchildren, Garret, Eric and Scott Doe and Devon and Ethan Lawrence; his niece, Deborah Milliard of Charlton; his nephews, James, Andrew, Bryan, Curtis, Jeffrey and Kenneth Doe and Earle Smith. He was predeceased by his first wife, Nancy A. Clark of Worcester and is survived by his second wife, Nancy P. Skillin of Holden and Portland, ME. He was predeceased by his brothers, Ralph ’53 and Gordon Doe.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 13th in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, appropriate social distancing and wearing of a mask will be required. Burial will be held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608, or the White Oak Land Conservation Society, P.O. Box 346, Holden, MA 01520.

Charles (Cam) Campbell Savage, Jr. died of heart failure at home in Burlington, VT, January 11, 2021. He was born January 28, 1942 in Schenectady, NY. He moved with his family to Stowe in the early 1940s and remained there for the better part of his life. Cam graduated summa cum laude from Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass., and from Dartmouth College and Pratt Institute with a degree in architecture. He took time off before graduating from Dartmouth and headed to Hollywood to try his luck at stardom. After a few bit parts in “Gunsmoke” and “The Beverly Hillbillies,” and a brief stint modeling, he decided a college degree was the better choice. Cam designed, built and renovated commercial buildings and private homes throughout his career. He was a creative soul and expressed himself through a variety of mediums. Cam was a lone wolf and took great pleasure in cruising the back roads of Vermont on his various motorcycles. In his youth he played football, hockey and was a wild and crazy skier. The companionship of his dogs and cats over the years gave him solace. In spite of his physical discomfort and challenges, he maintained his sense of humor, avid curiosity and sobriety until the end. He leaves his son, Noah Greer, his sisters Janet and Paige Savage, and his nieces, their husbands and children. Thank you to Cam’s kind neighbors for their help thoughout the last year. In lieu of flowers and cards we ask that you double up on treats for your pets today.

Albert (Bud) Calvin Bosworth, 91, of Dartmouth, MA passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on Friday morning, September 21, 2018.
Mr. Bosworth was the owner of Bosworth Insurance Agency, Inc. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Hazel, and their children, James Bosworth and his wife Donna of Dartmouth, Martha (Bosworth) Thomas and her husband Keith of Newfane, VT, and Thomas Bosworth and his wife Julie of Dartmouth; his son-in-law, Ed Giardina of Hingham; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was the father of the late Claudia Giardina.
At his request, there will be no funeral services. However if you wish to remember Bud there will be a memorial fund at the Southworth Library, 732 Dartmouth St., Dartmouth, MA 02748.

Robert Louis Byers, 82, of Chalfont, PA died peacefully at home with his family at his side on December 21, 2020. The cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Bob graduated from Drexel University in 1965, where he met his beloved wife and lifelong partner in business and philanthropy, Joyce Fritz Byers. An active alumnus throughout his life, Bob later served as a trustee of the university.
Bob was thankful for the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and fascinating life. In 1978, he and Joyce founded Byers’ Choice Ltd., which still makes the famous Caroler Christmas figurines in Chalfont, PA.
Bob worked tirelessly to make the world a better place and served on myriad charitable boards and foundations during his life. In Doylestown, PA, he was a co-founder of Bucks Beautiful, the James A. Michener Art Museum, and the Bucks-Mont Katrina Relief Project. On the national level, Bob was a member of the board of the Salvation Army for 18 years. In his final years, he was active in the leadership of Care In Action, a Fort Lauderdale-based homeless charity.
In 2000, Bob and Joyce received the Caring Institute’s National Caring Award in recognition of their commitment to being “values driven entrepreneurs”, their support for countless philanthropic organizations, and their habit of practicing random acts of kindness in their community. Previously, they were chosen by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Philadelphia Chapter, as Philanthropists of the Year for 1993.
Known to his friends and family for his playful sense of humor, relentless pursuit of adventure, and zest for life, Bob enjoyed extensive world travel, fine wines, antique cars, hunting, and target shooting.
A man of deep faith and member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bob appreciated at the end of his life that God had played the defining role in all of his accomplishments. He read the essay “How to Know God” that positively changed his life. He hopes you will to. https://howtoknowgod.us
Bob is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joyce; their two sons, Robert Leslie Byers and Jeffery David Byers; their daughters-in-law, Pamela and Dawn; and four grandchildren: Samuel, George, Ashlyn, and Jacob.
A private service is planned.
In memory of Bob’s charitable spirit and penchant for improving the lives of others, the family asks that those who wish to honor Bob make a donation to the Salvation Army or another helping organization of their choice.