Charles Dickinson (Dick) Showalter passed away peacefully on March 17, 2024, in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Dick was born on September 3, 1927, in South Windham, Maine, the son of Arthur H. and Marguerite Dickinson Showalter. He was born on the kitchen table when the doctor was delayed one hour on the trolley. Dick spent his early childhood in South Windham and Waban, Massachusetts before moving with his family to Northampton, Massachusetts. He is a proud graduate of Williston Academy and Purdue University. Dick served with honor in the United States Army, 20th Combat Engineers 3rd Army during the Korean Conflict.

Following his military service, Dick married Charlotte Fry in May 1953. Soon thereafter they moved to Lockport, New York, where Dick joined his brother Arthur (deceased) and purchased the S.S. Gooding Co. in Lockport. They ran a very successful printing business for thirty-five years before selling the company in 1989.

Dick and Charlotte spent many happy years in Lockport where they raised their five children. He served the community as President of the Lockport School Board, Orleans-Niagara Board of Cooperative Education, Kenan Center, Lockport Town and Country Club and The Tuscarora Club.

Upon his retirement, Dick and Charlotte moved to Bonita Springs, Florida, for sunshine and year-round golf. They remained there until 2006, when they moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina. Charlotte passed away in 2007, after 53 wonderful years of marriage. Dick volunteered at more than 100 golf tournaments and spent years volunteering at the Reid Heart Center. He was always extremely active in his community.

Dick is survived by his five children, Susan Helander (John), Stephen Showalter (Maria), John Showalter (Nancy), Paul Showalter (Sharon), and Kim Showalter, as well as six grandchildren, Katharine Lange (Christopher), Alexander Rae, Stephanie Payne (Bill), Sarah Showalter, Lindsey Platts (Jordan) and Caroline Showalter (Anthony); nine great-grandchildren, David and Charlotte Lange, Landon and Liv Showalter, Lane and Henry Platts, Christian and Wyatt Payne and Paislee Showalter. He is also survived by his loving companion of 15 years, Sylvia Jansen, her daughter Heidi Spencer (Mark) and nieces Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Buscemi (Peter), Nancy Clark (Peter) and Judy Slabyk (Steve) and nephew Ed Hubbard (Lynn).

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2024, at Boles Funeral Home, 425 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Hospice Foundation of FirstHealth would be appreciated.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sudden passing of Charles Ricker Donnellan on May 5, 2024 at a care center in Sylmar, California. He was a resident at Sunrise at Sterling Canyon in the Assisted Care wing and had his own apartment for the past three years. While there, he gained the title of Jigsaw Puzzle Wizard. He was able to assemble a 1000-piece puzzle within a matter of four hours. Other residents were quite upset to find he had completed all the puzzles set up in the community room while they all slept. He did his best work at 4AM along with a cup of coffee until the puzzles were all completed. He was greeted with open arms at the breakfast table at 7:30AM.

He passed from several health complications, the most recent being liver failure.

He was flown to Hartford, Connecticut and a private internment was held on June 8, 2024 at the Union Hill Cemetery in Middle Haddam, Connecticut.

He is survived by two older siblings, Mary Ricker Leao-Martin, NSFG class of 1965 and Virginia Donnellan Eberhard, NSFG class of 1967.

William Frederick “Bill” Armstrong died Friday evening, May 19th, 2023 – a week shy of his 98th birthday – at Shrewsbury Crossing in Shrewsbury, MA, where he had lived for the past 14 months. His three children were with him that night and, while the last several years had had its challenges, his final days were peaceful.

He was born in Worcester on May 29th, 1925, and spent his early years in Shrewsbury and Worcester with his parents and two brothers. From the stories we have heard, those were good – and often boisterous – years, and up until the week he died, he enjoyed touring the streets of Shrewsbury. Following a stint in the U.S. Army, he returned home, spent a year at St. Mark’s in Southborough before heading to college at Harvard, where he met Nancy Rice who he married in July, 1950.

His middle years were focused on his career and on raising a family. His career focused on all things related to the manufacturing of felt and we never lacked for a felt tablecloth or a Christmas tree skirt. His jobs took him to Wrentham, MA; Newburgh, NY; Ridgefield, CT; New York City; and, finally in 1970, to Grafton, MA, after taking a job with the Felters Company in Millbury. During those years, he and Nancy raised their family and gave their children a wonderful upbringing, with lots of outdoor activities, Cape Cod vacations, ski trips to Vermont, animals galore, and holidays full of family and friends.

He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy (Rice) Armstrong, in 1975 and never remarried. He spent the last 50 years based in Grafton but maintained strong ties to Falmouth, where he loved to sail, golf, and vacation. He also enjoyed trips to Vermont where he served as the center for the traditional Thanksgiving Day football game, a role that he played into his 90’s. He was thrifty….really thrifty, loved animals (particularly dogs), and was very happy puttering around his yard, tending to the lawn, cutting down trees, and keeping his equipment in working order, without spending any money on it. If he could do it himself, he did. If it could be fixed with duct tape, it was. That willful spirit remained until the end, with him insisting that he did not need help and he could manage things on his own.

In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his parents, Stuart and Dorothy (Bickford) Armstrong, and his brothers, Richard Armstrong and John Armstrong. He is survived by his children, William F. Armstrong, III (Becky McCullough), of Falmouth, MA, Abby Armstrong of Sharon, VT, and Halley Allen (Gus) of Holden, MA as well as by his grandchildren, George Armstrong, Emma Armstrong, Sarah Allen Neidhardt (Kyle) and Elizabeth Allen (Michael Boller), and his great granddaughter, Ada Elliott Neidhardt. He is also survived by his nephew, Stuart Armstrong (Mike Levesque), and his nieces, Leslie Armstrong (Jeff Bacon) and Susan Armstrong. He also always enjoyed seeing his numerous nieces and nephews on the Rice/Gainey side of the family when he was on the Cape.

Over the past few years there were many visits from friends and family and an abundance of kindness from the wonderful nurses and staff at Shrewsbury Crossing and Notre Dame Hospice, which made such a difference and for which we are so appreciative. Thank you very much!

Calling hours will be held at the Roney Funeral Home in North Grafton, MA from 4:00 – 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 30th. He will be buried with Nancy in Falmouth at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Smile Train – https://www.smiletrain.org/ – an organization our father supported over the years.

Joel Schiavone, of New Haven, CT, died in hospice Monday, April 22, 2024, at the age of 87, after a period of declining health.
He is survived by his partner Emily McDiarmid; his children Allyx ‘88, Josie, Bryan, and Maxim Schiavone; and grandchildren Penn ‘20, Josie and Ripley.

Douglas Swanson Fuller, born January 22, 1949 and died April 8, 2024 after a robust fist-fight with bone cancer. Son of Robert and Janet Fuller and grandson of Robert Swanson, owner of James W. Elwell, the oldest ongoing transatlantic shipping company in the U.S.

Doug graduated from Williston Academy in Massachusetts, then The Ohio State University. His career was in commercial real estate becoming a Senior Vice President of Olympia & York Properties in NYC.

His passions included travel with Pam, skiing with the grandkids, fly fishing, skeet shooting and Buckeye football.

He is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Pam, sister Susan McDonough, brother Rob Fuller, stepdaughter Angela Pinkerton, grandchildren Vivian, Ridge and Marley Pinkerton and Wyatt Estepp, nieces Jennifer Coppola, Ann Savery, Abigail McDonough, Cassidy Fuller, nephews Andrew McDonough, Matthew McDonough and Tim Fuller, cousins Janet Stewart, David Kindle, Tom Kindle and Andy Adams.

Doug was active in community organizations including being a member of the Advisory Board of The Ohio State Center for Real Estate, board member of The Liberty School, Durango, CO and board member of Music in the Mountains, Durango, CO.

Michael Laskin Kinsler, better known to others as Cal, Dad, Pop, or Mr K, age 70, passed away suddenly on March 22, 2024. Everyone who knew him knows how much he loved to tell stories. We wish that we could share some outrageous story that led to his untimely death. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack with his beloved wife Martha and his adored bulldog Rocco by his side.

Michael was born and raised in Longmeadow, MA. He attended Williston Northampton School where his passion for sports began. He was a four year letterman in soccer, lacrosse, and ice hockey. He went on to study zoology and environmental science at the University of Vermont, graduating with a bachelor of science. He would have graduated in four years but he met the love of his life Martha McCanna and followed the theme of one of his favorite movies, Animal House, graduating seven years later. He obtained his masters degree at Antioch University of New England. His passion for learning was such that he went on to further his education for years beyond receiving his diplomas.

His first teaching position was at Rutland Town Elementary School where he was a science and math teacher for 21 years. Let’s not forget what a great sex education teacher he was. Never were his students so focused as they were in those classes. Michael accepted a position as a math teacher in 2000 at Barstow Memorial School, retiring in 2015. For nearly a decade he was the Girls Varsity Soccer coach at Rutland High School. He was recognized by his peers and was awarded Teacher of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Referee of the Year. Rumor has it that in 43 years refereeing he only made one bad call.
He was a man of diverse hobbies and interests including Chittenden dump socializer, Ben and Jerry’s connoisseur, expert organic gardener, Baird Farm enthusiast, pumpkin growing competitor, frog catcher, afternoon napper, king of leftovers, fierce competitor of the New York Times mini crossword, Wordle, and connections, vacuum apprentice, 60’s on 6 classic rock listener, passionate Boston Sports Fan, weatherman, snowman builder, famous ice candle maker, builder and man of all trades.

He leaves his best friend and beloved wife of 54 years Martha McCanna Kinsler of Chittenden, VT; adored children Dr. Erron Kinsler of Phoenix, AZ, Micah Kinsler and his wife Samantha Hodar of Scottsdale, AZ, Annah and her husband Dr. Gregory Sawyer of Cape Elizabeth, ME, and Jared Kinsler, Esq. and his wife Brianne of Sudbury, MA. He also leaves behind nine treasured grandchildren Eli Kinsler; Madison, Taylor, and Olivia Kinsler; Lylah, Jude, and Levi Sawyer; and Sloane and Tatum Kinsler. He is also survived by his cherished sister SueAnn Spahr, husband David, and their family of Scottsdale, AZ. He is predeceased by many family and friends, and his bulldogs Bertha and Brutus.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday March 30, 2024, from 1-3 pm at Mountain Top Inn and Resort. A private burial will happen at a later date.

Everyone who knew him knows how much he loved nature and valued preserving the beauty of this world, from animals to trees to rivers and lakes to gardening and birdwatching out his kitchen window. He began each morning checking his game camera to see what magnificent creature visited during the night. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made in his name to Vermont Land Trust VLT.org 8 Bailey Avenue Montpelier, VT 05602 or Four Winds Nature Institute https://fwni.org 4 Casey Road Chittenden, VT 05737.

Most importantly, Michael would want everyone to pause, be in the moment, and enjoy nature. Whether it be kayaking, watching bald eagles, going for a hike, catching a brook trout, or swimming in a fresh body of water. Breathe in the fresh air and think of him.