Leslie Baldwin Nichols Kremer died on March 14, 2025 in the early morning hours as the crow moon set in the west and dawn was breaking on the horizon.

Leslie was born on Oct. 16, 1937, to Henry Baldwin Nichols and Esther Shears Nichols in Worcester, Mass. She spent her early childhood in Litchfield, Conn., with her two sisters Julie and Hope and younger brother Hank.

Leslie attended Colby College, where she majored in English. In her first year, when Leslie was only 18, her mother died in a tragic car accident. The loss of her beloved mother stayed with her for the rest of her life. She was incredibly fortunate that her father remarried, and her stepmother Deborah entered her life.

During her college years, Leslie spent many winter weekends skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain, and after graduation, moved to North Conway, N.H., to teach second grade at John H. Fuller School. Leslie went on to become a kindergarten teacher in the Fryeburg, Maine, school district where for many years she influenced a host of young people, teaching kindness alongside the ABCs.

In 1961, she married Bretton Russell, whom she met skiing at Sugarloaf. Together they had four daughters: Jessica, Melanie, Kristen and Hilary. Eventually Leslie and Brett divorced but they maintained a close friendship. The respect they showed each other was an example for family and friends alike.

When Leslie was in her early 50s, she decided to explore her love of cooking, and in 1988 embarked on this new adventure by going to Grasmere, England, where she worked in the kitchen at Michael’s Nook. She returned home with an increased passion for cooking and became a sous chef at Chez Alain in Conway. She went on to cook at the Snowvillage Inn where she became lifelong friends with a number of amazing people.

Her love of travel and desire for adventure took her to the 7D Ranch in the Sunlight Basin in Cody, Wyo., and the Flying E Ranch in Arizona, where she was head chef.

In 1992, she met John Kremer III. It was love at first sight for John and it didn’t take Leslie long to realize she felt the same. They shared a love of travel, cooking, walking and hiking the White Mountains, as well as cross-country skiing. They were married in June 1994, in the backyard of her Fryeburg home, surrounded by their children. They had many wonderful adventures together, including volunteering for the Peace Corps in Lithuania for two years.

Leslie was an amazing gardener. When her children were looking for her, they knew they’d find her tending her gardens. She was an incredible cook. Her kitchen always smelled of blueberry muffins, or some other wonderful baked treat, homemade soups, or a scrumptious roast pork with the perfect potatoes. She was a generous, kind soul who never hesitated to help someone in need. She was a natural teacher and nurturer. Family was immensely important to her, as was community. She volunteered as a cook at the Dinner Bell and two thrift shops.

Leslie leaves behind her husband, John Kremer III; her children Jessica and her husband, Filippo, of Foligno, Italy; Kristen and her husband, David, of Fryeburg, Maine; Hilary and her husband, Rene, of Foligno, Italy; her stepchildren John IV and Erika of London UK, Ellen Christian of Bartlett, N.H.; her grandchildren Allison and Camilla Battoni, Henry and Milo Kremer, Theo and Max Christian, Silva and Eyob Treiser Brown; her oldest sister Julie Cook ’51; as well as many wonderful nieces and nephews and their children who she loved very much. The family would like to thank her “chosen family” Jessyca Broekman who painted with Leslie and enjoyed many walks with her, especially in her final years, and Leslie’s caretaker, Deborah Parker, who loved and cared for her and John deeply.

She is predeceased by her parents Esther and Henry Nichols, her stepmother Deborah Nichols, her infant daughter Melanie, her sister Hope Zanes Butterworth ’54 and her brother Hank Nichols.

It has been a long “goodbye” as dementia took away bits of Leslie, but at her core she was always there, and to the end knew her daughters and husband. Leslie’s kindness, her love for family and friends, her wisdom, her radiant smile, her sparkle in her eyes, her enjoyment of music (classical, musicals, folk, rock and reggae), her sense of humor, her contagious laugh and njoyment of all living things will be great missed.

Arrangements were made through Furber Funeral Home and Cremation Services. A celebration of Leslie’s life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider planting or caring for a tree in Leslie’s memory (she loved trees), cook for someone in need of a good meal or show a stranger kindness … this is what Leslie would appreciate.

Born August 17, 1936 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Hope spent her childhood years in Litchfield, Connecticut, the second oldest of four children born to Henry Baldwin Nichols and Esther Shears Nichols. Her father was a West Point graduate with a lifelong military connection and demanding career, her mother an affectionate presence anchoring the children’s everyday lives. Her maternal grandparents gave Hope and her siblings lasting memories of Hyde Park, New York, where her grandfather, Herbert Shears, was superintendent of Frederick Vanderbilt’s Hudson River estate. Hope would later donate several Vanderbilt-related items gifted her as a young woman to the Vanderbilt Mansion, a place she loved to visit with her own children, siblings, and grandchildren.

In her late teens, Hope attended Mills College in California for one year, finishing her studies at the University of New Hampshire after the sudden passing of her mother, a loss that impacted her greatly. Marrying New Hampshire resident John Zanes, Hope would have three children, Daniel, Julia, and Warren. While the family was living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, she discovered fine art photography, which would become a lifelong passion and practice.

After divorcing, Hope moved with her children to Concord, New Hampshire, where her younger brother, Henry Baldwin Nichols, Jr. was then living.

Concord was Hope’s home for the next fifty-five years. There, when her children were still young, Hope worked at Barbara Antonson’s Spruce Tree Nursery School, forging friendships that would last for many years. Her children attended Concord schools for most of their school-age lives, all finishing secondary school at esteemed out-of-state private institutions, done with their mother’s active encouragement. Concord would, however, remain a home to all.

Later, over a period of thirty years, Hope, alongside husband Harrison Butterworth of Hopkinton, worked to make Concord’s Friendly Kitchen a place that could regularly provide hot meals to an ever-greater number of those in need. Introduced to the organization through their church, St. John’s in Dunbarton, the Butterworths helped build The Friendly Kitchen into the community presence it is today.

As a photographer, Hope leaves behind an influential body of work and students who regularly cite her generous teaching style as crucial to their own artistic development. Mentored by friend and renowned photographer Lotte Jacobi, Hope showed her gum prints at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, among other places. A Boston Globe review of that Currier exhibition described Hope as “an extraordinary artist.”

A gardener, a great lover of animals, a devoted swimmer, a regular at area thrift shops, an artist and a beloved fixture on Stickney Hill Road, where she could often be seen walking her dogs, Hope was a friend to many. Doing things her own way, she kept bees, practiced photographic techniques from the late 19th century, raised quails, and stored up fireworks for her grandchildren’s visits. She leaves behind her three children, all of whom work in the arts, her two sisters, Julia Cook ’51 and Leslie Kremer ’55, Harrison Butterworth’s four children, Carol Burnham, Stephen Butterworth, Molly Elmali, and Corwin Butterworth, her grandchildren, Anna Zanes, Isak Saaf, Olaf Saaf, Lucian Zanes, Piero Zanes, Samantha Burnham, Amanda Burnham, Sadie Butterworth, Sam Butterworth, Mirabelle Butterworth, Abra Brown, Deniz Elmali, Dilara Elmali, Derya Elmali, and many more friends and family who will miss her ready humor, her keen eye, her singular style, and her infectious spirit.

Hope passed on Mother’s Day, May 12th, 2024, with her children close to her as she succumbed to the effects of pneumonia. A memorial event is planned for July 13th, 2pm, to be held at St. Paul’s Church, 21 Centre St., Concord NH 03301. It will be open to any and all who want to celebrate a great daughter, sibling, mother, grandmother, artist and friend who will be remembered as a unique, shining presence in the community.

Longtime Killington resident and avid skier Judy O. Findeisen passed away on January 22nd, 2025, at the age of 92.

Born October 13th, 1932, in Newport, Rhode Island, Judy was the oldest of Dorothy and Arnold Openshaw’s three children. She grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, swimming, horseback riding and skiing. It was while attending St. Lawrence University that she met and fell in love with Walter T.C. Findeisen. They were married July 8th, 1953, in Coronado, California.

In 1960, having moved from California to Long Island, New York, Judy and Walt purchased property in Killington, Vermont. In early 1962, with their two young sons and a dog, they moved to Vermont, living in a tent from early May until mid-October. By day, Judy worked in the Killington ski shop, while Walt was working trail crew. Nights and weekends were devoted to building a home. A year later they welcomed their daughter, Tami, into the new house in the woods.

Six short years later they were at it again, building and then operating Timbers Lodge. Judy ran the lodge including breakfast and dinner for the guests.

In addition to raising her family, Judy held many different jobs, including retail sales, school bus driver, bank teller, and vacation lodge owner/manager, chef, and housekeeper.

In 1976 Judy began her career in Real Estate working alongside her husband Walt at Martin Associates Mountain Real Estate in Killington, retiring in 2020.

Judy was very active in the small but growing Killington community. She was one of the founding members of the Sherburne Women’s Club and the Sherburne Co-operative Nursery School.

She was an active member of the Killington Ski Club – helping to start what is now the annual ski sale. She was elected as Justice of the Peace in 1987 and served through 2010.

Later she enjoyed traveling with Walt and friends and was an active member of the Rutland Garden Club.

Judy is survived by her son Walter (Miriam), son Jeff (Kim), daughter Tami, grandchildren Courtney (Nate), Marc, and Sarah, and great-grandson Parker. She is also survived by her sister Lass ’56 and sisters-in-law, Babs, Ginny, Janice, Pam, and many nieces, nephews.

She was pre-deceased by her husband Walt, her brother Jim and brothers-in-law John and Charlie.

In leu of flowers please consider donating to the Shriners Hospital for Children, the Wounded Warriors Foundation or a charity of your choice.

There are no services at this time.

Virginia Jane Duys, 91, of Shelton, Connecticut (formerly of Hollywood, SC and Wilton, CT) passed away peacefully in her home, November 23, 2024, after a brief illness.

She was preceded in death by her husband Henry M. Duys Jr. “Bimmy”, whom she married in 1971; her stepson Noah O. Duys; her sister Cornelia Miller, brother William van den Toorn, and her first husband Robin Nauta. She is survived by her brother Pieter van den Toorn (Catherine) and sister-in-law Susan van den Toorn; two children from her first marriage: Pieter Nauta (Elaine) of Purcellville, VA and Jacqueline Nauta-DeBlois (Don) of Trumbull; and two stepchildren: Lizabeth Lewellen (Quinton) of Harrison, ID, and Henry M. Duys III (Susan) of Brewster, NY; six grandchildren: Jessica Durie (Alex), Robin Fiftal (Jeremy), Mark Nauta, Melanie Salata, Joe Salata, Sloane Duys; and her great-granddaughter Kaylen Fiftal.

Virginia was born to Dutch parents on August 22, 1933 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but grew up alternating between the US and Holland while her father served as the Director of the Holland America Line. She immigrated to the US and became a US citizen in the 1950s.

Virginia was the guiding light of her family. A devoted wife and loving mother/stepmother to her blended family of five children; she would always say that being a mom was all she ever wanted to be, and it gave her so much joy. This combined family was her life. She and Bimmy were active residents of Wilton, CT; owned and ran Stewart Flowers in Wilton Center for 10 years, then retired to SC where they became part of an extraordinary network of close friends who they loved like family. She was the mom everyone wanted to have and was always full of love and laughter, especially love for her family and those closest to her. Everyone she knew was better for knowing her, and her light will live on in so many ways. She will be missed always and forever in our hearts.

A celebration of Virginia’s life will be held later when the family plans to inter her along with Bimmy. The family would like to thank the many professional care givers at Brightview Senior Living of Shelton, Constellation Hospice, and Harmony Home Healthcare for all they did to make Virginia’s life so comfortable in her last weeks. If you would like to honor Virginia, please donate in her honor to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Ann Elizabeth Hower Orr, of Gainesville, Florida, joined her husband in Heaven, July 22, 2024. She savored life to the fullest, knew no boundaries in transforming the ordinary to extraordinary and was a breath of fresh air.

She had many passions, including oil painting, hosting memorable themed parties, cooking extravagant dishes, and even writing a scene play. She studied all subjects, traveled, embraced every sport particularly tennis, baseball (Boston Red Sox), and horse racing, and the world was her stage. Ann was part of the Junior League of Gainesville and the “No Name Club” and continued to bring forth her talents and knowledge of music, theater, literacy and religion (Catholic) throughout her life.

Ann, the daughter of Dr. Charles and Anna Hower, grew up in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and Elmira, New York. She graduated from Vassar with studies in English and Theater along with the skill set of a concert pianist.

She met her adoring husband Louis McDonald Orr at Princeton and the two bonded over their zest for life and gregarious humor in any situation. Together they raised four children: Louis (Wendy Walters), Taylor (Carl Becker), Charles (Lia Brenneman), Reed (Lisa Hunt). Ann cherished her grandchildren, painting them regularly: Audrey Becker (Drew Coleman), Garrett Becker (fiancé Alexandra Ladd), Rachel Hutton-Orr Cabrera (Daniel Cabrera), Hunter Orr (Katy Shutters), Hayden Orr (girlfriend Summer Smith), and Gannon Orr who knew her lovingly as “Ninnie” or “Neenz”.

Ann admired the unique attributes of each person she encountered, refuted the norm and threw caution to the wind with profound wit and lively spirit.

A celebration of Ann’s life will be held by immediate family in honor of her colorful character. Her ashes along with her husbands’ will be scattered on the ocean coast of her beloved home in Southport, Maine, her favorite place in the whole world!