Tag Archives: Williston Academy

Paul R. Smith ’62

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Paul R. Smith of Lakeville, MN, (age 73), an avid runner for many years, jogged through heaven’s gates on April 3, 2018 to meet his beloved Jesus. His family, celebrating his wholeness after an 11 ½ year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, includes his loving wife of 50 years, Sally Kilander Smith, and their children Heather Dawson (Brian), Holly Speratos (Jason), Hilary Moorlach (Brian), and Luke Smith (Katy), and his thirteen grandchildren: Torrey, Jake, Leah, Zach, Anna, Max, Ben, Matt, Adam, Luke, Charlie, Nathan, and Isaac, and his sister, Emily Fitz Randolph. He is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Randolph Fitz Smith and Jeane LaGrone Smith, and his sister Kay Delle Koch.

Posted in: 1960s

Martin C. Goldman ’43

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Martin C. Goldman (“Bozie”), of Swampscott, MA, passed away January 17, 2018 at age 91. Married for 66 memory-filled years to Maxine (Rosenbaum). Loving and proud father to Nancy and Steve Walter of Swampscott, Betsy and Dan Rooks of Marblehead, Bob and Jose Goldman of Lynn, and Jeff and Judi Goldman of Swampscott. Grandfather and cookie thief to Joshua and Rebecca Rooks, Sam and Asher Goldman and Camila Paiva and Godric Laird, Danielle, Alexa and Jake Goldman, Melissa (and Mark) Richards and Michael (and Cindy) Walter. Father-in-law to Barbara Goldman. Son of the late Charles and Marion (Leavitt) Goldman, brother to the late Bob Goldman and Harris Goldman, brother-in-law of June Goldman and Carolyn Goldman, uncle of James Goldman, Joan Finn and Charles Goldman. Esteemed North Shore lawyer, lifelong resident of Swampscott and efficient Moderator of Town Meeting for 21 years. Past board member and president of both Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish Community Center of the North Shore. Booster of all things Swampscott, especially the schools and sports programs.

Posted in: 1940s

Francis X. Balanda ’60

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Francis X. “Frank” Balanda, 75, of Southbury, CT died suddenly Friday, March 9, 2018 at home. He was the husband of Joyce (Johnson) Balanda.
Frank was born April 4, 1942 in Waterbury, the son of the late Clarence and Alvera (Zuraitis) Balanda. He was a graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass., and of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. He was also a U.S. Army Veteran.
Frank worked as a juvenile probation officer for the State of Connecticut until he retired. He also worked many years as a dispatcher for Heritage Village.
Frank was an avid reader and loved tennis and spending his winters in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Besides his wife, he leaves his two children, Kate Balanda of Southbury and Kenneth Balanda of Naugatuck, and a special cousin, Joan (Shobrinsky) Rose of Waterbury.

Posted in: 1960s

Robert H. Moore ’52

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Robert Hilliard Moore, 84, of East Falmouth, MA passed away on Friday, March 9, 2018 at the Falmouth Hospital. He was born in Winchester to Robert L. and Dorothy (Hilliard) Moore.

Bob was a graduate of Williston Academy and attended Boston University. He served in the United States Army and then went on to attend Employers Insurance School in Boston. He worked for Paul Peters Insurance Agency for over 40 years.

Bob was a charter member of the Elks and was on the board of directors for the Falmouth Co-operative Bank for over 20 years. He also was one of the founding fathers of Falmouth Youth Hockey, and a lover of the ocean and the Mountains, his favorite pastime was boating.

Bob leaves behind his 4 sons: Bobby and Linda Moore of Sandwich, David and Cathy Moore, Paul and Laura Moore, and Tom and Trish Moore, all of Falmouth; his 8 grandchildren: Marissa and Nicole Moore, Brandon, Jordan and Rachel Moore, Brittney, P.J. and Marianna Moore; and his siblings, Steven and Rick Moore. He also leaves his first wife, Sally Peters, and his second wife, Janet Moore and her children, Brad and Kristen Fish. He was predeceased by his sister, Sheila.

Posted in: 1950s

Basil A. Petricca ’50

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Basil August Petricca, the former CEO of Petricca Industries, and founder of Unistress died on March 7th at the age of 86 in Pittsfield, MA.

Basil “Rick” Petricca, born October 2nd, 1931 in North Adams, MA was the son of Basilio Augusto and Rose Mancuso Petricca. He graduated from Williston Academy in 1950 and Tufts University in 1954. He later served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Belvoir, VA.

Rick started his business career as a child, raising and selling chickens and eggs to help support his family. When his father died unexpectedly in 1962 Rick stepped into a leadership role in the family business and dedicated himself to its success and growth. Rick was an entrepreneur by nature and loved to make deals. Over the years he founded or acquired over a dozen businesses ranging from pre-stress concrete to telecommunications and travel.

Rick was a communicant of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and St. Marks Church and attended mass every day. In 2007 he was honored for his years of service to the church with indoctrination into the Bishop’s Circle of Stewards. He was also involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations, more than the family can remember, but among his favorites were: The Boys and Girls Club; Berkshire Healthcare Systems; The Berkshire Museum; The Berkshire County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association; UNICO; and The Catholic Youth Center.

He will be remembered by his family and friends as a man of boundless energy and enthusiasm who always had time to hear and help with anyone’s problem. No matter how large the family grew he made every child feel special. His sense of humor helped us all accept his passing but he will always be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.

He leaves his beloved wife and best friend of 61 years, Rosaland Bishop Petricca and five children, Perri Petricca (Michelle Thorpe-Petricca), Richard Petricca ’76 (Priscilla), Gregg Petricca ’79 (Lisa Dachinger), Tina Petricca ’82 and Cara Carnevale ’89 (Marc). His grandchildren, Adam, Grady, Leah, Charlotte, Lauren, Richard, Jr., Nicole, Curt, Jennifer, Nathan, Cole, Ryder, Nicholas and Tyler. His great grandchildren, Makayla, Alanna, Roman, Milania, Victoria, Harrison, and Elle. He is survived by his brother Robert Petricca (Lyn). Rick was predeceased by his brother Peter, sister Virginia and granddaughters Talia and Alora Grace.

Posted in: 1950s

Robert T. Onkey ’69

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Robert Theodore Onkey age 67, of Norwalk, CT, passed away on February 5, 2018 at his home. Robert was born in Bridgeport, CT on September 28, 1950. He was predeceased by his parents Robert Lee and Gladys Mary (Kost) Onkey as well as his brother, Peter Thomas Onkey.
Robert spent his earlier life on both sides of the U.S. / Canadian border. Robert attended Williston Academy in Easthampton, MA and then completed his undergraduate studies at the University Of Western Ontario. He became a magazine journalist in Toronto, Canada and later went on to combining his passion for SCUBA diving with his career to form his own company offering Commercial Diving services. Bob, as he was known to most, loved the water and was happiest whether he was in it, on it or under it. Robert was a kind, loving, compassionate person who loved animals as much as he did people. His cat Sammy was his final companion. Despite life’s challenges, he never lost sight of the people that were most important in his life. Robert was as unique an individual as a person can be and he will be greatly missed by the many, many people whose lives crossed paths with his.
Survivors include his step-mother, Janet Onkey, and numerous cousins.

Posted in: 1960s

Edward W. Wrobleski ’51

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Edward W. Wrobleski, 86, of Easthampton, MA, passed away Feb. 21, 2018 at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton.

He was born in Northampton, July 20, 1931, the son of the late William and Mary (Bednarz) Wrobleski. He was educated in the Easthampton schools, was a graduate of the Williston Northampton School, Class of 1951, and later earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Class of 1957.

Mr. Wrobleski was a Korean War veteran serving as a Corporal in the US Army. He was employed for 37 years as an Engineer for the FM Global Protection Mutual Insurance Co., based in Chicago, IL. Edward was a communicant of the former Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, presently the Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Easthampton. He was a member of the Dalton-LaVallee American Legion Post #224 in Easthampton.

Edward was predeceased by his sisters Anne Green and Sally Parzych, and Phyllis Barber and his brother William Wrobleski Jr.

 

Posted in: 1950s

Roger H. Sherman ’45

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Roger H. Sherman, formally of Williamstown, MA, 91, passed away on February 5, 2018 at Melech Hospice House in Tampa, FL. He was born to Frederick and Isabel Sherman on January 2, 1927, in North Adams, MA.

While attending Williamstown Elementary School, Roger lived with his parents on Moorland Street in Williamstown. After elementary school, Roger attended Williston Academy. Roger returned to Williamstown High School after his sophomore year as a result of his father’s passing. Roger obtained a waiver from his senior year in high school to enlist in the Navy at the end of World War II and served on the USS Theodore E. Chandler Destroyer until being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1949.

Upon returning to Williamstown, Roger entered the drafting program at General Electric in Pittsfield. Roger later met KayJanet Andrews and they were married on October 12, 1957.

As a longtime resident of Williamstown, Roger worked many years for General Electric and Sprague Electric and later opened Roger’s Card Gallery. After the business closed, he briefly worked for Hunter Machine Company in North Adams before relocating to Stuart, FL to work for Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Company. After his retirement from Pratt and Whitney, Roger moved to Tampa, FL to be closer to family.

Roger’s main hobbies were stamp collecting and golfing. While in Williamstown he was a member of the Taconic Golf Club and the Williamstown Lions Club.

Roger was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his four children: John (Kelly) Sherman of Hancock, MA, Wendy (Ernesto) Jimenez of Houston, TX, Keith (Minerva) Sherman of Carlsbad, CA, and Jay Sherman of Williamstown, MA, and six grandchildren, Andrew, Christina and Michael Jimenez, Cassondra and Blake Sherman, and Chantal Sherman. He is also survived by his sister Mary (Ken) Harris, his cousin Alice Sherman Wheeler, his ex-wife Kay Janet Sherman, one niece, Christie and one nephew, Jeffrey.

Posted in: 1940s

Charles M. Cohn ’61

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Charles M. Cohn, 75, a long-time resident of Shelburne, MA, died of lung cancer Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, in Northampton.

He was born in Allentown, Philadelphia, in 1943, to Beatrice Julian Cohn and Charles R. Cohn. He graduated from St. Lawrence University in 1965 where he made life-long friends. After graduation, he was a stockbroker in New York on Wall Street for about 10 years. In 1978 he moved to Shelburne.

For several years he worked for his uncle, Simon Cohn, as a realtor. In 1980 he opened his own business, Cohn Financial Services, to provide conservative and reliable advice for the specific investment needs of every client, no matter the amount of their financial resources. As a financial adviser, Charlie was committed to the welfare of every client. The business was more than a job to him. It was his passion. He said that he considered every client’s “nest egg” as valuable as his own. His clients appreciated his knowledge and honesty.

He was an avid fly fisherman and skier. He loved the beauty of Shelburne and the people of the community. He was a long time board member of the Franklin Land Trust, devoted to the goals of preserving the land. After becoming paralyzed 15 years ago, he demonstrated mental fortitude and physical endurance in the face of great challenges. Through it all he remained a devoted father and husband, a loyal friend and a productive member of the hill town community.

He is survived by his wife Catherine Smith, and his son Charles A. Cohn. Family came first to him, especially his cousins Robert Cohn of Greenfield, Susan Cohn Dorn of West Hartford, Connecticut, Marcus Cohn of Wayland, William Julian of Davis, California, Anne Julian Lennon of Indianapolis, Indiana, Jon Julian of Williamsville, Vermont, and William Rednor of Yardley, Pennsylvania, as well as their spouses and children.

Posted in: 1960s

C. Bradley McGrath ’49

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C. Bradley McGrath, 88, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, MA.

He was born Feb. 12, 1929 to the late Edward McGrath and Margaret (Bradley) McGrath. Brad was born and raised in Easthampton but was a longtime resident of Northampton.

He graduated from the former St. Michael’s High School in 1947, attended Williston Academy on an athletic scholarship from 1947-1949, graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1954 and received his master’s degree in education from Westfield State College in 1960.

He spent his career as a teacher, coach, and administrator at Smith Vocational High School in Northampton; serving as teacher and coach from 1954-1967; its assistant director from 1967 to 1976 and its director from 1976 until his retirement in 1991. During his time there he was an inspiration to many students, athletes and colleagues due to his subtle yet encouraging style, character and example.

Brad’s life was dedicated to athletics, especially youth sports. He played semi-pro baseball as a pitcher in his youth leading the way to his many positions as a community sports enthusiast. He coached soccer, baseball and basketball at Smith School where he won many league titles. In 1992, the gym at Smith Vocational School was named “The C. Bradley McGrath Gymnasium” in his honor. He was director of the Northampton Recreation Department from 1965 to 1967 starting many new innovative sport leagues, served as a soccer and basketball commissioner, was a baseball, basketball and soccer official sharing all these talents with his children who proudly pursued reputable careers in these areas. Even though he was a humble man, he took great satisfaction in knowing he affected the youth of his community in such a positive way.

Brad insisted on contributing to his community in any way possible. He was head of the United Way, an officer and member of the Northampton Elks, the Massachusetts Teachers Association and Northampton Youth Soccer Association of which he founded.

In his leisure time, Brad was a member and avid golfer of the Northampton Country Club, enjoyed trips to Hinsdale Race Track with his many close friends, watching his grandchildren’s sporting contests and spending winter months with his wife in Vero Beach, Florida. Brad was also a faithful communicant of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Northampton.

His largest pleasure and gratification in life was his family. Brad leaves his devoted and dedicated wife of 66 years, Mary “Ginger” Bouthilette McGrath, his children, who will miss him deeply, Patty of Easthampton, Dan and wife, Maureen, of Ludlow, son, Jim, daughter, Maureen Sawula, and son Bradley and his wife, Ellen, all of Northampton; nine grandchildren who affectionately called him “Poppy”, Amy, Sarah (husband Chuck), Michael, Brian, Kevin (wife Aimee), Kristine, Allyson, Jillian and Luke. He also leaves four great-grandchildren. He leaves his brother, Ed and his wife Rueith of Harwichport. In addition, Brad leaves many nieces and nephews and a very large extended family.

Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his three sisters, Sr. Margaret James McGrath, Elizabeth “Betty” Walsh, Mary Woods and his nephew, Jeff McGrath.

Brad will forever be remembered for his kind and generous nature, but most especially for his dry, quick wit and memorable sense of humor. He devoted himself to his family, faith and community and we are all better for having known, loved and met him.

Posted in: 1940s