John Joseph Swierzewski, D.P.M., died suddenly at the age of 49 in Beaufort, South Carolina. Born at Providence Hospital in Holyoke, Massachusetts, to Maureen and Stanley Swierzewski, M.D., John graduated from the Williston Northampton School, in Easthampton, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, in Philadelphia. John specialized in podiatry and podiatric surgery in Holyoke, Massachusetts, at Comprehensive Foot Care Inc. and was affiliated with Baystate Medical Center, Baystate Noble Hospital, and Holyoke Medical Center. John invented an alkaloid-based foot- and skin-care treatment called All Natural pHeet Wipes to treat his life-long eczema condition, and was the founder and chief executive of pHeet Wipes seller PH Select. He was an avid golfer. John is predeceased by his mother, Maureen, and is survived by his four sons, Cian, Davin, Tagh, and Luke, his father, Stanley, his brothers Stanley ’76, Mark ’78, Paul, James and David, his sister Ann Corcoran, and numerous nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00am on Monday, September 26, 2022, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 1945 Northampton Street, Holyoke, Massachusetts, with a private service to follow.
Christopher S. Maller Jr. (“Chris”) passed away unexpectedly while traveling, September 1, 2022, at the age of 37. Chris was born on Mount Desert Island, at MDI Hospital. Chris graduated from schools that could not satisfy his restless curiosity and wanderlust, and worked 9-to-5s that suited him even less. What his resume lacked in gravitas, his passport made up for. It was an unapologetic testament to a life lived well and fully, without fear or hesitation. While most of us say “someday” when it comes to traveling to an exotic location or ticking an item off our bucket list, Chris never let a day pass unfulfilled. He ran with the bulls in Pamplona. He drove ATVs in the desert in Morocco. He danced in the streets of Mexico City in celebration of Dia de los Muertos. He biked Mount Hood. He free-climbed the Flatiron in Boulder. He paraglided over the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Chris’ favorite pose in travel photos was facing the camera, big grin on his face, his arms thrown wide open. Reveling in the chaos. And inviting everyone to join him. That is Chris’ legacy: buy the ticket. take the ride. embrace the chaos. In that spirit, please submit your own photos posed like Chris to chrispics207@gmail.com, which will be compiled and shared at a later date. Chris is survived by his beloved bull terrier Nova (a/k/a Super Nova); father Dr. Christopher S. Maller, Sr. and his partner, Sandra S. Henderson; his mother, Isabelle Birdsall Schweitzer and her husband Dr. Peter Schweitzer; his big sister Meredith M. Maller, her husband Sam Cocks, and their son–Chris’ nephew–Charlie Curran Cocks; Chris’ little sister Emily Schweitzer and her partner Blake Hagberg; his aunt Marie Birdsall Chaffee and husband Tom Chaffee; his uncle Paul Gorky and aunt Donna Gorky; and cousins Tyler Gorky and Kendyl Gorky. Chris was predeceased by his cousin Brett Gorky and grandparents Natalie and Gregg Birdsall. Chris was the consummate wanderer, but his true north was Mount Desert Island, where his ashes will be scattered in the waters so dear to him: “We all end in the ocean We all start in the streams We’re all carried along By the river of dreams.” In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Mile High Bull Terrier Club or Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
Richard John Harris Jr., 57, of Medway, Massachusetts, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, August 25, 2022. Born in Vernon, Connecticut, he was the son of Joanne (Kells) and Richard Harris Sr. He was the loving husband of 29 years to Jane (Urlage) Harris and the devoted and proud father to his four children, Taylor, Emily, Meghan, and Alyssa of Medway. Rich was a graduate of Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. He spent his earlier years at Eaglebrook Boarding School and Williston Northampton School. He enjoyed working as an IT system administrator for several technology companies for over 30 years, including Digital, Thompson Financial, Intel, Raytheon, Draper, and most recently, Stevenson Technology Corporation. Rich was an avid spectator of New England sports and loved watching NASCAR and going to races with his father and son. Most importantly, he spent hours watching his children play at all competitive levels. Rich even volunteered as President of the Girls Hockey Board. Rich enjoyed working as a ski ranger at Wachusett Mountain, playing lacrosse, and playing hockey well into adulthood, including several International hockey tournaments. He always looked forward to kayaking with his family down to Secret Beach in Mashpee. He loved barbecuing, grilling and smoking meats for friends and family. Everyone who knew him saw him as a genuine, caring friend and loved his sense of humor. Rich was your go-to-guy who put everyone ahead of himself and was always willing to lend a helping hand. Most importantly, he loved his family and his time spent with them. Rich is survived by his sister, Debbie Dalkas; his nieces and nephews, Courtney, Amanda, Sarah, Nicholas, Jessica, Reagan and Ryland and his beloved dog, Colby. Rich will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him and will never be forgotten. Visitation will be held on Monday, August 29th from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 30th at 12:00 p.m. at Saint Joseph’s Parish in Medway. Burial will follow in Saint Joseph’s Cemetery on Oakland St. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Harris Children education trust. In care of Middlesex Savings Bank 81 Main Street Medway, MA. 02053
After more than a 10-year battle with Early-Onset Alzheimers, we lost our beloved Christopher “Scott” Bevins on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022 at the age of 69. His humor, love of family, of music, of sports, of friends, and of life were with him to the end. His wife Sarah Hoit and his devoted children, Wesley (21) and Samantha (19), visited faithfully, bringing out a putting mat for golf, throwing around a ball, cuddling together with his little dog, looking through beloved family photo albums, and singing the words together to his favorite songs. He laughed and sang, and until a month ago he would even “dance” with Sarah when she came to visit his memory care community that he entered almost two years ago. Scott was born on June 10th, 1953, and he grew up in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Early on Scott graced the world with his joy and many talents: earning 15 varsity letters from Marblehead High School (1967-69) and Williston Academy (1969-1972), making the second team All-America as a football player in high school, breaking Williston Academy’s record for most hockey points in a season with 65 points, leading his tennis and hockey teams as captain, sailing in the summers, sculpting for fun (including ice sculptures), writing poetry, and most importantly telling stories in his Scotty way. Scott graduated from Lake Forest College in 1976 with a degree in psychology. At Lake Forest, Scott played hockey, football, and tennis, and he was also the President of his fraternity. His career was focused first in the hospitality business, helping manage both hotels and restaurants. Scott spent the majority of his career in Executive Search, helping people find their dream careers, which he continued to do as he transitioned into happily being a full-time dad and working from home once Wesley and Samantha were born. The job he loved the most was coaching, he created and led the Northeastern men’s tennis team. He also coached hockey his whole life beginning in college, and he especially loved coaching the hockey teams his two kids played on, where he made every practice, shot pucks with the kids in the driveway, and even built a homemade rink in the backyard each year to skate on with Wesley and Samantha. Scott also taught Sarah, Wesley, and Samantha to ski and golf, which the family did together. Skiing at Stowe and playing golf at our beloved Eastward Ho! Country Club. His love for his children and his enormous pride in their accomplishments was the center of his life. He always wore the St. Lawrence and Dartmouth hats and shirts they brought him, followed their triumphs, cherished each moment with them, and broke out into joyful noises every time Sarah and the kids arrived to visit him in his memory care community, never forgetting who they were. His illness has inspired the family to hold several very successful fundraisers for Alzheimer’s causes, and has inspired Sarah’s career both in founding Connected Living, a senior communications technology company, and now her work in biotechnology focused on finding solutions to Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. Scott was a great father, husband, and friend who knew the meaning of time and cherished being with his family. As a family, we are dedicated to being a part of the solution for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Scott also lost his father Wesley Bevins Jr. at 71 to Early-Onset Alzheimer’s. Sarah, Scott, and the kids have worked with and supported CaringKind and UsAgainstAlzheimers for years, which are organizations working to find a cure, and Sarah and the kids are part of starting a global non-profit together “Social Impact Partners” with other leaders that will bring together the global players to bring more awareness, resources, and collaboration to solving the disease. Please join us in being part of the solution!
Heidi Bubel Allen died suddenly of natural causes on June 29, 2022 in Deerfield, Illinois. Born August 21, 1959 to Curt and Marilyn Bubel in Cincinnati, Heidi graduated from the Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is survived by her husband Robert Allen, her mother Sammie Bubel, and her brother Peter Bubel (Patti). Service will be held at the Chapel of Christ Church Cathedral, 318 East Fourth Street at 11:00 a.m. on July 15, 2022.
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.
Robert Waltner Leibold, Jr. died unexpectedly on June 4, 2021 at the age of 68. Rob was born in Wheeling, West Virginia to Dr. Robert Waltner Leibold Sr. and Mary L. (McCluskey) Leibold on May 10, 1953. He is survived by his son, Nathaniel Zane Leibold and his daughter, Hannah Claire Leibold and her fiance, Brian. Rob is also survived by his three brothers, Dr. David Leibold (Pam Etchison), Stephen Leibold (Noreen), and Richard Leibold (Charlie). He was surrounded at his passing by his loving children and his brother David. Rob graduated from Triadelphia High School in Wheeling, WV. He obtained his BA degrees in History from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Journalism from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He also received his Master of Arts in Communication Studies from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Rob enjoyed an extensive career in Journalism and Communications including 13 years at the San Antonio Express-News, where he was a writer and special editor. He worked for St Mary’s University Law School and Southwest Research Institute as Communications Director. He was well liked and respected by his colleagues and peers. Rob enjoyed many activities including golf, skiing, tennis, reading, political discussions and music, especially the Blues! He loved the beaches of Hilton Head, SC, the mountains of Colorado, and his hometown of Wheeling, WV, to see old friends and rekindle spirits. As a young man growing up in Wheeling, he frequented the local watering hole and landmark restaurant, Ye Olde Alpha. He was a wrestler for his high school wrestling squad, a diver for the swim/dive team, and an avid skier, honing his skills on local ski hills and Oglebay Park’s ski slope. He moved to Boulder, Colorado, attending the University of Colorado, often skiing A-Basin with friends, seeing his favorite bands play at the Boulder Theater, and frequenting the local businesses on Pearl Street. He started writing for the business column of the San Antonio Express-News, in 1981, and became a special editor, working for the marketing department as well. Making many friends and lasting memories for over 13 years, he went on to work as a Communications Director for St. Mary’s University after having his children. He started work with Southwest Research Institute as the Senior Communications Specialist/Communications Director in 2007, often citing how rewarding and humbling of a career it was. He was a caring and loving father to Nathaniel Leibold (b. 1992), and Hannah Leibold (b. 1995). Driving to summer camp together, playing catch, and a source of comfort, he is dearly missed by his loving family. Memorial services in San Antonio were held on November 20, 2021 at Dr. David Leibold’s residence.
Francis “Bud” Andrew Gnatek, 67 of Hadley, MA passed away on March 2, 2022 in Dover, VT. Bud was born on March 22, 1954 in Northampton, MA. The son of Edward and Joanna (Szych) Gnatek. He attended Hopkins Academy, Williston Northampton School, and Lehigh University, where he studied engineering and was a member of Phi Delta Theta. Bud was a veteran of the United States Army and worked in engineering and management for Judd Wire for 33 years. He enjoyed rebuilding his 1962 Porsche 356, playing guitar, singing karaoke and running. Bud is survived by his wife, Gail Gnatek (Gilbertsen); children, Andrew Gnatek of Hadley, Daniel Gnatek (Cleo Zancope) of Easthampton, MA, and Katrina Gnatek (Georgi Evlogiev) of Berlin, Germany; grandchildren, August Gnatek and Griffen Gnatek; and siblings, Edward and James. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Joan Baj. Memorial donations in Bud’s memory may be made to Operation Homefront, The Nature Conservatory, or the charity of your choice c/o Hanson-Walbridge & Shea Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
