Obituaries

Recent Obituaries

Stanley Robert Kokoska

Stanley Robert Kokoska

Dec 21, 2017

Stanley Robert Kokoska, 86, of Willimantic, husband of Carolyn (McKeon) Kokoska, died Thursday, December 21, 2017 at Avon Health Center in Avon, CT. He was born in Meriden, CT, the son of Immigrant parents from Poland. The youngest son of 12 children, Stan was raised in foster homes in New Haven and West Haven. He attended West Haven High School,...

Rodney L. Lafontaine

Rodney L. Lafontaine

Dec 21, 2017

Rodney Lafontaine 58, of Chaplin, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on December 21, 2017 after a courageous battle with ALS. He was born May 31,1959 in Willimantic, the son of the late Louis and Alice (Devillez) Lafontaine. Rodney graduated from Windham Tech in 1977 and was an electrician with Ray?s Electric for most of his career. Rod was an...

Byron Laird Thompson

Byron Laird Thompson

Dec 20, 2017

Byron Laird Thompson, 74, of Mansfield, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 20, 2017, at Hartford Hospital. Byron was born on January 21, 1943, at Windham Hospital to the late G. Merritt and Elizabeth (Laird) Thompson. He was raised in Mansfield Depot and was a 1961 graduate of Windham High School. He enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities and often...

Margaret E. Martin

Margaret E. Martin

Dec 20, 2017

Margaret E. (Sullivan) Martin, 83, formally of Columbia and Glastonbury, CT passed away peacefully at her home in Lock Haven, PA on December 20, 2017. She was the beloved wife of Samuel Kenneth Martin for 62 years and raised 5 children together. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey she was the daughter of John R. and Hazel E. (Gesser) Sullivan. Peggy...

Mary Linda Vertefeuille

Mary Linda Vertefeuille

Dec 19, 2017

Mary Linda Vertefeuille of Windham passed away on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 after a brief illness. She passed away at home surrounded by the love of her husband Richard, family and friends. Linda and Richard were married in 1959 and have three children; their daughter, Julie Stygar and her husband Kirk, Steven Vertefeuille and his wife Laurie and their daughter...

Ruby Lee (Johnson) Mitchell

Ruby Lee (Johnson) Mitchell

Dec 18, 2017

Ruby Lee (Johnson)Mitchell, 76, of Willimantic, wife of Marvin Mitchell, died peacefully on Monday December 18, 2017 at Hartford Hospital surrounded by her family. She was born February 22, 1941 in Hollandale, Mississippi, the daughter of the late Thomas and Susie (Stigler) Johnson. Ruby and her family relocated to Willimantic in 1972. She was a member of Calvary Baptist Church...

Joan A. (Adams) Rood

Joan A. (Adams) Rood

Dec 18, 2017

Joan (Adams) Rood, 75, of Willimantic, wife of Charles Rood, died Monday December 18, 2017 and Vanderman Place. She was born March 13, 1942, the daughter of the late Walter and Ida (Lewis) Adams. Joan is finally at peace and will be missed by all. In addition to her husband Charles, she is survived by a son Thomas Kowalski; sister...

Edward D. Munson

Edward D. Munson

Dec 16, 2017

Edward D. Munson, 69, of Columbia, husband of Judith (Arner) Munson, died Saturday December 16, 2017 at Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. He was born in Manchester, CT, the son of the late George and Ruth (Koerner) Munson. Edward served in the United States Army and was a butcher for 50 years. He was also an avid New York...

Laurence "Larry" Edward Rector

Laurence "Larry" Edward Rector

Dec 16, 2017

Laurence ?Larry? Edward Rector, 38 years old, son of James and Susan (Dewberry) Rector died unexpectedly on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Hartford Hospital. He was born in Lubbock, Texas and moved to Connecticut with his family in 1985. Larry was a member of Mensa and he loved to write stories and poetry. He is survived by his brother Luke,...

Anne E. (Young) Gorgone

Anne E. (Young) Gorgone

Dec 10, 2017

Anne E. (Young) Gorgone, 94, passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Living Center on December 10, 2017. She was born April 28, 1923, in Coventry, CT, the daughter of the late Daniel and Alice (Hibbard) Young. Anne was married to the late Francis P. Gorgone, who passed away December 27, 1993. She was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother and...

Joseph R. Hallett

Joseph R. Hallett

Dec 10, 2017

Joseph R. Hallett, 87, of Hampton, passed away peacefully December 10, 2017 at Windham Hospital. He was the son of Joseph and Priscilla (Carpenter) Hallett Sr. Joe served in the Army and was a Korean War Veteran. He is survived by two brothers and many nieces and nephews. Joe also had?his CL&P family that he would breakfast with every Wednesday....

Richard Earl Ratcliff

Richard Earl Ratcliff

Dec 9, 2017

Richard Ratcliff died on December 9, 2017 with Kathryn, his wife of 49 years, by his side. He will be remembered by his children Emily and Charles, his sister Barbara, and the many friends and students whose lives he touched. Son of Earl and Alice Ratcliff, Richard went to Stanford University and then graduate school at University of Wisconsin where...

Gricelda Verastegui

Gricelda Verastegui

Dec 8, 2017

Gricelda Ver?stegui, 83, of Willimantic, CT, passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones on Friday, December 8, 2017. She was born April 14, 1934 in Lima, Peru to her late mother, Maria Jes?s Castro. She married the late Leoncio ?Lucho? Ver?stegui on November 2, 1956. Known affectionately as ?Mama Chela?, she was a kind, loving, and nurturing woman, who...

Carole Mae Lapis

Carole Mae Lapis

Dec 4, 2017

Carole Mae Lapis, 73 of Columbia, CT, beloved wife of George Lapis Jr. passed away on Monday, December 4, 2017 at Hartford Hospital. Born on May 28, 1944 in Cortland, NY. Carole lived in Columbia for the past 47 years. The greatest joy in Carole?s life was spending time with her children and granddaughters. Family was the focus of her...

Elizabeth C. (Coughlin) Keniven

Elizabeth C. (Coughlin) Keniven

Dec 3, 2017

Elizabeth ?Liz? C. (Coughlin) Keniven, 87, of Willimantic, passed away peacefully on December 3, 2017 at Rockville General Hospital in Vernon, where she had been surrounded by her children days prior. Liz was born June 20, 1930 in Hartford, CT to the late Francis and Helen (Quirk) Coughlin. She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy in West Hartford, and St. Francis...

Ashley M. Smith

Ashley M. Smith

Dec 2, 2017

Ashley Marie Smith (i-i, bird) formerly of Dunkirk New York passed away unexpectedly on Saturday December 2, 2017 at the age of 30 in Norwich, Connecticut. Ashley was born on October 12, 1987 to Cathy Smith and Leonard Crockett. She was a loving mother and leaves behind her 11 year old daughter Mariah LaFlamme whom called her ?Bird.? Ashley worked...

Michael F. Porter

Michael F. Porter

Dec 1, 2017

Michael F. Porter, 91, of North Windham, died peacefully in his sleep on Friday December 1, 2017. He was born on February 28, 1926 in New Britain, CT, to the late Edgar and Louise C. (Smith) Porter and was the youngest of eleven children. Michael attended New Britain High School before enlisting in the United States Navy and serving honorably...

Dana E. Burton

Dana E. Burton

Dec 1, 2017

Dana E. Burton, 83 of Columbia (formally of New Canaan, CT), beloved husband of Joanne for 57 years passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. Dana was born in Arlington, Massachusetts in 1934, to the late Paul and Helen Burton. He leaves behind his wife, Joanne; son, Paul Burton and wife Heidi of Hebron; daughter, Cynthia Burton...

Charles J. Puleo

Charles J. Puleo

Nov 30, 2017

Charles J. ?Chuck? Puleo, Jr., 89, of Willimantic, CT, died peacefully on November 30, 2017 at Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation surrounded by family. He was the husband of the late Jeanette (Boisvert) Puleo. They were married for 49 years before her death in February 1996. Chuck was born May 22, 1928, in Brooklyn, NY, son of the late...

Florence Juliet (Konopka) Bowen

Florence Juliet (Konopka) Bowen

Nov 26, 2017

Florence J. (Stella) Bowen (nee Konopka) 87, of Windham passed away Sunday, November 26, 2017 after a sudden and unexplained illness. She was a loving, devoted and cherished mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Florence was born July 22, 1930 in Manhattan, NY, the daughter of Joseph and Marcella (Gorniak) Konopka. The family moved to Lebanon, CT where she lived until...

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