The World 12-13-17

Douglas E. Hull
Doug Hull passed on
November 18th from complications
with cancer and a life long
struggle with diabetes. He died
peacefully with his life partner and
love, Catherine M. Reed, at his side,
and after saying farewell to many of
his close friends. Born in Windsor
Vermont, he grew up the son of
Douglas H. Hull and Hilda Jock. His
early years were marked with just
enough deprivation to instill in him
an indomitable work ethic and
resourceful spirit that would serve
him well throughout his life. To list
just a few significant markers in his
life: Being a ROTC officer from
Northeastern University in Boston,
Massachusetts during Vietnam, he
served in the 41st signal Battalion during 1965 and
1966. Never conflicted about the war or his role, he
always possessed a quiet but fierce patriotism that was
never jingoistic. His patriotism was only matched by
his interest in trying to talk with and meet the other,
even if they had no common language. Both his children
can remember standing to one side, a bit embarrassed
as he carried on a jovial and largely one way
conversation with some shopkeeper or passer-by in
whatever country he was in. Passing the CPA exam on
the first try, he started his own practice in 1973. He
didn’t care too much about numbers -- the people he
was able and meet and talk to about their lives was the
real motivation. If people needed his help but couldn’t
pay, there was always other accommodations. He often
joked that he was happy to do taxes for friends in return
for a nice dinner and good company. He and Cathy
adopted 3 children, Kim died in infancy, but Lyn Soon
and Yang grew and now live in North Carolina and
Illinois, respectively. He and Cathy also hosted Gii
Sirmaskasem Grimes, an exchange student from
Thailand. She still calls him Dad, and lives and works
in Tokyo for the US State department. His family is
also survived by his brother Stephen Hull of South
Royalton. Doug also made it to Grandfather hood with
the arrival of WooJoo, Yang’s child, adopted from
Korea, just as Yang was 41 years earlier. He found this
new status deeply enjoyable and satisfying, constantly
amazed at how much energy a 3-year-old can muster.
Always a prolific writer, Doug filled his retirement
writing two books, drafts of others, and innumerable
letters. He also edited and assisted other writing projects
like the history of Worcester, VT, written by J.
David Book. Throughout everything, he travelled alongside
Cathy. They just made it past the 50 year mark this
In Loving Memory
Robert Carleton Searles
(Bob)
December 13, 1929
June 12, 2015
The Winds of time has
blown hard enough and have
taken you from my arms.
You can rest assured they
will never take you
from my heart.
The memories I have
of the 42 years,
God gave you to me! It is my
most cherished possessions.
Memories are forever
Much Love
Your Loving Wife
Mary
& Family
PRUNEAU-POLLI
FUNERAL HOME
Serving All Faiths
Family Owned & Operated
58 Summer Street • Barre, Vermont
802-476-4621
Proud Member
National Funeral Directors
Association
Handicap Accessible
year. She continues to
reside in Arizona, a state
they both have come to
love deeply. Doug loved
the warmth, the light, the
easy spirit of the fellow
northern refugees in their
retirement community. All
these things made his last
years full of life and more
than mitigated his declining
health. If a remembrance
is preferred, Doug’s
request is that any gift in
his memory be given to:
Worcester United Methodist
Church, PO Box 125
Worcester VT, 05682; or
the Worcester Historical
Society, PO Box 329,
Worcester, VT 05682.
SHAWN B.R.
ARLEN, 49, of
Barre City, died
Nov. 27, 2017,
at the University
of Vermont
Medical Center
in Burlington, surrounded by
family. She was born Aug.
page 10 The WORLD December 13, 2017
23, 1968, in Keene, NH, the daughter of David and Bethany
(Fletcher) Arlen. Ms. Arlen was employed as a cook at
Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier. Survivors include her
daughter, Ashley Arlen, and her fiancé, Vincent DiMatteo,
both of Barre; a sister, Angela Fletcher, of Graniteville; a
nephew, many cousins, aunts and uncles.
THOMAS ELBRIDGE ATKINS, 80, of Hersey Road in
Berlin, died on Dec. 2, 2017, at his home, surrounded by his
loving family. He was born in Hardwick, VT, on April 24,
1937, the son of Alan and Marian (Thomas) Atkins. He
attended schools in Hardwick. On July 13, 1957, he married
Janet Hull in Hardwick. He began his career as a printer for
Capital City Press and later, ran an electrical contracting business
named Central Electric before he and his family moved
to AZ where he started Atco Electric. After returning to VT,
he worked for Vermont Inspection Services and Harrison
International Corp. Tom was a member of the Elks Club and
he enjoyed hunting and fishing. He especially loved dancing,
music, and attending the programs at the Montpelier Senior
Center. Above all else, he deeply enjoyed providing for his
wife and family. Survivors include his wife, Janet Atkins, of
Berlin; daughters Tanya Collins, of Phoenix, AZ, and Tessy
Fox, of Beaverton, OR; sons Brian Atkins, of Barre Town, and
Mark Atkins, of Barre City; siblings Mildred Gowen, of
Hardwick, Eleanor Michaud, of Hardwick, and Alan Atkins,
of Barre; as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren;
many nieces and nephews.
BERNARD D. BELL, age 65,
passed away on Dec. 1, 2017, at his
home in Northfield, VT, with his children by his
side. He was a 1971 graduate of Northfield High
School and served in the U.S. Navy from 1974-
1978 as a Seabee. After serving in the U.S.
Navy, he became a tractor-trailer driver allowing
him to travel the US. He then joined Lafayette Construction
Co. where he worked in road construction for many years. He
finished out his career by driving truck for Gross Trucking
and Excavating. He was an avid sports fan and loved watching
NASCAR, the San Francisco 49ers, Boston Red Sox,
Boston Celtics, and enjoyed playing a good hand of cards. He
will be lovingly remembered by his children, Carrie (Valarie)
Quimby, Joshua (Tiffany) Bell, Dustin and Taylor (Sarah
Tomaszewski). He will also be fondly remembered by his two
sisters, Candace Law and Tammy (Joe) Manning, and his
grandchildren, Atticus and Rosalee.
FRANCES S. BOUFFARD, 89, formerly of Berlin, died
Dec. 2, 2017, at home in Auburn, MA. Born in Washington,
NC, she was the daughter of the late Ralph and Neva (Waters)
Swindell. She attended schools in both NC and NJ, graduating
from Fayetteville High School in 1946. In 1950, she married
Clarence Bouffard and moved to Berlin, VT, where she lived
for 40 years. She worked for the Coca Cola Co., and was a
clerical worker for the state for over 20 years. She retired to
Plymouth, NC, where she was reunited with family. As a
child, Frances was an avid roller skater. She loved the outdoors
and gardening, and was a good homemaker, friend and
neighbor. She is survived by her daughters, Linda Hoitt, of
Ormond Beach, FL, and Cynthia Bittner and her husband,
Douglas, of Auburn, MA; one sister-in-law; seven nephews
and six nieces.
CLAIRE S. CARPENTER, 87, of Randolph,
died Dec. 1, 2017, in the Garden Room at
Gifford Medical Center. Claire was born June 4,
1930, to Ralph and Irene (Field) Sears in
Ludlow, VT. She graduated from Hartford High
School in 1948 and from the Samaritan Hospital
School of Nursing in Troy, NY, in 1952. She had
a lengthy career as an RN throughout central Vermont and the
Upper Valley. She was married in 1959 and raised a family on
the family farm. She pursued a new career at the local milk
plant after the farm was sold. She returned to nursing until her
retirement in 2010. She had many hobbies and interests,
including National Grange, Home Dem, knitting, scrapbooking,
photography, reading, crossword puzzles, hunting and
hosting family gatherings. Claire is survived by her son, Alan
Carpenter and his spouse, Penny, of Brookfield; two daughters,
Sheila Nichols-Gibbs and her spouse, Wes, of Randolph,
Melissa Carpenter, of Troy, NH; five grandchildren and five
great-grandchildren.
MADELINE S. CUTLER, 89, of Cutler
Heights Road, passed away peacefully at her
home on Dec. 2, 2017, surrounded by her family.
Born March 30, 1928, to Charles A. and
Gladys (Magoon) Smith, Madeline grew up in
West Topsham. She received her elementary
education at the West Topsham Elementary
School. During high school, Madeline lived in Burlington and
in 1946 graduated from Mount St. Mary’s Academy in
Burlington. She moved to Montpelier and on Oct. 24, 1947,
she married Robert R. Cutler in the rectory of St. Augustine’s
Catholic Church. Bob and Maddie built their home and raised
their family in E. Montpelier. Following 57 years of marriage,
Bob predeceased Maddie in 2004. Maddie lived to serve her
family, whether with a loving hug, listening ear, or a hot meal.
Madeline worked for a number of years at Capitol Savings
Bank and Peerless Insurance. She retired from National Life
Insurance Co. in 1987 after 30 years of service. Survivors
include her daughter, Joanne LaPerle and her husband,
Marcel, of Barre; sons Robert R. Cutler Jr. and his wife,
Nancy, of Calais, and Fran C. Cutler, of Montgomery, TX;
grandchildren; great-grandchildren; siblings Hilda Williams,
of West Topsham, and Philip Smith, of West Topsham; and
several nieces and nephews.
JACOB JONATHAN DAVIS, age 33, died
unexpectedly Dec. 3, 2017, at his home in
Middlesex, VT. He was the son of Stephen and
Joanne Howieson Davis, of Middlesex. He was
born March 18, 1984. He was the manager of a
Taco Bell in New York; he also worked at the
sock factory in Northfield, as well as several local redemption
centers, including M&M Beverage in Montpelier and several
of the local ski areas. Jacob was a very loving, caring person
who always took care of the downtrodden and displaced animals.
During April 2016, Jacob started a cross-country trip
from his home in VT down through the South and later on
through TX and the southern western states before finally
ending up on the West Coast. He loved collecting old records
and comic books. He loved his guitars and playing them, and
the many concerts that he attended with his friends. Survivors
include his parents, Stephen and Joanne Davis, of Middlesex;
his companion, Alicia Howard, of Worcester; his sister,
Stephanie and her husband, Jake, of Bethel; as well as their
two children, Austin and Olivia; and his brother, Justin and his
wife, Jessica, of Depew, NY. He also leaves his dog, Yuki, that
he rescued two years ago.
ALICE MARY (TAPLIN) DOYLE, 86, died
Dec. 4, 2017, at her home in Chelsea, VT. She
was born July 9, 1931, in Barre, the daughter of
Theo and Elizabeth (Durkee) Taplin. She attended
school in Chelsea and, after graduation, married
Merlin “Tuffy” Doyle on Oct. 15, 1949.
They were married for 64 years. In 1953, Tuffy
and Alice purchased a farm, which they worked side by side
together for over 40 years. In 1995, their son, Jim, became
owner of the farm. She was an active member of the Lady
Washington Chapter #86 Order of the Eastern Star in Chelsea
where she held many offices, including Worthy Matron. She
was a charter member and many years president of the VFW
Auxiliary to the Coburn-Eastman Veterans of Foreign Wars
Post 8451 of Chelsea and then a member of the VFW
Auxiliary 792 of Montpelier, Vermont. She was also a member
of the Barre American Legion. She is survived by Teresa
Doyle and companion Chris Reed, Sandra Doyle, James
Doyle and wife Darleen, Andy Doyle and wife Alice; four
grandchildren, Shellie, Shannon, April and Amos; and four
great-grandsons; her sister, Beverly and her husband, Whit
Lewis, of Chelsea; a sister-in-law, Julia DeGoosh, of Riverton,
VT; several nieces, nephews and cousins; and her many
friends.
DAVID B. HILL, 58, of Montgomery, TX, formerly of
Montpelier, passed away peacefully on Nov. 30, 2017, with
his brother, Greg, by his side, after a courageous battle with
cancer. David was born in Montpelier on Jan. 19, 1959, the
son of Albert A. Hill (late) and Janice (Walker) Hill. He grew
up in Montpelier and was a graduate of Montpelier High
School. He worked as an electrician by trade, in VT, FL and
TX until his passing. David is survived by his mother, Janice,
of Montpelier; daughters Jennifer (Lance) Clark and three
sons, of WI, Christina and fiancé, of NYC, Danielle (Steve)
Fiorentino, of AZ; his siblings, Deborah (Thomas) McCormick,
of Montpelier, and their two sons and grandson, Mary (Allen)
Shepard, of Winooski, Peter (Janet) Hill, of Tolland, CT, and
their two sons and grandson, Greg (Jean) Hill, of Montgomery,
and their two daughters, and Carol (William) Carruth, of
Essex Junction, and their daughter and three sons. He was also
survived by aunts and cousins. David will be dearly missed by
his extended family and many friends.
VICKI L. HILL, 66, of Hampshire Hill Road,
died on Nov. 3, 2017, at her home, surrounded
by her loving family. She was born on Aug. 9,
1951, in Baltimore, MD, the daughter of
Woodrow and Melvin “Melle” (Beam) Lippy.
She graduated from North Carroll High School
in 1969. She later attended Bridgewater College
in Bridgewater, VA. Vicki worked as a paraeducator for the
Essex Elementary School for many years. This was Vicki’s
passion, and gave her lifelong friendships with many people
over the years. She also worked for the Vermont Trading Co.
in Montpelier, and many years ago she was an aerobics
instructor. Vicki was a spiritual person who was very comfortable
in the outdoors, which she considered to be her “church.”
She obtained a master gardener certificate from UVM and, as
a result, had beautiful flower beds and vegetable gardens that
thrived under her care. Vicki was active in the Montpelier
Senior Center, where she enjoyed participating in tai chi and
singing. Survivors include her husband, Paul Hill Jr., of
Worcester, VT; daughter Kelly L. Fridinger and granddaughter
Aislinn Keefe, of Bolton, VT; son Jon B. Fridinger, of
Marion, Iowa, his wife, Shayna Fridinger; son Ehren P. Hill,
of Montpelier, grandchildren; siblings Sandra C. Denner and
her husband, Jon Denner, of Worcester, VT, and Scott B.
Lippy and his wife, Jane Lippy, of Frederick, Maryland.
Vicki also leaves behind many other members of her closeknit
family.
RODNEY H. LEACH SR., 85, of North Barre Manor,
passed away on Dec. 3, 2017, at the Central Vermont Medical
Center in Berlin. Born June 4, 1932, in Brookfield, he was the
son of Walter and Bessie (Wild) Leach. Rodney attended elementary
school in Orange and South Woodbury. On April 16,
1957, he married Barbara Clough in South Woodbury.
Following their marriage, they made their home mostly in
Marshfield. Rodney was self-employed in logging and was an
equipment operator at Stebbins Dragline, Sundown
Construction, Bowen Construction, Rathburn Construction
and McCullough Crushing. He was a member of the South
Woodbury Church. He enjoyed logging, woodworking and
most of all, spending time with his family, especially his
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Survivors include his
wife, Barbara Leach, of Barre; his sons, Rodney Leach Jr. and
his wife, Tracie, Robert Leach and his companion, Sue Cole;
his daughters, Diane Lewis and Tina Campbell and her husband,
Steve; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and
his brother, Roderick Leach.
WILFRED “PAT” LEFEBVRE, 83,
died Dec. 2, 2017, at the University of
Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. He was
born Nov. 19, 1934, in Randolph, the son of
Henry and Marie (Bilodeau)
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