Deaths

Published on September 05, 2008

Stanton Putnam

BOSTON - Stanton Wesley Putnam, a 12th generation member of the Putnam family, who were among the earliest settlers of Sutton, died with dignity on Aug. 27, 2008. Born the first child of the late Stanton Darling Putnam and Doris M. Keith Putnam, of Douglas, he celebrated his 80th birthday on Aug. 26.

Mr. Putnam grew up in Old Douglas in the former parsonage of the Douglas Congregational Church, where he was baptized and confirmed and was an active member for many years. He attended Douglas Public Schools and graduated from Douglas High School, class of 1946. That summer he enlisted in the United States Army, and after training in Virginia, he was sent to join the American forces in the occupation of Japan. He served in the headquarters staff of the First Army in Yokohama. Returning to the United States, Mr. Putnam took a postgraduate year at the Cascadilla School in Ithaca, N.Y.

He was employed in the offices of the Whitin Machine Works and later became a manual specialist and had other administrative roles with the Raytheon Company in Wayland and Portsmouth, R.I. He held a high security clearance related to Raytheon's many U.S. Department of Defense contracts.

Becoming an active opponent of the Vietnam War, Mr. Putnam joined the Lauriat Bookstore and assisted in the opening of a new store on Green Street in Northampton.

At this time, he and the Rev. David Shepherd King, a 10th generation member of Sutton's King family, established a home in Amherst - beginning a commitment of more than 40 years, culminating in their marriage in March of 2007.

Employed at the Southwest Student Residential Complex at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Mr. Putnam became deeply involved with students protesting the war, including a Baptist chaplain who died of self-immolation. He also grew concerned by the number of students becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs. Moving to Springfield, Mr. Putnam and the Rev. King lived in an African-American community near Winchester Square.

This concern for the growing epidemic in drug and alcohol use led him to enter training as a counselor in the Connecticut Department of Mental Health. He served as counselor in a residential facility in Meriden, Conn. and later became the executive director of the Wethersfield Avenue Center in Hartford, Conn.

Receiving a license to sell real estate in Massachusetts, he moved to his beloved vacation home in North Truro and joined his sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Edward Macomber, in their offices.

Purchasing a 10-room Victorian town house on Montgomery Street in Boston in 1981, Mr. Putnam volunteered for a Dukakis re-election campaign and later joined the staff of the commonwealth's Department of Revenue, from which he retired.

He became enamored of the Episcopal Church and was confirmed in that church in 1984 - a high point in his religious life. The Holy Spirit was a constant presence in his adult life and angels were his friendly companions. Daily prayer was his practice; regular Eucharist his goal.

Mr. Putnam is survived by a loving family. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his younger brother, Dexter Putnam, of Warren. His family includes his sister, Donna Macomber, and her husband, Edward Macomber, of Orleans, and their two sons, Putnam, and his wife, Cindy, of Eastham, and Douglas, and his fiancee, Nancy Malcolm, of Yarmouth Port; his sister-in-law, Ann Putnam, and her children, Keith, and his wife, Terry, all of Southbridge, and her daughter, Heather, and her husband, William Sandgren, of Warren. He is also survived by five grand nieces; two grandnephews; and one great-grandnephew.

In addition to the Rev. Mr. King of Boston, he is also survived by his sister-in-law, M. Marthena King, and her children: E. Perry King, Cynthia Vanderlinden, and her husband, Robert, Terry Alan King and his wife, Cynthia, all of Sutton. Completing the family are four grandnieces, three grandnephews and one great-grandniece and nephew.

Family and friends are invited to services of celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Stanton Wesley Putnam, as follows: Saturday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Church, Episcopal, Copley Square, Boston; and Sunday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, Sutton.

Burial will be at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Mr. Putnam may be made in support of the pulmonary research of Dr. Elliot Israel. Please make checks payable to Brigham and Women's Hospital and send to Brigham and Women's Hospital, Development Office, 116 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116.

Doren Fredrickson

WICHITA, Kan. - Professor Doren D. Fredrickson, M.D., Ph.D, 53, passed away from natural causes on Aug. 21, 2008, at his home in Wichita. Doren was born on May 14, 1955, in Newport, R.I.

Doren was a professor in preventative medicine and public health at the Kansas University School of Medicine-Wichita and the health officer of Sedgwick County Health Department. He also was Kansas Health Foundation distinguished professor of public health.

Doren has received many honors and awards, including the Golden Apple Teaching Award, the Diversity of Kansas Award for Brotherhood and Sisterhood, and the W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. As a pediatrician, he was a strong advocate of mothers breast-feeding their infants.

Doren was a 1973 graduate of Amherst Regional High School. He attended the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Emporia State University, University of Kansas for his medical degree and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for his doctoral degree in epidemiology. He was a published researcher and epidemiologist.

Doren was gentle and kind and a gifted, talented physician, teacher and researcher. He spoke Spanish fluently and was conversant in Swedish, German and French. In addition, he was a resourceful auto mechanic and farmer. His concern for those who were less fortunate was well known, and he was absolutely passionate about eliminating health disparities and correcting social inequities.

Doren is survived by his parents, Ronald H. Fredrickson, formerly on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and Patricia A. Fredrickson, formerly a teacher at Amherst Regional High School, of Osage City; sister Anne J. Fredrickson; partner Diane M. Delauter, of Mashpee, Mass.; uncles and aunts, Duane E. and Nancy Fredrickson, of Lindsborg, Carol (Keck) Maddux, of Manhattan, and Marlene Lloyd Switzer, of Ottawa; Doren's long-time close friend, Dr. Denise Drane, of Evanston, Ill.; Taree, of Australia; and many cousins, colleagues and friends.

Funeral services were at Central Christian Church, 2900 North Rock Road in Wichita Aug. 24, 2008. Doren was buried in Union Cemetery in Osage City, following a service held at Grace Lutheran Church in Osage City on Aug. 26, 2008.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made either to the University of Kansas Endowment Association in Dr. Fredrickson's name for a fund in his honor: KUEA, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214, or to Grace Lutheran Church, Dr. Doren Fredrickson Memorial Fund, 210 Holliday, Osage City, KS 66523.

He will be sadly missed.

Peter Parsons

SUNDERLAND - Dr. Peter Parsons, 74, of 50 S. Main St., Sunderland, passed away Aug. 26 at Worcester Medical Center/St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester. Born in Lewiston, Maine, on March 26, 1934, he was the son of the late Clarence and Edith Parsons.

Upon completing high school in Maine, Pete graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, with a degree in chemistry. He spent a year at the University of Vermont Medical School before entering the U.S. Army. While in service in Denver, Colo., he met his future wife, Joy Ann Harris of Washington, N.C. They were married June 14, 1959, in Denver. After his discharge from the U.S. Army, he and Joy moved to Maine, where Pete continued his education by entering a master's program at the University of Maine. Deciding to pursue further study, he, Joy and new daughter Robin moved to Pennsylvania, where he completed a Ph.D. program in biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. It was in Pittsburgh that they welcomed their baby son, David. The next move was to Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., where Pete pursued a postdoctoral study, then continued more study at Stony Brook University, Long Island, N.Y.

The family moved to Amherst in 1968, where Pete was an assistant professor at UMass. While at UMass, he presented a research paper at the International Federation of Biochemists in Hamburg, Germany, in 1976. Later, he joined the faculty at Mount Holyoke College for four years. For 22 years, he taught Biochemistry, Immunology, and Cancer at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He served a time as chairman of the biology department. In 2001, he retired from Holy Cross.

Pete loved his wife, daughter, son, son-in-law and two grandsons, but his devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ, his Savior, was foremost in his life.

He and Joy spent many years restoring their 1847 home in Sunderland. His passion for music was noted by many friends and especially at North Leverett Baptist Church, where he was the organist/pianist for 40 years. He was also in a gospel singing group, The Spokesmen, for many years. Other areas of service at his church included Sunday School teacher, deacon, church clerk, assistant treasurer, and music committee member. For 19 years, he was president of Camp Anderson Foundation (Pine Brook Camp in Shutesbury).

Pete had many areas of interest in his life: cutting timber, keeping in touch with many of his former students, Red Sox baseball, and playing piano in nursing homes with the Horse Mountain Jazz Band. He traveled with Joy on many cruises, including ports in the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Last fall they traveled to Athens, Greece, and Cairo, Egypt.

In addition to his wife, Joy, he is survived by his daughter, Robin Parsons Brown, and her husband, Peter S. Brown Jr., and grandsons Nathan Brown and Andrew Brown of Tucson, Ariz., and his son, David, of Loveland, Colo. He leaves his sisters, Clarice P. Denney, Dorothy P. Martin, Jacqueline P. Edwards, and his brother, Richard Parsons, of Maine. His biological sisters, Ivalea Pulkkinen and Roberta Doughty of Norway, Maine, also survive him.

He was preceded in death by an infant son, Steven Thomas Parsons, in 1970.

Memorial donations may be made to Pine Brook Camp, Shutesbury, MA 01072 c/o Kevin Williams, or North Leverett Baptist Church c/o Dr. Dan Clapp, treasurer, 40 Blackberry Lane, Amherst, MA 01002.

Bertram Berger

HOLYOKE - Bertram Kriss Berger, 87, passed away on Aug. 27 at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home. He was born July 21, 1921, in Northampton, son of Lewis Wulf Berger and Leah Conn Berger. He was predeceased by his sister, Gertrude C. Berger, also of Northampton.

Bert had a wonderful life as a retail women's clothier, with his wife, Shirley, for many years, in Holyoke at Coret Casuals, in South Hadley at the Campus Shop, and in Amherst at the Pied Piper. He began his career working for his father, also a retail women's clothier, owner of Berger's in Northampton.

Bert's military service included four years, from 1941 to 1945, in the U.S. Army Air Corps, as a bombardier-navigator in the European conflict, where he flew 47 night missions over Germany. He was ranked a first lieutenant at the time of his discharge from the service.

After his retail business, he went on to become a financial planner with IDS-American Express. He was very active in local community activities, including the Kiwanis Club, the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, the South Hadley Chamber of Commerce, and the American Cancer Society. For many years, he was the organizer of the South Hadley Columbus Day open air market.

He enjoyed skiing and fishing, and was an avid boating enthusiast.

He leaves his loving wife, Shirley Yarus Berger, after 56 years of marriage; his son, Joseph, of Springfield and daughter Marlene, and her husband, Peter Connor, of Holyoke.

The family wishes to express thanks and gratitude to the staff and volunteers at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home for their devotion and care. The family wishes in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, 110 Cherry St., Holyoke, MA. 01040.

Priscilla Parke

SPRINGFIELD - Priscilla Cushman Parke, 97, died at Reeds Landing Retirement Community, Springfield, on Aug. 24. Born April 6, 1911, she was the daughter of the Rev. Hervey C. Parke, former Rector of Grace Episcopal Church, Amherst, and Ethel M. Cushman of New York City.

Her grandfather, Hervey C. Parke Sr., was a co-founder of the Parke Davis Pharmaceutical Co. in Detroit, and on her mother's side, she was a 10th-generation descendant of Robert Cushman, co-founder of the Mayflower expedition.

The second of five children, her early childhood was spent in the Emily Dickinson House, purchased by the family in 1916. With her older sister, Mary, she shared a bedroom formerly used by Emily Dickinson's sister, Lavinia, in the 19th century. In 1934, Priscilla was graduated from Smith College, having majored in art history. From there, she went to Detroit for training as a preschool teacher at the Merrill-Palmer School, followed by five years of teaching of small children at the Friends Academy in Locust Valley, Long Island, from 1936 to 1941.

There was a call for nurses in World War II, so she moved on for nurses training at the Yale School of Nursing. After graduation, she was sent to the Philippine Islands, where she was assigned to serve at an army hospital in Manila.

After the war, she returned to New York City, where she took more specialized training for the care of premature babies, and with Dr. William Silverman, she established a premature nursery at Babies Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, the first of its kind in New York City. While she was there, she cared for the Kienast quintuplets, five tiny babies all of whom survived, have grown up, and are now college graduates.

After her retirement in 1971, she returned to Amherst, where she lived on Amity Street. Over the next 30 years, she was involved in many lay ministries at Grace Episcopal Church, where the educational building has since been named "The Priscilla C. Parke House." She has also been part of a prayer fellowship, the Companions of the Holy Cross. Priscilla also served as a guide at the Dickinson House, her former home, for many years.

She is survived by three younger brothers - Hervey, John, and David - and their wives, Mary, Eleanor, and Cecilia, and 15 nephews and nieces. Her sister, Mary Parke Fairfield, predeceased her.

A memorial service will be held at Grace Church, Amherst, on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. Memorial gifts may be sent to the Reeds Landing Foundation, 807 Wilbraham Road, Springfield, MA. 01109 or to Grace Church, 14 Boltwood Ave. Amherst, MA. 01002. Douglass Funeral Home, Amherst, is in charge of arrangements. Obituary and register are available at www.douglassfuneral.com.

Katharine Knapp

AMHERST - Katharine (Kate) Knapp, 94, died Aug. 18, at Holyoke Hospital after a brief illness. Born in Greenwich, Conn., on March 26, 1914, she was the daughter of the late Frederick H. and Juliet (Jettie) Broad Knapp. Kate was predeceased by her sister, Ruth, and brother, Julian Edward "Bud" Knapp.

Her family has a long history in Greenwich, dating back to the pre-Revolutionary War era (Knapp's Tavern) and she is a direct descendant of General Nathanial Greene; second-in-command to General George Washington. Kate was a graduate of Greenwich High School and the Merrill Business School.

She was a staff member of the American Red Cross, Greenwich Chapter from 1941 to 1979. She was named honorary member of the Board of Directors upon her retirement. Kate moved to Amherst in 2001 and made her home at Applewood of Amherst, which she came to love. She will be sadly missed by her many friends there.

Kate was also a member of St. Brigid's Church of Amherst.

Kate will be most remembered for her cheerful spirit and positive outlook on life, no matter how great the obstacles. Her voice was soft, her words were kind, and she was grateful for every minute of every day. Her concern was for everyone but herself.

Kate will be forever missed by her loving family, including her great-nephew Dan Shafer, and his wife, Therese Denecke of Belchertown, and their sons, Aaron, Ryan and Emmett; her great-nephew Mark Shafer, his wife, Celia, and their children, Jackson, Henry, and Maggie, of Chads Ford, Pa.; and her great-niece, M. Kathryn Shafer, of Los Angeles, Calif. In addition, Barbara Spencer of Connecticut, Bryan McQueeney of California, Kathleen Reynolds of Colorado, Barbara McQueeney of Colorado, Roger and Cathy Spencer of Connecticut, and Susan Richards of Connecticut.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, Aug. 23, at Christ Church in Greenwich, Conn., and were arranged by Fred D. Knapp and Son Funeral Home, founded by Kate's grandfather and father. Interment followed at Putnam Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Christ Church, 254 E. Putnam Ave., Greenwich, CT 06830, or to the American Red Cross, 99 Indian Point Road, Greenwich, CT 06830.

Walter Orloski

WHATELY - Walter R. Orloski, 91, of Christian Lane, died Aug. 29, 2008, in the Holyoke Soldiers Home.

He was born in Whately, Nov. 15, 1916, the son of William and Vaga (Gorski) Orloski.

He was educated in Whately schools and graduated from the former Deerfield High School, class of 1934, and New England School of Practical Training in Providence, R.I.

He was a World War II Navy veteran serving in the European-African area and he also served the U.S. as a Polish interpreter when the United Nations was organized.

He was married to Albina Bojarski in 1947. They made their home in Whately.

Walter was very civic minded. He served Whately as highway superintendent, assessor, selectman, Finance Committee member and elector under the Oliver Smith Will. He also worked on the Committee to Remodel the Town Hall and erect the Veterans Monument.

He was a member of the Holy Name of Jesus Church, active in church affairs, lifetime member of the Franklin County Selectman's Association, member of the South Deerfield Polish American Citizens Club, and past member of Franklin County 40 and 8. He was instrumental in forming the American Legion Post 348.

Walter was a retired physical plant worker at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Prior to UMass, he worked at Hampden Mills and New England Power Co.

He is survived by two sons, William and his wife, Barbara, of Whately, Frederick and his wife, Karen, of Grand Ledge, Mich.; a sister, Stacia Golowka, of Turners Falls; five grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

Memorial donations may be made to the Holy Name of Jesus Church, Holyoke Soldiers Home or the Shriner's Hospital in Springfield.

Quinton service

AMHERST - A celebration of life for Rose M. Quinton, who passed away July 9 at the age of 82, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13, at the South Amherst Congregational Church, beginning at 2:30 p.m.