Fred R. Geery left the world too soon on May 2, 2020. He started his life homeless on the streets of Portland, Oregon, and suffered abuse, including a broken back before the age of 8 months old. He was rescued by a Good Samaritan who brought him to the Multnomah County animal shelter, where he…

Diana Lynn Gildersleeve, 62, passed away peacefully at her home in Bridgewater, Vermont, on March 31, 2020. Born Sept. 18, 1957, to parents Joyce (Wardwell) and Raymond Phillips, she was a graduate of Woodstock Union High School class of 1976. Diana Gildersleeve worked at the Book Bindery, the original Cole Farm Restaurant, Bridgewater Country Store,…

By Editor Emeritus Royal Barnard I am so sad to report the passing of Dave Pfannenstein, my friend, a friend of the Mountain Times and one of the most wonderful people many of us have had the privilege to know. Dave Pfannenstein recently retired as the executive director of the Vermont Golf Association and moved permanently to…

Charlie Demarest passed away on March 30 following a period of declining health and a short hospitalization at the Rutland Regional Medical Center. Charlie Demarest was born in Randolph, Vermont, on Aug. 3, 1948, the first son of Harrison Bowles Demarest and Ruth Cooley Demarest. In 1951 the Demarests moved to the Haskell section of Wanaque,…

Robert Knight Townsend, Jr., “Robby T,” died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes on Sunday, March 1.  Robby was born July 30, 1957 and grew up in Absecon, New Jersey where he attended H. Ashton Marsh and Pleasantville High School. Robby worked at the Lido restaurant in Atlantic City and Miller Auto Parts before…

Peter William Giancola, 53, died peacefully, surrounded by his family on March 6 in Rutland, after a courageous 10 year battle with brain cancer. He was born in Rutland on July 27, 1966, the son of Barbara (Allard) and Joseph A. Giancola. He is survived by his parents, his younger brother, David (Jennifer) Giancola and…

Camille Ann Thill, born in Hackensack, New Jersey, on Aug. 10, 1937, passed away peacefully on Feb. 13, at age 82. Thill battled pancreatic cancer for 10 years. She was the wife of her beloved husband of 58 years, Ray Thill, devoted mother to her two sons Raymond and Tom, grandmother of Gavin, Mason, Sabrina…

By Laura McComb On a crisp sunny morning in early spring, in September 2007, I was sitting very relaxed in the huge garden of a weekend house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires reading the newspaper, when I saw this little white puppy approaching me quietly. I had seen her before while having a barbecue…

Edwin D. Abrams, fair housing champion, happy husband, devoted father and passionate skier of Vero Beach and formerly Boston, Massachusetts, died Friday, Nov. 29, at 84 years young. Known by all as Ed, he is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Marilyn Abrams; his children: Martha Abrams-Bell and her husband Matt Bell of Dorchester,…

Vermont snowboard legend birthed a passion that lives on Jake Burton Carpenter died Wednesday, Nov. 20, surrounded by family and friends. On Nov. 9, Jake sent the following email to his employees: “You will not believe this, but my cancer has come back. It’s the same tumor as the first time around. We just never…

‘He cared more about other people’ By Katy Savage Fred Coriell, the beloved owner of the Peak Performance Ski Shop in Killington who had a passion for developing youth interest in ski racing, died Saturday after a battle with cancer. He was 67. Coriell was diagnosed with stage IV cancer in November 2018, but he…

Kurt A. Burdack, 68, passed away peacefully Thursday, Oct. 31, at Rutland Regional Medical Center. His family will celebrate his life privately. Family and friends will meet at Killington Peak at a later date. He was born in Orange, New Jersey, on May 1, 1951, son of Arthur Walter Burdack and Bernadine Betty (Karg) Burdack.…

Helga Thune Cognato - age 75 She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., July 6, 1943, daughter of Henrik Thune and Martha Elisabeth Thuestad Thune.  Helga enjoyed spending childhood summers in Brightwoods, Long Island with her cousins and was a graduate of Hunter College in New York City.  She was a legal secretary for Dewey Ballantine prior…

Kathleen  “Kay” Marie Sullivan Groom, 76, of Killington passed away at home on Christmas morning Dec.25, 2018 Kay was born April 24, 1942 to Eugene and Dorothy Sullivan of Chicopee, Massachusetts.  She was raised in Chicopee and attended and graduated from Holy Name Girls Academy in 1959. In her teenage years, Kay discovered an innate…

Jerry Laurence Hickory, 71, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, at the Veteran’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. Hickory was born in Bethel. He was born to Phyllis Howard Hickory and Harold Hickory on Sept.5, 1947.  He grew up in Bridgewater and graduated from Woodstock Union High School.  Jerry Hickory and his family moved to Tampa, Florida,…