Obituaries

Some people call it the Jewish Sports Page. Others call it the Irish Sports Page. I’m sure there are a lot of other names for what most people recognize as a newspaper’s obituary section. Nowadays that section may be online, but it usually amounts to the same thing. A picture and a description of a life.

I don’t know when it started for me, but one of the first things I do in the morning is to scan the local obituaries. It has reached the level of a compulsion and I have been trying to figure out why it has become such an integral part of my life.

During the week my news and “sports page” reading is usually online. On Sunday I like to have the newsprint in my hand and I spend a considerable amount of time reading about the lives of people I have never known.

We were sorry to hear that our buddy Steve, long time resident and “howdy neighbor” of Upper Forest Street, has passed away. He was 80 years old and died of complications of a stroke.

When we lived on Cedar Street, we used to walk by his house all the time on our way to my mother’s or to Main Street. His place was always interesting. He had a cute little cat for many years that looked a bit like a miniature raccoon. He had a stone wall out front that he decorated with little plastic figurines. Some of them — the little pink teddy bear, for instance — were added by passers-by such as myself. I always got a kick out of his Beware of Falling Acorns sign too.

Our shipmate, friend, Earl Cavanagh, passed on. Much love to Nancy Cavanagh, and family. Zoe Kopp and Namaya Art Rat Peace.

Neil Taylor’s life

Diamondstone’s wife, four children, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren will host a public celebration of his life Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the site of their former homestead at 787 Western Ave. The family is directing memorial contributions to Vermont’s Liberty Union Party, the American Civil Liberties Union and Green Mountain Veterans for Peace.

Peter Diamondstone has Passed.

My beautiful loving sister Rupa Cousins has passed on today. I was awake most of the night restless. And there is great peace, joy with sadness in her passing. I wrote this last night and this morning i send this. To all who were touched by her magic, passion and love for life, let us celebrate, Rupa Sister Rainbow Dancer.

The following notice was posted on the St Michael’s Episcopal Church’s website.

The Ringling Bros. circus is shutting down this May after 146 years. This circus would come to Brattleboro back in the day.

Owners says it is a combination of the times (we are easily distracted by other things), the cost of hauling an enormous show from town to town, and a lack of elephants. Elephants had been a part of the show until last year and there was a major drop-off in attendance after they left.

Final shows will be in Providence, RI, and Uniondale, NY later this spring. 500 employees will be looking for work.

(Note to former-circus folk, do consider coming up to Brattleboro. Our circus schoool is being built as I type and we could use more!)

If you knew him, you know he was a kind and gentle human being. I did not know him well, but I always smiled when I saw him coming. He was good. He was kind. 

Gene Wilder. Don’t know the guy at all, other than through his work, but his passing made me think again of how much I’ve been entertained by Mr. Wilder throughout the years.

For me, Willy Wonka is perhaps one of the more inspirational movies from childhood that I return to over and over in my life. A poor nothing of a boy gets a lucky break, explores a highly creative manufacturing establishment, and ends up being given the chocolate factory. Wilder’s Wonka is the only one worth watching.

A few guiding lessons that stick with me from lyrics and lines in the film:

1. If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it. Anything you want to, do it. Want to change the world? There’s nothing to it.