CATHERINE A. DESMARAIS
January 7, 1959 ~ June 19, 2022 (Age 63)

WINCHENDON - Catherine A. (Mitchell) Desmarais, 63, of Winchendon, died unexpectedly Sunday morning, June 19, 2022 in Heywood Hospital, Gardner.

She was born in Winchendon on January 7, 1959, daughter of the late Richard E. and Marjorie M. (White) Mitchell Sr. and lived in Winchendon for most of her life. Cathy was a 1977 graduate of Murdock High School and earned her Bachelors' Degree and Masters' Degree in Special Education from Fitchburg College.

Cathy was a special education teacher in the Winchendon School System for many years until her retirement in 2020. She was well loved by her students, whom she kept in touch with, following her retirement. Cathy was an active member of Winchendon Lions Club and was a recipient of the coveted Joseph J. Camarda Fellowship Award and Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. Additionally, Cathy was a member of Eugene M. Connor Post 193 American Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Knights of Inferno Ladies and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.

Cathy enjoyed boating, reading, working on puzzles, watching murder mysteries and especially spending time with her grandchildren.

She leaves her husband of 44 years, Mark E. Desmarais; three children, Danielle Antonellis and husband Mike of Winchendon, Seth Desmarais and wife April of Jaffrey, NH and Megan Desmarais of Jaffrey, NH; three grandchildren, Evelyn Desmarais, Logan Desmarais and Alyson Antonellis; one brother, Richard F. Mitchell Jr and wife Christine of Cape Neddick, ME, as well as nieces and nephews. A brother, Marc W. Mitchell, preceded her in death.

Calling hours in Stone-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, Winchendon are Thursday, June 23, 2022 from 4 to 8 P.M.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, June 24, 2022 at 11 A.M. in Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 52 Spruce Street, Winchendon.

Burial will be Monday, June 27, 2022 in Massachusetts Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, 111 Glenallen Street, Winchendon.

Memorial donations may be made to Special Olympics Massachusetts https://www.specialolympicsma.org

To leave an online condolence, please visit www.stone-ladeau.com

Kevin J. Mack, Douglas M. Stone and Walter C. Taylor, directors.

PAMELA A. LIVINGSTON
Febraury 15, 1954 ~ June 18, 2022 (Age 68)

WINCHENDON - Pamela A. (Freda) Livingston, 68, of Winchendon, formerly of Fitchburg, died peacefully Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, with her family at her side, following a short illness.

She was born in Shirley, MA on February 15, 1954, daughter of the late Edward and Eva (LeBlanc) Freda and lived in Fitchburg for 25 years, until moving Winchendon last year.

Pam had worked as a CNA several years ago at Birchwood Manor and The Highlands Nursing Home. She cared for many children a foster mother for 30 years and had been a volunteer at Fitchburg Food Bank. Pam enjoyed crocheting and spending time with her grandchildren and foster children.

She leaves two children, Tracy Frye and husband Mark of Winchendon and Danny W. Livingston and fianceé Nicole of Fitchburg; her brothers and sisters, Kathy Dotti of Mississippi, Danny Freda of Alabama, Wayne Davis of Mississippi and Theresa Davis of Mississippi; nine grandchildren; one great grandson; many nieces and nephews. A brother, Gary Freda, preceded her in death.

Calling hours in Stone-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, Winchendon are Tuesday, June 28, 2022 from 5 to 7 P.M.

Funeral services and burial will be private.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital www.stjude.org

To leave and online condolence, please visit www.stone-ladeau.com

Kevin J. Mack, Douglas M. Stone and Walter C. Taylor directors

SCOTT A. RUSSELL
June 12, 2022 (Age 61)

Scott Alan Russell, 61, died Sunday, June 12, 2022.

He leaves his father and step-mother, Richard Sr. and Janet Russell of Winchendon; one brother, Richard Russell Jr and his wife, Cynthia of Tyngsboro; two sisters, Andrea Torrisi and her husband, James of Winchendon and Katrina Lossman and her husband, John of Billerica; two nephews, Michael Torrisi and Timothy Torrisi; one niece, Sarah Brigger and his favorite cousin, Rick Porter.

Scott was born in Keene, NH a son of Betty Jane (Hampel) Russell. He was a graduate of Chelmsford High School. He worked as a machinist for Raynor in Westminster and Entwhisel in Hudson. Scott enjoyed reading, fishing and playing with his dog.

He was predeceased by his mother Betty Jane.

His funeral services and burial will be private.

If you wish to make a memorial contribution please consider Buddy Dog, at www.buddydoghs.com/donate or send to 151 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, Ma 01776.

To leave an online condolence please visit, www.stone-ladeau.com

The Stone-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, Winchendon, MA 01475 has been entrusted with Scott's care.

Kevin J. Mack, Douglas M. Stone and Walter C. Taylor, funeral directors.

KERNELL GEORGE RIES JR.
June 28, 1931 ~ June 9, 2022 (Age 90)

Kernell George Ries Jr., age 90, of Lebanon, NH, and formerly of Rindge, NH, passed away on June 9, 2022, in Lebanon, NH. Kernell died of a brain injury subsequent to a fall.

Kernell, also known as George or K.G., was born in Niagara Falls, NY, on June 28, 1931, to Kernell Sr. and Ada Ries, and grew up there. He attended the University of Buffalo for one year before going into the U.S. Navy in 1950, during the Korean War. During training in Boston, Kernell met Harriet Damon, originally of Rindge, NH, who would become his loving wife of 69 years.

He served as a Naval Personnelman for 23 years, serving tours of duty on several East coast bases and on several ships, and visited ports around the world. Closest to his heart was his tour on the USS Independence aircraft carrier as a Chief Petty Officer. He received numerous awards and ultimately rose to the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, the highest enlisted rank in the Navy. Prior to retirement from active duty in 1974, he was an instructor at the U.S. Navy War College, and was the highest-ranking enlisted man out of several thousand at the Newport, RI naval base.

After retirement from the Navy, Kernell and his family moved to Harriet's childhood home in Rindge, NH. Kernell enrolled at Keene State College, and received a Bachelor's degree in business in 1977. He then was hired to work for the NH Employment Security office in Keene, where he worked for 15 years. Kernell also served in the Naval Reserve for 7 years.

Kernell was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing, camping, skiing, and sailing, and was a dedicated follower of the Boston major league sports teams. He also had strong interests in history, genealogy, politics, and working on vehicles. He had the ability to learn and do just about anything he put his mind to, which included building a vacation home near Sugarloaf, ME, with his son, Kernell III.

In addition to Harriet, Kernell is survived by his sister Connie Graham; by children Kathy, Kernell III and spouse Helen, and Jeffrey and spouse Debbie; grandchildren Jennifer, Scott, Jessica, Nicole, Jacob, and Connor; and great-grandchildren Morgan, and Maxwell.

Kernell is being cremated. His ashes will be interred at Riverside Cemetery in Winchendon, MA, at a date to be announced later. The family asks that instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative & Hospice Care, a part of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital, in Lebanon, NH, where Kernell received excellent care in his final days. Donations can be made at https://dhmcalumdev.hitchcock.org/giving/jack-byrne-center.

ELLSWORTH MARCEL SAMMETT
January 5, 1924 ~ June 14, 2022 (Age 98)

Ellsworth (Sam) Marcel Sammet, age 98, died on June 14, 2022 at Greensboro Nursing Home in Greensboro VT. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeannine Sammet, who passed away on December 22, 2004.

Sam was born on January 5, 1924 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the son of Alfred J. and M. Annie Sammet.

He graduated from Fitchburg High School. He entered Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1941 and went on active duty in the Navy as a seaman in 1943. Where he was training to be a radioman/rear gunner on an SBD dive/bomber. He was then chosen for the V-5 Naval Aviator Cadet program and was commissioned as a Naval aviator at the end of WWII. He was in training to fly the F4F Corsair from aircraft carriers when WWII ended and never ended up deploying to the fleet. After the war ended, Sam separated from the Navy and went back to school at WPI.

Returning to WPI, he received the degree of BS in Civil Engineering in 1949 and took his first job with the Army Corps of Engineers at the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River, at Riverdale, North Dakota where he met and married A. Jeannine Sayler of Washburn, North Dakota in 1950.

The couple settled in Ashburnham, MA on Stodge Meadow Pond and Sam began work as a resident engineer on highway construction for the Massachusetts State Highway Department in Worcester County.

Sam resumed flying as a Naval Reserve jet fighter pilot in the 1950's and as an anti-submarine multi-engine pilot in the 1960's. He was called up for duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

In the 1960's, he worked with Bob Woodruff and Al DeGrace to build the Mt. Watatic Ski Area in Ashby, MA. He engineered all the lifts and trails. The whole family gained their love of skiing because of Mt. Watatic. He remained active with the ski area until his transfer to Berkshire County where he enjoyed several years of skiing in the Berkshires.

From 1965-1971 he worked as an engineer out of the District Two MDPW office in Northampton, MA where he supervised the Interstate 91 construction from Greenfield to Springfield and was promoted to District Maintenance Engineer. He delighted in pointing out to his children the various bridges and interchanges that he helped to build.

Moving his family to Pittsfield in 1971, Sam became District One Construction Engineer anticipating construction of the Pittsfield Bypass. He was Acting District Highway Engineer from 1979 to 1981 and made permanent District Highway Engineer in 1987 until retiring in 1989.

Sam was a Registered Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Public Works Association, and the Massachusetts Highway Association. He received a 25-year Award of Merit from the American Association of State Highway Officials.

Sam was very active in the community. He served on several committees at South Congregational Church in Pittsfield. He was on the Salvation Army Advisory Board and participated in the Berkshire Bounty food distribution for the Red Cross.

Sam joined the Gardner MA Rotary Club in 1962. In 1972, he became a member of the Pittsfield Rotary Club where he served as President from 1976 to 1977, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow in 1983.

Sam was an avid lover of music. He greatly enjoyed the yearly Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, MA, He also enjoyed concerts at Sevenars Music Festival, Lisa's Music Box concerts, and Margo's concerts with Portsmouth Pro Musica.

Sam was an avid sailor. He bought a sailboat that he moored at Lake George, NY, which became the scene of many family adventures. He loved to travel and led the family on many long camping trips across the country to visit his wife's relatives in North Dakota, California, and Nevada, as well as across Canada, and up to Nova Scotia. Sam and Jeannine also enjoyed cruises in the Caribbean.

Jeannine passed away in 2004. He then moved to Salisbury Estates in Pittsfield where he made many new friends and was active in their speakers' luncheons and newsletters. Sam loved his view of the Berkshire hills, the airplanes flying in and out of the local airport, and he enjoyed his view of Bousquet Mountain Ski Area, especially the night skiing.

When the COVID pandemic hit the country, he was far away from family, so he came up to live at the Greensboro Nursing Home, next to the town where his daughter, Lisa lives.

Sam is survived by his daughter Margo Carrier and her husband Bruce of Greenland, NH, and their children, Jacob Carrier and his wife Amanda of Acton ME, and Jonathan Carrier of Greenland NH, his daughter Lisa Sammet of Craftsbury VT, his son Jonathan Sammet of Winchendon, MA, and his son James Sammet, his wife Emily Sammet, and their children Sayler and Mason, of Snoqualmie Pass, WA.

Sam was a wonderful man, loved by many, a dear father who was a great role model for his children. He will be missed by many.

Visitation hours will be held on June 28 from 10 am to 11 am at Bosk Funeral Home, 85 Blossom St, Fitchburg, MA, followed by the burial at Forest Hill Cemetery, 115 Mount Elam Road, Fitchburg MA 01420.

Donations in memory of Sam may be made to South Congregational in Pittsfield MA- southchurchpittsfield.org or Sevenars Concerts at Sevenars.org.