Author: Randi Alexandra Plake

Robert P. Cook, Jr., died at age 90 on March 1, 2016 with his family by his side.

Mr. Cook, resident of Walnut Creek, Calif. and longtime resident of New Canaan, was born on Sept. 5, 1925 in Arlington, Mass. to the late Robert Parker and Christine Darling Cook.

Mr. Cook defended his country in WWII as one of the original crewmembers of LCI-1091, on which he served as a signalman from the time of its commissioning in Lake Michigan in September 1944 until the end of its occupation duties in Japan in December 1945. LCI-1091 is now a museum ship for the Humboldt Bay Naval Sea/Air Museum at Eureka, Calif. and is one of the only examples afloat of this special class of seagoing amphibious assault ships.

Mr. Cook graduated from Wesleyan University in 1949 and spent 35 years working for International Silver Company in Meriden, Conn. as general sales manager. His honesty, loyalty, humor and impeccable good manners served him well in his professional life, and his private years were marked by an extraordinary kindness. All of his summers were spent at his family residence on Southport Island, Maine, which he viewed as the most wonderful place on earth.

Bob was preceded in death in 2011 by his wife and pal Charlotte C. Cook, his partner of 63 years.

Mr. Cook is survived in life by his two daughters, Alison Downs of Solana Beach, Calif. and Leslie Weaver of Lafayette, Calif.; his sons-in-law Michael Downs and John Weaver; his four grandsons Miles Stenehjem, Garrett Stenehjem, Kyle Weaver and Ian Weaver; and their wives Anita Stenehjem, Patricia Weaver and Annelise Weaver.

A family graveside service to celebrate Mr. Cook’s life was held on Saturday, March 12, at Lakeview Cemetery in New Canaan.

Willard A. “Will” Lockwood, 91, of Easton, MD, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2015. He is survived by his beloved wife, Eleanor Bloch Lockwood; his brother, Hanford N. Lockwood, of Burlingame, CA; and sister, Isabel Lockwood of Marlborough, MA; his daughters, Andree A. Lockwood of New York City; Rachel Gonzalez-Falla and her husband, Jose, of Austin, TX; son, Winthrop F. Lockwood and his wife, Emily Wassyng, of Brooklyn, NY; and granddaughter, Andree Gonzalez-Falla, of Brooklyn, NY. Born on March 4, 1924, in Washington, D.C., Will was a son of Col. Hanford N. Lockwood and Lillian Atkinson Lockwood. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1945. He founded the Wesleyan University Press and was its Director from 1957 to 1979. He relocated in Easton in 1980, where he served as Managing Editor at the Cornell Maritime Press. Will was an avid amateur letterpress scholar and printer, as well as an award-winning photographer. He was dedicated to serving his communities both in Connecticut and Maryland. He was a longtime director of City Savings Bank in Middletown, and served as president of the Association of American University Presses. He was a volunteer for CASA of the Mid-Shore, serving as an advocate for children for over 20 years. He also served on the Talbot County (MD) Arts Council; and was a proud member of the Rotary Club for over 50 years. Will was a gentleman, and a generous and devoted friend and neighbor. He will be greatly missed. A service will be held in Easton at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home in Easton.
Published in The Hartford Courant on May 17, 2015 – See more here.

William W. Whitten, MD of South Hadley, MA died peacefully after a brief illness on February 20, 2016. Born in Staten Island, NY on September 11, 1923, he was the son of the late George Henry Whitten and Mabel Mathews Whitten.

Bill graduated from Curtis High School in Staten Island and received degrees from Wesleyan University (Class of 1946) and New York Medical College. His specialty was pediatrics, had a private practice in Larchmont, NY for more than 35 years and became Chief of Pediatrics at New Rochelle Hospital Medical Center. He also pursued a research interest in pediatric oncology and was an attending physician at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center Babies Hospital and was an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Bill was a Lieutenant in the Navy, stationed in New London, CT and with the 6th Fleet in Norway.

Married to Nancy Freck Whitten for over 40 years, they resided in Rye, NY until retirement when they split their time between St. Croix and Greensboro, VT in their log home overlooking Lake Caspian before moving to a retirement community in South Hadley, MA.

An avid sailor, Bill was proud to have been the oldest member of the Larchmont Yacht Club at the time of his death.

Bill is survived his son, William W. ‘Skip” Whitten, Jr. of Old Lyme, CT, daughters Betsy Dennison of Pompton Lakes, NJ, Kathy Cihi of Norwalk, CT and Anne Falk of Bend, OR, stepdaughter Melinda Peabody of San Rafael, CA, nine grandchildren and two step grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Freck Whitten and his sister, Marjorie Badeau.

All services will be private. Beers and Story South Hadley Funeral Home www.beersandstory.com has been entrusted with the arrangements. – See more here.

Anderson, Frederick 2/14/1924 – 8/13/2015 Ann Arbor Frederick M. Anderson, professor emeritus of philosophy, was born in Springfield, Ma, February, 14, 1924. He was preceded in death by five brothers and one sister. He has one remaining brother, Richard, who lives in Farmington, Mass. He has two sons, Marc and Michael (Seiko) their four children, Chloe, Chase, Charlotte and Carter and one daughter, Kathryn (Derek) Peters who have two children, Emorie and Rorie. He has two stepchildren, David Brown and Rebecca (Thomas) Renkert and their three children, Sarah, Allison and Alexander and his wife, Barbara. After being fired from a prep school because he had an epileptic seizure in the lunch room, his sister Elizabeth, suggested he apply to Harvard for his PhD. He did and was accepted. Fred taught philosophy at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts and then at Eastern Michigan University. After he retired, he taught literature at Elderwise, which he greatly enjoyed because as he taught them, he was learning. He was a man who never demeaned people nor did he suffer fools easily. He did things most of us wouldn’t think of doing; for example, calling Julia Child for a recipe for scallops which she kindly gave him. He loved baseball; saw Babe Ruth play, Mickey Mantle, and Miguel Cabrerra, to name a few, but as time went on he really couldn’t see or hear much of the game. We will all miss Fred for his foibles, his understated way of teaching, his understanding of humanity and the impact he had on all of us.

Published in Ann Arbor News on Aug. 16, 2015

Dr. Roger P. Kellogg, 94, of Rockport, MA passed away peacefully at his home on March 7, 2016, with his wife of 71 years by his side. He was the beloved husband of his high school sweetheart, Norma (Fitts) Kellogg. He was born in Northampton MA on September 30, 1921 to Henry Clifton and Carrie (Pierce) Kellogg. Roger graduated from Northampton High School in 1939 and from Williston Academy in 1940. He received his BA from Wesleyan University Phi Beta Kappa. His membership in the Sigma Nu Fraternity was a source of pleasure and pride for him all his life. Roger went on to study dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained his degree in 1952. Roger enlisted and served his country honorably in WWII, serving in the 376 Heavy Bomb Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps as a 1st Lieutenant and Navigator in the B24 Liberator. He proudly completed 49 missions serving as lead navigator on 32. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, 4 Campaign Ribbons, 5 Air Medals and 3 Presidential Unit Citations. After completing his education he returned to Northampton and joined his father’s dental practice where he pursued his profession for the next 35 years. He was an enthusiastic storyteller of his WWII experiences. He had a life-long interest in architecture and history. He loved music and he and Norma spent many happy hours listening to jazz and big bands in the company of their close friends.

Roger is survived by his loving wife, Norma Fitts Kellogg; four daughters, Kathryn and Nicholas Flynn of Northampton, Cynthia Kellogg and Donna Marie Robinson of Encinitas, Calif., Amy and Leo Chausse of Canton, Mass. and Elizabeth and Raymond Derouin of Enfield, Conn. He also leaves his seven cherished grandchildren, Regan and Caitlin Flynn, Justin and Elizabeth Chausse and Colin (Annie), Tyler and Kyle Derouin. He was predeceased by his beloved son, H. Clifton Kellogg II in 1967 and his half-brother, Henry Halstead Kellogg in 1986.

Ralph Blomeley Hunter of Bradenton, Florida passed away on February 26, 2016. Born on March 29, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Dr. George Henry Vincent Hunter and Emily Blomeley Hunter, Ralph was looking forward to celebrating his 96th birthday. Predeceased by his wife Claire Anderson Hunter in December 2013, Ralph is survived by his son George Bruce Hunter of Miami, Florida; daughter Janet Emily Hunter of Sarasota; sister-in-law Katherine Anne Stoffel of Sarasota; nephew Jeffrey William Stoffel of Bluemont, Virginia; niece Allyson Stoffel Roe of Montclair, New Jersey; and cousin Walter Scott Blomeley, a Korean War veteran, of Bradenton. Ralph grew up and attended schools in Scarsdale, New York, was proud to be an Eagle Scout, and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He served in World War II first in the Army Air Corps as an instrument flying instructor, and as a graduate language specialist in French, and then as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and a combat platoon leader. Following the end of the war, Ralphs unit was called to be in the army of occupation in Japan, where he received orders transferring him to the office of General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of Allied Powers. During his time in Japan, Ralph worked for several years in charge of Japanese radio stations. Returning from Japan, Ralph attended Syracuse University for a graduate degree before relocating to New York City, where he worked in the radio and television industry for major networks. A move to Cape Cod followed, where he founded and managed two radio stations | WVLC-AM and -FM in Orleans, Massachusetts. In 1975, Ralph settled in Florida on Longboat Key, where he founded, and with his wife Claire ran, the Longboat Observer weekly newspaper from 1978 to 1995. During his years as publisher and editor of the Observer, Ralph gathered extensive information and knowledge about, and photographs from, the early days of the Key, and he served as president of the Longboat Key Historical Society. Ralph authored and published From Calusas to Condominiums: A Pictorial History of Longboat Key in 2002. When the Hunters sold the Longboat Observer and retired, they remained active in the Longboat Key community, including as founding members of Christ Church of Longboat Key. In 2010, the Hunters moved to Westminster Communities in Bradenton. Ralph and Claire were loyal fans of the Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ralph was named Citizen of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Sarasota Keys in 1990, and he was honored as Business Man of the Year by the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce in 1986. Memorial donations may be made to the American Red Cross, for whom Ralphs mother worked during World War II, traveling to Europe and the Far East setting up officers clubs and rest and recreation centers for servicemen and women. Donations may also be made to the American Heart Association , and the Boy Scouts of America. Memorial services are planned for Christ Church of Longboat Key at 2 pm on Saturday, March 5, 2016 and at Westminster Communities at a later date. Arrangements by All Veterans-All Families Funerals & Cremations. (941) 377-1060.

Published in The Cape Codder from Mar. 2 to Mar. 11, 2016.

Frederick P. Appleton, aged 95, passed away peacefully surrounded by family, friends, and caregivers in his home at Lake Prince Woods on Thursday, March 24, 2016 after a two year battle with cancer.

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Fred spent his childhood years in Montclair, New Jersey followed by his college years (with an interruption for military service) at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, from which he graduated in 1946.

Fred entered military service in the Navy in 1942 as an Ensign and retired from active duty as a Lieutenant Commander in 1951.  He was a pilot who saw significant action in the Pacific Theatre in World War II, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a rescue mission off an enemy occupied island.

He married Kathryn Steik (Bobbie) in 1951 – a marriage of 65 years.  He was father to four children; Rick, Bonnie, Diane, and Jim and grandfather to five; Zach, Darcy, Britt, Cassie, and Kelly.  He was preceded in death by his siblings Bob and Ann, and by his daughter Bonnie.

Fred spent his entire career with the New York Telephone Company, from which he retired in 1983.  He, Bobbie, and their family also spent many wonderful years at their summer home on Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

A Memorial Service with military honors is planned for Wednesday, April 20^th at 2:00 pm at Lake Prince Woods in Suffolk, Virginia.  He will be interred in a family plot at Mount Hebron Cemetery in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the United Church Homes and Services Foundation (Lake Prince Woods Continuing Care Retirement Community).

Fred will be missed by all who knew him; he was a  good, courageous, caring man who lived a full and wonderful life.

Frank Priest Conant, 98, of Easthampton, died Wednesday, March 2, 2016, in his home.

He was born Oct. 28, 1917, in Littleton, the son of the late Harold W. and Dorothy Priest Conant. He was a graduate of Williston Academy class of 1935 and Wesleyan University class of 1939.

He was vice president of International Operations for the United Elastic Corporation retiring in 1969, then becoming a trust officer at the First National Bank of Northampton retiring in 1977.

Frank served in the army during World War II; a Massachusetts National Guard member federalized one day after Pearl Harbor. He served for the duration of the war, five years to the day, attaining the rank of major.

He was a member of Southampton Congregational Church, UCC serving as a church leader in various capacities. He was a trustee of Williston Academy and Williston-Northampton School in Easthampton, Ferrum College in Virginia, and Childs Park in Northampton. He served on numerous Southampton school and building committees and the cemetery commission. He was also a member of the American Legion, Franklin Harvest Club and Easthampton Rotary Club. He was the author of several local historical books including “God’s Steward” a history of Williston Academy.

Frank was predeceased by wife Jessie Phillips Conant who died in 1944 and by wife Ruby Bowlin Conant who died in 2002. He is survived by two sons, Dale B. Conant of Martinsburg, West Virginia, and John W. Conant (Sally) of South Deerfield, and two daughters, Ann C. Leatherman (Stephen) of Indianapolis, Indiana, and the Rev. Mary P. Conant (Robin) of Sunol, California; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by two sisters, Elizabeth C. Cook and Lucy H. Conant.

A memorial service with military honors will be held Tuesday, March 8, at 2 p.m. at the Southampton Congregational Church. There will be no calling hours. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Camp Fleur de Lis, 120 Howeville Road, Fitzwilliam, NH 03447, or Edwards Public Library, 30 East St., Southampton, MA 01073. www.mitchellcofuneralhome.com.

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