InDepthNH.org scans the websites of New Hampshire funeral homes each week and selects at random some of our friends, relatives and neighbors to feature in this column. The people listed here passed away during the previous weeks and have some public or charitable connection to their community. InDepthNH.org is now offering obituaries through the Legacy.com service. We view this as part of our public service mission. Click here or on the Obituaries tab at the top of our home page to learn more. And if you know of someone from New Hampshire who should be featured in this column, please send your suggestions to NancyWestNews@gmail.com.
Edward J. “Ted” Barton Jr., 93, of New Castle, died April 29, 2024. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he owned and operated E. Ted Barton Paving for more than 30 years, retiring and then co-founding a painting business with Ed Arsenault. During the 1970s and 1980s, he coached at both the Little League and Babe Ruth levels. (J. Verne Wood Funeral Home – Buckminster Chapel)
Dr. James Borbotsina, 75, of Manchester, died April 28, 2024. A U.S. Army veteran, he opened his dental practice in 1976, serving his community for over 40 years. He later opened a restaurant called The Way We Cook (later renamed The North End Bistro) from 2003-2017. He relocated his dental practice to the same building as the restaurant to monitor his soups and sauces between patients. He served as president of the local Dental Society and volunteered at St. George’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)
Stephen William Edmands, 73 of Mont Vernon, died April 26, 2024. He was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard for six years. He played in numerous bands in the Boston area, including “Band in Boston,” a jazz and funk ensemble, in which he played lead trumpet. He also played for the Boston Pops. He owned a printing business in Watertown, Mass., called B&B Printing Services. (Legacy.com)
Walter Charles Johnson, 94, of Sandwich, died April 26, 2024. He grew up on a farm in Connecticut and wrote about his experiences in a collection of stories called “Farm Stories.” He worked 35 years for Bell Laboratories and was involved in creating TRADIC, the first digital computer built with transistors. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he supervised a group at SAC headquarters that made significant advances in Titan ICBM targeting. He headed computer technology departments that operated computer centers at Whippany & Murray Hill New Jersey. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America until his retirement in 1987, when he moved to Center Sandwich. He served on the town planning board, the Children’s Center, and the Historical Society. (Mayhew Funeral Homes and Crematorium)
Dr. David Lanning, 96, of Hampstead, died April 26, 2024. He was a professor of nuclear engineering at MIT. (Douglas & Johnson Funeral Home)
Peter L. Lumbra, 61, of Charlestown, died April 24, 2024. He was third-generation owner of Rick’s Electric in Charlestown and was a 37-year member of the Charlestown Fire Department. (Charlestown Memorial Chapel)
Phidelma “Della” Hayes McGrath, 81, formerly of Newmarket, died April 20, 2024. She was a special education teacher in the Concord school district in the 1970s and 1980s and owned her own tailoring business in Concord in the 1980s and early 1990s. She returned to school to become a nurse, graduating from UNH in 1996. She was director of nursing for many years at Havenwood Heritage Heights long-term care facility in Concord. She also worked at Kirkwood Corners in Lee. (Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home & Crematory)
Maurice A. Ouellet, 85, of Londonderry, died April 24, 2024. He taught for five years in Epping and then became a chemistry teacher at Manchester Central High School, retiring in 1997 after a 30-year career. (Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium)
Sr. Constance Perreault, pm, (Sr. M. Francoise d’Assise) 96, of Manchester, a member of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary for 76 years, died April 28, 2024. She was a teacher and principal at various schools in Rhode Island and New Hampshire. For 13 years, she was director of the Alumni Association at Rivier University. In 1987, she received the St. Madeleine of Jesus Award. She also served in the capacity of secretary to the General Administration of the Presentation of Mary Generalate in Castelgandolfo, Rome, Italy. (Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory)
Patrick J. Sheehan, 57, of Concord, died April 21, 2024. He practiced law in New Hampshire for more than 25 years and was a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association. He was recognized in U.S. News and World Report for Best Lawyers and by New Hampshire Magazine for Best Lawyers. (Waters Funeral Home)
Michael D. Skinner, 72, of Lebanon and Tenant’s Harbor, Maine, died April 27, 2024. He was a senior executive at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and then president and CEO of Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Mass. He was an assistant professor at Colby Sawyer College and a columnist for two local newspapers. He wrote a book about his life story titled “My Life as a Non-Valedictorian.” (Ricker Funeral Homes & Crematory)
Anne-Lee Verville, 78, of Hopkinton, died April 27, 2024. She had a 30-year career at IBM, starting as a marketing representative and retiring in 19987 as general manager of IBM’s Global Education Industry. She served as IBM U.S. Marketing Group chief financial officer, IBM chief information officer, and president of two software development divisions. She was appointed to the National Skill Standard Board in 1995 by President Clinton, served on the board of directors of the National Alliance of Business and the board of advisors at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, the board of trustees of Western Governors University and board of advisors at Wake Forest University. She co-authored a book titled “What Business Wants from Higher Education.” She served on the board of trustees of the Columbia Atlantic Funds and was a member of the board of directors and chairman of the board of Enesco Group Inc. She was a member of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Board of Trustees for 10 years, serving two years as chairman of the board. (Waters Funeral Home)
WORDS OF WISDOM: “Although it’s difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, May looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow.” – Author unknown