Obituaries

Daniel Toomey, 91

LEE, Mass. — Daniel J. Toomey, 91, of Lee, died Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at his home with family by his side. Dan was born in Ballyneety, County Limerick, Ireland, on April 12, 1926, the...

Joseph A. Simonetta, 50

LENOX, Mass. — Joseph Anthony Simonetta, 50, of Housatonic Street, died Monday, June 19, 2017, of natural causes at his home. Born in Pittsfield on January 5, 1967, the son of Christine...

Marjorie T. Cummings, 88

LEE, Mass. — Marjorie T. Cummings, 88, of Water Street died Tuesday evening, June 20, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center. A resident of Lenox for much of her life, she was born July 31,...

Kenneth D. Davis, 71

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Kenneth Darcy Davis, 71, of North Adams, Mass., died Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center.  He was born in San Diego, Calif., on September 26,...

Raymond J. Laurenzo, 70

BENNINGTON, Vt. — Raymond Joseph Laurenzo, 70, a former resident and fire chief of Mechanicville, N.Y., passed away peacefully on Father's Day, Sunday June 18, 2017, at the Albany...

Margaret B. Brennan, 63

DALTON, Mass. — Margaret 'Peg' B. Brennan, 63, of 73 Daly Avenue, Dalton, died Sunday, June 18, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center. Born in Pittsfield on July 28, 1953, the...

Richard A. Nicholas Sr., 84

DALTON, Mass. — Richard A. Nicholas Sr., 84, of Dalton passed away peacefully at home on June 16, 2017, after a lengthy and valiant fight. Born in Lee, Mass., on April 22, 1933, the son...

Helen E. Biondo, 84

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Helen Elizabeth (LeBarron) Biondo, 84, of Williamstown, Mass., died Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at Williamstown Commons. She was born in Hancock, Mass., on April 19,...

Richard D. Vallieres, 60

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Richard David Vallieres, 60, of North Adams, Mass., died on Monday, June 19, 2017, at his home. He was born in North Adams on December 31, 1956, a son of the late...

Thomas C. Ferris, 63

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Thomas Charles Ferris, 63, died on May 3, 2017, after a long illness. He was born on April 27, 1954, a son of the late Michael M. & Vina (Greenlaw)...

Ellen G. Tietgens, 93

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Mrs. Ellen G. (Shields) Tietgens, 93, of Clarksburg, Mass., died Thursday morning, June 15, 2017, at North Adams Commons. She was born in North Adams on November 23,...

Arthur H. Koehler, 86

ADAMS, Mass. — Arthur H. Koehler, 86, died June 14, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield following a period of failing health during which time he had resided at Williamstown...

Kaliq I. Sherman, 17

ADAMS, Mass. — Kaliq Isaiah Sherman, 17, resident of Adams, sadly left us here as he began his journey climbing the stairway to Heaven, on Monday, June 12, 2017. He was born at North...

Rep. Gailanne Cariddi, 63

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Gailanne M. Cariddi, 63, of North Adams, representative of the 1st Berkshire District, died Saturday, June 17, 2017, at Massachusetts General Hospital in...

Ralph Jackson, 63

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Ralph C. Jackson, 63, of Pittsfield died Thursday, June 15, 2017, in the arms of his loving wife, after a short battle with lung cancer.  Ralph was born in...

William Custer, 86

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — William "Bill" Custer was hilarious, loving and one-of-a -kind. He passed away on Monday, June 12, 2017, peacefully, at his Pittsfield home surrounded by those...

Bruce A. Barney, 70

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Bruce Arthur Barney, 70, of Pensacola, Fla., died on Tuesday, May 23, 2017, at Northwest Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Wash., following a long, war-related...

Jacqueline J. Toomey, 89

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Jacqueline Jean Toomey died peacefully on June 12, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield. She was 89.   She was born in Winooski, Vt., on June 30,...

Ellen G. Tietgens, 93

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Mrs. Ellen G. (Shields) Tietgens, 93, of Clarksburg, Mass., died Thursday morning, June 15, 2017, at North Adams Commons. She was born in North Adams on November 23,...

Elisabeth C. Tassone, 70

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — A Celebration of Life honoring the late Elisabeth C. (Ellen) Tassone, 70, of Heritage Shores, wife of former North Adams resident Lawrence H. Tassone, who passed away on...

Joseph P. Galli, 89

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Joseph P. Galli, 89, formerly of 15 Williamsburg Terrace, passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2017 at Kimball Farms Nursing Center in Lenox, where he had resided for the...

Franklin E. Perras Jr., 79

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Franklin Edward Perras Jr., 79, of North Adams, Mass., passed away on Sunday, June 4, 2017, at BMC North.  Born in Adams, Mass., on April 30, 1938, to Franklin...

Charles T. Ostrander Sr., 63

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Charles Thomas Ostrander Sr., 63, a well-known resident of North Adams, died on Thursday, June 8, 2017, at his home.  He was born in Troy, N.Y., on February 11,...

Harold O. Davis, 80

MILL RIVER, Mass. — Mr. Harold O. Davis, "Hoot," 80, of Clayton Mill River Road died on Sunday, June 11, 2017, at Fairview Hospital. A native and lifelong resident Harold was...

Matthew R. Deane, 32

ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Ryan Deane, 32, of Adams, Mass., passed away on June 7, 2017, at Berkshire Medical Center.   Matt was born in North Adams on April 7, 1985, son of Stephen J....