The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of May 14 to May 21, 2020

Obituaries

Norma J. Tuori

NORMA J. TUORI
May 6, 2020 (age 87)

Norma J. Tuori, 87, of Quincy, sadly passed away on May 6, 2020 after a brief illness. Born in Rockland, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Sylvia (Carlson) Mehtala. She was preceded in death by her husband Robert Tuori. Loving mother of Marlene Benson (James Thompson) of MD, Marilyn (Ron) Rogers and Stan Benson of Quincy, Sheila (Brian) Serino of NH; and sister Ellen Huhtala of Winchendon, MA. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren and 3 great-granddaughters. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and friends. In light of the events of Covid-19, a Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Faith Lutheran Church, 201 Granite Street, Quincy, MA 02169. Arrangements were made by Hamel-Lydon Chapel, 650 Hancock St., Quincy, MA 02170. For more information and online condolences, please visit www.HamelLydon.com.

Jeffrey H. Mattson

JEFFREY H. MATTSON
February 2, 1956 ~ May 10, 2020 (age 64)

Jeffrey Henry Mattson, 64, died peacefully in his Troy residence on Sunday, May 10th, 2020 surrounded by family after a brief battle with cancer.

He was born February 2, 1956 in Keene, NH, to parents Matthew Mattson and Minnie Mattson (Hackler). Jeff grew up in Troy, NH and attended Troy Elementary School followed by Monadnock Regional High School. He worked for many years at Troy Mills before moving to Ohio, where he worked at StretchTape, Inc. in Cleveland.

Jeff was very passionate about volunteering for local fire and ambulance, serving with Meadowood Fire Department and Troy Emergency Ambulance Service (TEASI), which he proudly served as a Lieutenant for a period of time.

He was well known for offering a helping hand to those he cared about, tackling a variety of odd jobs, and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. Jeff always enjoyed a good meal with friends or family, loved NASCAR, local New England sports teams, WWE, and the occasional fishing trip.

Survivors include daughter Holly Charlonne and her husband David of Jaffrey; son Jaice Leveille and wife Tina of Winchendon, MA; granddaughters Morgann and Melora; grandsons Patrick, Preston, and Evan; former wife and friend Kim; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He is pre-deceased by both of his parents, brothers Kyle and Peter, and long-time companion/friend Nancy.

Private funeral arrangements will be at the discretion of the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jeff’s name to Troy Fire & Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 659, Troy, NH 03465.

Robert F. Macomber

ROBERT F. MACOMBER
June 26, 1946 ~ May 12, 2020 (age 73)

On May 12, 2020 Robert F. Macomber left this world to be with his Heavenly Father. He was born in Gardner on June 26, 1946 and lived in Winchendon most of his life. For 8 years he enjoyed his lakefront home in Eagle Lake, Maine.

Bob resided with his wife, Nancy of 39 years on Joslin Road in Winchendon. It was not uncommon for Bob to be outside enjoying watching his dogs Trudi-Beth and Libby-Labbe during playdates and watching neighborhood children at play. He had nicknames for everyone and loved to tease the kids!

He was in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation centers for the past 4 years and had been in a wheelchair during that time. Some of his illnesses were the result of Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam in the 1960's. Bob often talked about the exceptional care the VA gave him once he became 100% disabled including accommodations for him to get into his home with his wheelchair and they arranged to put a wheelchair lift in his pick-up truck to make transporting him much easier. All the doctors, nurses and staff worked incredibly hard trying to get him back on his feet.

He was predeceased by three sisters, Betty, Mary and Kathy and leaves his brother and sister-in-law Brian and Laoni Macomber of Texas, and Philip and Jean Macomber of Florida.

If Bob were with us now, he would ask that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Ahimsa Haven to allow animals be rescued or make a gift to your local Veterans Center.

A military funeral at the Massachusetts Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery, Winchendon will be held at a later time.

Stone-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, Winchendon is directing arrangements.

Eugene R. Ptak

EUGENE R. PTAK
May 1, 1959 ~ April 28, 2020 (age 60)

ASHBURNHAM - Eugene R. Ptak Jr., 60 of Ashburnham, passed away Tuesday, April 28th at home. Eugene was born on May 1, 1959 in Fitchburg to the late Eugene R. Ptak Sr. & the late Claire (Pelletier) Ptak. He grew up in Fitchburg and graduated from Fitchburg High School. He was a sheet metal mechanic in the sheet metal fabrication field, working for Digital until 1999, Vulcan Industries until 2007 and recently worked for N.E. Fabricated Metals. He enjoyed fishing and boating, watching the Patriots, camping, hiking and time spent with family and friends.

He leaves his wife: Sarah E. (OConnell) Ptak of Ashburnham; son: James Ptak of Sterling; stepson: Ryan Dearborn of Ashburnham; stepdaughter: Alana Dearborn and her fiancé Jarad Lavoie of Gardner; brothers: Joseph Ptak of Fitchburg, John Ptak of Gardner, Robert Ptak of Fitchburg; sisters: C. Gayle Carter and her husband Thomas of Leominster, Bonnie Thomas and her husband Arthur of Winchendon; grandson: Matthias Lavoie of Gardner; many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at the convenience of the family.

To leave an online condolence, please visit www.mackfamilyfh.com.

Mack Family Funeral Homes, 105 Central St., Gardner is assisting with arrangements.

Michelle M. Leger

MICHELLE M. LEGER
August 23, 1965 ~ May 7, 2020 (age 54)

FITCHBURG - Michelle M. "Keke" (Miller) Leger, 54, of Fitchburg, died Thursday, May 7, 2020 at Health Alliance Leominster Hospital, following a two year battle with cancer. Her husband Craig was by her side, as he has been every day and every step of the way. Michelle's brave and tireless strength, sprinkled with humor at times, kept her focused and positive throughout the difficult days.

Michelle was born in Fitchburg, August 23 1965, a daughter of Theresa R. (Malouin) Miller and the late Vincent L. Miller and was a 1983 graduate of St. Bernard's Central Catholic High School. Although she resided much of her life in Fitchburg, she also resided briefly in Hawaii and Maryland.

Michelle had worked as a substitute teacher at the Reingold Elementary School in Fitchburg, was a caretaker for her sister Lisa, and a member of St. Joseph's Church in Fitchburg.

She enjoyed paddle boarding, zip lining, camping, running, biking, yoga, and playing bingo with her mom. Some of her most treasured moments were spent with Craig at her 'Happy Place' – Old Orchard Beach. She would often be seen at sunrise searching for sand dollars and sea glass, and loved posting pictures of her treasures and her special 'coffee of the day'.

In addition to her mother of Gardner, Michelle leaves her husband of 16 years, Craig R. Leger; her daughter, Brittany L. Prosper and fiancé, Douglas Gibson of Elkton, MD; and her first granddaughter Mikayla Rose Gibson. She also leaves three sisters, Katherine T. Miller and her husband, John Magane of Portsmouth, NH, Patricia A. Washburn and her husband Mark of Ashburnham, Suzan Kowaleski of Winchendon, her brother, Joseph A. Miller of Lancaster, and her brother in law, Michael Dufault of Ashburnham, She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Her sweet great nephew Levi had a special place in her heart, calling her his Tata.

Michelle was predeceased by her daughter, Jamie Lynn Miller in 1986, her sisters Lisa M. Miller of Fitchburg who died in 2011, Marylou Miller of Caribou, Maine who died in 2013 and Diane L. Dufault of Ashburnham who died in 2018, as well as her four legged friends and constant companions Reggie and Bobbie.

Michelle's family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the doctors & staff of Dana Farber Clinic-Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston. A special thank you to the the nurses and staff at the Health Alliance Leominster Hospital including Dr. Kimberly Ebb, Steffanie and Kristi. A sincere thank you also to Gina and Joyce of Health Alliance Home Health and Hospice.

Due to gathering restrictions a private funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph's Church followed by burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Health Alliance Home Health & Hospice, 50 Hospital Road, Leominster, MA 01453.

The Isabelle & Anderson Funeral Home, 316 Clarendon Street, Fitchburg is assisting the family with arrangements. For additional information or to leave an on line condolence, please visit their website at www.andersonfuneral.com.

William Mark Finlay

WILLIAM MARK "BILL" FINLAY
April 15, 1958 ~ May 3, 2020 (age 62)

West Groton/Townsend - On Sunday, May 3, 2020, William (Bill) Finlay, 62 passed away from COVID-19. Bill was a strong fighter for many years as he overcame many very serious health obstacles. Most recently he was dealing with the effects of Polycystic Kidney Disease as a dialysis patient waiting for a kidney transplant. The love and support of his family and many friends was what kept him going. People who knew him would often refer to him as a "medical miracle".

Bill was born in Ayer, Ma., on April 15, 1958. He grew up in the close knit neighborhood of West Groton and graduated from Groton High School in 1976. He would often boast that he was from "the good side of the river". His friends from childhood have been lifelong and they all seem to have a story or two of Bill in his teen years or early 20's that involved crazy fun and many different cars. These stories are many!

Bill worked several different jobs including J.P. Sullivan's with his father, Fairview Orchards and Reeds Express. He then went on to own and run "Bill's Tire and Service" gas station in Groton for several years. After selling the business, he trained for his proudest work as a Police Officer. He was able to put his knowledge gained from his own "active" youth along with his friendly personality to good use as an Officer. He began his career in Groton and then spent many years on the Lunenburg Police Department. During this time he also started his Lawn Maintenance Services, working 7 days a week. Bill was a kind and generous man who was always willing to help anyone.

Bill was predeceased by his parents, Edwin Sr. and Marion (Taylor) Finlay as well as his sister Barbara Nixon. He leaves behind his wife, Deborah Finlay of Townsend and his children, Lauren Finlay, her wife Tara and their children Zacharay (deceased), Kaleb, Jace and Jovani, all of Winchendon Ma., his daughter Julia Finlay of Gardner, Ma. and his son William Finlay of Groton, Ma. He also leaves a step-daughter Heather Demers and her fiancé Arthur Reed of Townsend, Ma. along with his Granddaughter Skylar Demers. His step-son Justin Demers and his wife Megan from Somerville, Ma. and his sister Ann Quagliana from Belmont, N.H. and her son Michael from New York City as well as his brother Edwin (Ray) Finlay Jr. and his wife Monica from Lowell, Ma. His brother Richard Finlay, his wife Karen and their children John, Conor and Shealyn Finlay of Ayer, Ma.. Bill also leaves a nephew Matthew Nixon of Townsend and a niece Emily Nixon of Webster, Ma. His nieces and nephews always brought him much joy. There was also a very special place in Bill's heart for his dogs, Echo and Spike.

Bill's family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to everyone at Fitchburg Healthcare where Bill had been living for the last several months along with all of the people at Davita Dialysis of Fitchburg, Ma. A special thank you goes to Dr. Shippen Li for his continual care and understanding of the many complexities of Bill's health and his never ending support for Debbie.

FINLAY - William M. "Bill", of Townsend formerly West Groton. May 3, 2020. Due to the gathering restrictions of COVID-19, the family will be waiting until a later date for burial and a Celebration of Bill's Life when everyone can be together. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation at www.kidney.org. Please see www.mcgaffiganfuneral.com for online guestbook and service information updates.

ELLEN LaFORTUNE
November 20, 1919 ~ January 17, 2020 (age 100)

SO. LAKE TAHOE, CA – Ellen (Graton) LaFortune, 100, of So. Lake Tahoe, formerly of Winchendon, MA, died January 17, 2020.

She was born in Winchendon on November 20, 1919, daughter of the late Austin and Catherine Graton. She grew up in Winchendon and was a graduate of Murdock High School. She later moved to New York and then to California in 1951.

Ellen worked for the United States government for 32 years until her retirement. Following her retirement, she opened up her own insurance business in Richcrest, CA.

Her husband, Dr. Henry Williams LaFortune, died in 1976. She was also predeceased by her son, Neil LaFortune; two grandchildren, Lindy Foster and Leslie Grinestatt as well as her brothers and sisters. She leaves a daughter, Glenda LaFleur of So. Lake Tahoe, CA and five grandchildren, Thomas Reynolds, Syvilla Zimmerman, Sherri Stoyenoff, Cindy LaFortune and Mark LaFortune and many nieces and nephews.

Private graveside services will be held in Riverside Cemetery, Winchendon.

Stone-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, Winchendon is directing arrangements.