Folsom Funeral Service

Catherine P. “Cathie” (Bonito) Canonico, a lifelong resident of Dedham, died Sunday, March 29, 2009 at the Caritas Norwood Hospital after a brief illness.  She was 60.  Cathie was born Feb 10, 1949 in Norwood, Massachusetts, a daughter of the late Edward F. and Catherine A. (Scarpaci) Bonito.  She grew up in Dedham and graduated from Dedham High School with the Class of 1966.  She worked for 45 years at Norfolk County Trust Company, and its successor companies Baybank and Bank of America, most recently as an ATM Technician.  She was also a member of St. Mary’s Church Sodality.  Cathie was the former wife of Vincent Canonico and the mother of the late Anthony J. “Tony” Canonico.  She is survived by her daughter, Gina M. Canonico of Dedham; her brother, Robert E. Bonito of Dedham; her sister, Priscilla R. Strickland of Dedham; as well as many nieces and nephews.  Visiting hours will be held Wednesday, April 1st from 4-8 PM at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham.  Relatives and friends will gather Thursday at 8 Am at the Funeral Home and proceed to St. Mary’s Church, 420 High St., Dedham for her Mass of Christian Burial at 9 o clock.  After cremation, private interment will be in Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham.  Donations in Cathie’s memory to the St. Vincent De Paul Society, c/o St. Mary’s Church, 420 High St., Dedham, MA 02026 would be appreciated.

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Ruth Marie (Tunberg) Kropoff, a longtime resident of Dedham, died Friday, March 27, 2009 at the Deutsches Altenheim in West Roxbury after a long illness.  She is 88.  Ruth was born in Boston June 20th, 1920, a daughter of the late Carl and Marie Josephine (Anderson) Tunberg.  She worked as a clerk at the John Hancock Insurance Company, and later in the kitchen at Norwood Hospital in Norwood, MA.  Ruth was the wife of the late Alexander Kropoff; the motherof the late Susan G. Kropoff; and the sister of the late Edith Jacobson.  She is survived by her daughter Sandra L. Travers of Norwood; her sister Astrid Johnson of Malden; her grandson, John Travers of North Attleboro and Josh Travers of Norwood; her dear friend Hope Raymond of Newton; as well as several nieces and nephews.  Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, March 31st from 2-4 & 6-7 PM at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham. The funeral service will follow the visitation at 7 o clock.  Private burial will be in Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham.  In lieu of flowers donations to the Deutsches Altenheim Foundation, 2222 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 or to Seasons Hospice, 2755 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466 would be appreciated.

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Bernice Andrus (Hayes) Hunt, a resident of New Pond Village in  Walpole for almost 18 years, and a Summer resident of Brewster for most of her life, died Monday, March 23rd, 2009 at the Caritas Norwood Hospital in Norwood, MA after a brief illness.  She was 97.  Bernice was born Aug 18, 1911, in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of John Howard, and Marion (Coburn) Hayes.  She grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts and  graduated from Arlington High School with the Class of 1928 and from Wheelock College with the Class of 1932. In 2002 she attended her 70th college reunion as the oldest living graduate, and was honored to lead the procession of graduates along with the president of the college. 

Mrs Hunt worked as the Director of Girl Scouting in Connecticut and in Massachusetts.  She also taught kindergarten, and during the time she lived in Jamaica Plain and ran her own dancing school.  Bernice worked as the Director of Religious Education at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Wellesley, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Newtonville, and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Dorchester. While living in Dorchester Bernice became a member of the Codman English Handbell Ringers in which she eventually served in the director’s capacity for over 30 years.  She carried her love of bell ringing with her to Walpole where she established the New Pond Village Bell Choir, which she taught and directed until just recently. 

Mrs Hunt’s church life was extensive.  She was asked to read at the World Day of Prayer service as a young clergy wife in 1946 and was involved with that organization ever since.  Her leadership skills made her a natural for the Church Women United organization.  She was their State President from 1973 to 1976, a regional coordinator, and a member of the National Board’s Common Council.  In 1980 Church Women United bestowed upon her its highest honor, the Valiant Woman Award.  She has also been an officer and/or on the Board of the Church Periodical Club in the Diocese of Massachusetts for many years.  St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Dedham is her current home parish.  She began ringing the tower bells there in 1979, and in 1984 became the primary chimemaster.  She and her team rang the bells on Sundays and on New Years Eve, including this past one.

Drawing on her lifetime of summers on Cape Cod, Mrs Hunt became a published author in 1994.  A While Ago …… In Brewster is a history of her personal memories and family photographs depicting the adventures of vacationing on Cape Cod in the days before electricity and running water.  Bringing her bells to  Brewster, Mrs Hunt has participated in “Let Freedom Ring” on July 4th since 1995.  Organizing her family and neighbors, she directed the official “13 Rings” exactly at 2 PM, joining with other ringers across the country and as far away as Guam.  The Town of Brewster honored Bernice in 2007 by designating her the “Elder Brewster Honoree” for the Brewster in Bloom parade.

She was the wife of the late Reverend Warren G. Hunt, her high school sweetheart and classmate, whom she married in 1938; and the sister of the late Richard C. Hayes.  She is survived by her son, Robert Gardner Hunt of Aledo, Texas; her daughter, Judith H. Scherzo of Essex Fells, New Jersey; her six grandchildren, Dianna, Rebecca, Jodi, Mauri, Timothy and Gregory; and three great grandchildren.  A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 2 PM at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 59 Court Street, Dedham, MA.  Private interment will be in Mt Hope Cemetery in Boston.  In lieu of flowers donations to the Brewster Historical Society, Box 1146, Brewster, MA  02631 or to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 59 Court Street, Dedham, MA 02026 for the Bell Tower Maintenance Fund, would be appreciated.

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Richard Paul Timmons, a resident of Dedham since 1983, died Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 at the Caritas Norwood Hospital in Norwood after a long illness.  He was 75.  Richard was born January 26, 1934 in Boston, one of the seven sons of George E. and Anna E. (Parsons) Timmons. He served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956 during the Korean War.   He attended Boston College and earned his accounting degree from Bentley College.  Richard worked as an accountant and controller at Dorel Steel Corporation in Quincy for over 30 years until his retirement in 1999.  He was a former member of the American Legion in Sharon and the VFW in Dorchester.  Richard is survived by his wife, Kathleen L. (Fifield) Timmons; his daughter, Katelin M. Timmons of Dedham; and his brothers, George, Paul, Francis, Kenneth and Joseph Timmons.  He was the brother of the late Robert Timmons.   Funeral Services and interment in the National Cemetery at Bourne, with military honors, were private.  A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.  Donations in his memory to the Dedham Food Pantry, 50 Oakdale Avenue, Dedham, MA 02026 or to the Dedham Education Association, 100 Whiting Avenue, Dedham, MA 02026 would be appreciated.

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Clara Edna (Winchester) McCue, a longtime resident of Dedham, died Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at the Victoria Haven Nursing Home in Norwood.  She was 91.  Clara was born January 20, 1918 in Saxonville, Vermont, the only child of Orrin and Anne M. (Kelly) Winchester.  She grew up in Vermont and graduated from the Rockingham Nursing School in Rockingham, Vermont.  Clara worked as a Registered Nurse at Norwood Hospital and at Boston City Hospital for 30 years until her retirement in the mid 1980’s.  She was an active member of the Allin Congregational Church in Dedham until she had to go into the nursing home.  Clara was the wife of the late Robert George McCue who predeceased her in 1981.  She is survived by her two sons, Robert G. McCue of Dedham, and James M. McCue of Stoughton; as well as her granddaughter Christine of Dedham.  Relatives and friends are invited to attend her graveside service Thursday at 11 AM at Blue Hill Cemetery in Braintree.  In lieu of flowers donations to the Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern Mass, 311 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA 02472 would be appreciated.

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Ester Ann Fraser, a resident of Westwood since 1968, died Friday, February 27th, 2009 at the Charlwell Nursing Home in Norwood after a long illness.  She was 84.  Esther was born July 2, 1924 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the daughter of the late George E., and E. Gertrude (Osborne) Wade.  She graduated from Brighton High School and worked as a saleswoman for Sears Roebuck for 20 years.  She was a member of the Islington Community Church in Westwood where she served as a Deaconess, and as the treasurer of the Women’s Fellowship.  Esther loved music and, along with her husband, did musical entertaining at town events, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Burlington, and at the Charlwell Nursing Home in Norwood.  She is survived by her husband, Alexander J. ; two daughters, Kathleen A. Somerville of Conway, New Hampshire, and Nancy P. Spaulding of Center Sandwich, New Hampshire; her brother, Roger Wade of Gansvoort, New York; and two granddaughters, Meredith and Heather Somerville.  Visiting hours will be held Thursday, March 5th from 2-4 & 7-9 PM at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street (Route 109) , Westwood.  A graveside service will be held Friday at 10 AM at New Westwood Cemetery.  A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10 AM at the First Baptist Church, 808 High Street, Westwood.  In lieu of flowers donations to the Joslin Diabetes Center, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215 would be appreciated.

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