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Tuesday May 11, 2010 Edition
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Obituaries 05-11-10

Richmond A. Castano Sr.

Brockton, MA/Shoreham, VT - Richmond Albert Castano Sr., 98, of Brockton, MA and Shoreham, VT, passed away April 13, 2010, surrounded by his family at home. Born on February 20, 1912, in Brockton, MA, he was a son of the late Joseph and Maria (Procopio) Castano. On June 29, 1941, he married the love of his life, Doris Louise Simmons, who passed away May 28, 1980. He and his twin brother Raymond founded and owned the Twin Leather Company in Brockton in 1949. They manufactured cut soles for over sixty years. He was one of Brockton's last sole makers. He taught leather craft classes at Brockton High School Adult Education including classes for the visually impaired. He taught many of his grandchildren, nieces and nephews how to drive and how to fish. He was the inventor and master of toys, games and activities for children of all ages. “Twinny” was adored by children, and feared by fish.

    Richmond went on to nurture, critique, manage, curate, frame, transport, hang and support his own children’s art, Marie Castano and Jo-Ann Castano, with their exhibits, galleries, art centers and creative economy endeavors. He continued operating Twin Leather Co. until he was 96, working every day in the shop with his son, Richmond Jr.  He had begun drum lessons at age 97, learning to play the snare drum from Russ Lawton of Salisbury, VT. On Sunday April 11, 2010, Richmond Sr. played the electronic drums with his son Rich, while video conferencing friends and family with Skype.

    He fell to sleep and passed away April 13th, 2010 loving his family, friends and a life of creativity. His days were filled with exploration, discoveries, inventions, toys, gardening, art, and his newly found joy of playing the drum. Richmond Castano was a man of Art and Soul.

    He is survived by his son, Richmond Castano Jr. and his wife Jovana of West Bridgewater, MA; his daughters, Marie Castano of Shoreham, VT, and Jo-Ann Castano and her husband Andrew Innes of Gloucester, MA; his sister, Susan Castano of Hull, MA; his brother, the Rev. P. George Castano of
Denver, CO; his grandchildren, Dina Ditacchio Wentworth and her husband Steve of New Smyrna
Beach, FL, Diana Ditacchio of Durham, CT, Kate Innes Gannon of Silver Spring, MD, Francis Castano Behrens of Boston, MA; and his great-grandchildren, Dean, Dayna, Eric, Steven, Delaney and Timothy. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. He was predeceased by his wife, Doris; beloved daughter, Diane; twin brother, Raymond Castano; brothers, John (Giovanni) Castano and Samuel Castano; and sisters, Mary Hunter and Ella Alvarado. Funeral services where held at the Russell & Pica Funeral Home, Brockton, MA, on Sunday, April 10.  Interment followed in Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater.

    Donations can be sent in memory of Richmond A. Castano Sr. to:
Addison County Home Health and Hospice, Inc.
P.O. Box 754, Middlebury, VT 05753

Dr. Alexander Sterling MacDonald

 

Lincoln - Dr. Alexander Sterling MacDonald Jr. died peacefully May 2 at Porter Hospital, surrounded by family, at age 94. He practiced pediatrics for nearly 60 years in Massachusetts and Vermont, continuing to see patients—and make house calls--until just three years before his death.

    He had an unusual zest for life, and had completed a cruise to Bermuda just two days before he died. His passions included politics, skiing, opera, playing jazz piano, swimming, sailing, the Civil War, and the outdoors. He read widely, subscribing to a dozen magazines and newspapers and spent as much time as he could away from ‘civilization’ at his beloved cabin on Bearcamp Pond in New Hampshire. A singularly devoted family man, he got enormous pleasure from his children, grandchildren, and even the youngest great-grandchildren.

    Sterling graduated from Harvard University (1936) and Cornell Medical School (1941). When the war interrupted his residency at Johns Hopkins, he enlisted in the Navy, becoming a naval flight surgeon and serving as a Lt. Commander in the Pacific. He remained in the Naval Reserve until 1980.

    After the war he completed his medical training at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he was a Harvard Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics for 32 years. Moving to Beverly in 1950 he served as Chief of Pediatrics at Beverly Hospital until 1982, where he helped pioneer the nation’s first foreign medical student training program, in partnership with Children’s Hospital.

    After moving to Lincoln, VT in 1983, he shared an office in Bristol with his wife, Mary, a psychotherapist, and joined the active staff of Fletcher Allen Health Care. He was a member of the VT Medical Society Council for 26 years and served on the Vermont Practitioner Health Program Committee and the Board of Medical Practice for many years.

    Born July 15, 1915 in Winchester, MA, he was the son of Alexander Sterling MacDonald and Hazel Hunnewell MacDonald. In 1947, he married the love of his life, Mary Belle Wright of St. Paul, MN, who predeceased him in 1992. He is survived by four children: Alex MacDonald of Lincoln; Amy MacDonald of Falmouth, ME; Susan Pitaro of Magnolia, MA; and Gene MacDonald of Maseru, Lesotho, as well as 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

    Funeral services were held at the United Church in Lincoln. Memorial donations may be made to the Bearcamp Pond Association, c/o Paul Henle, 45 Bog Rd. Unit C4, Concord, NH 03303.

 


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