Loren Joseph Laflam
Loren Joseph Laflam, 76, a long-time resident of West Charleston, died and left this earth on May 12, 2024, at the Maple Lane Nursing Home in Barton. He was the beloved son of Eleanor and Joseph Laflam. He was born in Barton. He attended West Charleston Elementary School (now the home of the Charleston Historical Society) and Derby Academy.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War era and went to sea on the USS Annapolis for 13 months. During that time, he crossed the equator and went to Okinawa, Subic Bay, and Guam. He was also stationed in Rhode Island. He was a member of the Freewill Baptist Church of West Charleston and served as organist for 40 years. He sometimes played at various other churches, for weddings, and at Derby Green nursing home. He also played for Sunday services while at sea in the Navy. He often made recordings for his friends.
He worked at Butterfield’s/Tivoly in Derby Line, as a machinist. He lived in West Charleston at the family home and, for a number of years, assisted and cared for his mother until her passing. They enjoyed many outings and road trips together.
He had a passion for cars, old and new, big and small, and traded a great many during his life. Any squeak or shake or scratch had to be repaired until each car was perfect! Some other things he loved included pipe organ music and concerts, pizza and hot dogs, church suppers, road trips, old radios (which he repaired), and phonographs, Western movies, the Queen, the Rhode Island mansions, the Calvin Coolidge homestead, and WWII history.
He served on the original board for the Charleston Historical Society and helped in any way he could at the Freewill Baptist Church, such as cleaning the sanctuary and hall and roasting the corn at the corn roasts. He always enjoyed going to eat with a small group of respected older ladies.
He is survived by his sister Lorna and her husband, Thomas Carty, of Barre; Tom’s sister Lucy Blue of Adamant; Tom’s brother John Carty and his wife, Mary, of Mesa, Arizona; his nieces and nephew whom he loved: Angela and her husband, Paul Cardone, and family of Waxhaw (Weddington), North Carolina; Christina Carty of Shelburne; Jeremy Carty of Barre; and several cousins. He never married and had no children.
He was a kind-hearted, thoughtful, and sensitive person with a dry humor, a charming smile, and knowledge of many subjects. His dreams of independence never left him, and he will be sadly missed.
Heartfelt thanks to his doctors, all who cared for him at Maple Lane, and community members who ministered to him.
He will be buried in the West Charleston Village Cemetery next to his parents, who predeceased him. A memorial service will be held on June 29, at 4 p.m. at the Freewill Baptist Church, West Charleston. Donations in his memory may be sent to the Freewill Baptist Church, P.O. Box 148, West Charleston, Vermont 05872, or to the Charleston Historical Society, P.O. Box 46, East Charleston, Vermont 05833. Those wishing to express online condolences may do so at www.awrfh.com.
Richard “Richie” Gerard Choquette Jr.
Richard “Richie” Gerard Choquette Jr., 52, of Newport, died on May 14, 2024, in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He was born on October 19, 1971, in Newport, to Richard Sr. and Linda (Santaw-Dillon) Choquette.
Richie was a material technician at Ethan Allen for many years. In his spare time, he enjoyed camping, riding on his side-by-side, snowmobiling, and racing. He had numerous friends who he loved spending time with, and he was always the life of the party. He was a charter member of the Eagles club #4329, VFW Auxiliary Post #798, Newport Elks lodge, and Sons of American Legion Post #21.
He is survived by his wife, Tammy Choquette; parents, Richard Sr. and Linda Choquette; sons Dillon and Sterling Choquette; brother Michael Choquette and his fiancée, Jennifer Hamlin; sister Kelly Bouchard and her husband, Jerry; nieces Morgan Letourneau, Taylor Bullock, Michaela Randall, Kaitlynn Bouchard, nephew Kollin Randall; great-nephew Levi Letourneau; sister-in-law Kimberly Patenaude and her husband, Don; brother-in-law Kris Bullock and his wife, Cortney; his mother-in-law Linda Bushey; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, who he truly adored.
He was predeceased by his grandparents, Clifford and Madeline Dillon; grandfather Paul Choquette; and father-in-law Kenneth Bushey.
A celebration of life will be held at the convenience of the family. If friends desire, memorial contributions in Richie’s name may be made to the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Building Fund, 56 Eagles Nest Drive, Newport, Vermont 05855 or the Mary Wright Halo Foundation, 1073 Upper Quarry Road, Newport, Vermont 05855. Online condolences may be made at curtis-britch.com.
COMMITTALS
Mark Tarbox
Funeral services for Mark Tarbox will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the Orleans Federated Church. A full obituary will follow in next week’s edition.
Evelyn Bowen
A graveside service for Evelyn Bowen will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, at West Village Cemetery in West Charleston.
Stephen Powers
A graveside service for Stephen Powers will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, at the Irasburg Cemetery in Irasburg with full military honors. All who knew him are welcome to attend, and are encouraged to bring thoughts, memories, and stories of Mr. Powers. There will be a gathering at Irasburg Town Hall after the service, where a light lunch will be provided.
