All Obituaries

Mrs. Rhodora F. LaFogg, 82, of Becket, passed away on Saturday, October 1, 2022 with her family at her side. She was born in Becket on May 23, 1940, the daughter of Albert and Ruth Cooley Dean. She was raised and educated locally. Rhodora married Raymond A. LaFogg on August 22, 1959. Together they raised their family and ran Ray LaFogg Trucking and Excavating until they sold the business in 1997. Mr. LaFogg died in 2016.  Mrs. LaFogg was an avid crafter, enjoying needle work and wood...

David B. Simmons, son of the late George Simmons and Dorothy (Cheney) Simmons of Lee, and brother to the late Peter Simmons Sr. of Lee; passed peacefully in his home on Friday, September 30th. David was born April 16, 1947 at Pittsfield General Hospital. He was a graduate of Lee High School, also attended Berkshire Community College – and later attended Westfield State College where he received his Bachelor of Science in Finance.  David served in the U.S. Army from 1968-1970...

Mrs. Claire Lancey Tisdale, 105, of Lenox, passed away on Wednesday evening, September, 21, 2022 at Mount Carmel Care Center. Claire was born in Leominster, MA on February 5, 1917, the daughter of Erlon and Mildred Hannigan Lancey. She was raised and educated in Leominster and a 1935 graduate of Leominster High School. On June 6, 1936 she married Leon P. Tisdale. Together they moved to Lee in 1958 and in 1984 to Lenox. Mr. Tisdale died January 4, 1999. Mrs. Tisdale enjoyed needle work and...

John Thomas Coty, Sr, “Jack”, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Monday, September 19, 2022. Jack was born in Lee on January 5, 1939, the son of Joseph M. and Lillian Mae Gangell Coty. A life-long Lee resident, Mr. Coty would eventually build his own home on the same property on which he was born. In his early years, Jack constructed tennis courts, worked at George VanZandt Sheet Metal then eventually owned and operated his own business, Cove...

          Kendra Regina Pixley, age 43, passed away on Saturday, September 17th in Burlington, VT. Precious daughter of Regina (Carbone) Pultorak and Kenneth Pixley, step daughter of John Pultorak, she was born in Salem, MA, but raised in the mountains of Western Mass. Kendra was often described as “a light”, “fun”, “happy”, “wild”, “spontaneous” and more by those who knew her. A kind,...

Joseph G. Vosit, loving husband, father, brother, and Papa, passed away the evening of September 17, 2022, at his daughter’s home in Lee, Massachusetts, surrounded by family.  Joseph was born in Chicago on February 9, 1942 to his parents Joseph Wojtaszczyk and Marion Romanek. He grew up alongside his two sisters, Marion Wronski and Barbara Skryd. While attending Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, he met his...

Bill Westine (Leslie Westine, Jr.) peacefully passed away after celebrating his birthday and his final Labor Day weekend at The Lake. He lived a full and loving 77 years with many friends and close family nearby. Bus (Leslie, Sr.) and Eleanor (Howe) Westine raised Bill and his brother, Jim, in the quaint town of Chester, VT. When Bill graduated as Valedictorian from Chester High School, he often returned for annual alumni weekends, conjuring images of his days of Varsity sports, every...

Benjamin Boardman Towne III, age 68, of Lee, Massachusetts, passed away on September 4, 2022 after a 25-year battle with heart disease and a brief illness. Ben was a loving husband to Cathy for 45 years. He was a devoted father to Sarah and Becky. He was also the best grampa to Annie, Benny, and Izzy and his grand-pups Bean and Bailey. Benjamin enjoyed spending time with his family and grandkids most of all. He was also an avid bowler and golfer for many years. In his retirement he enjoyed...

            Margaret “Maggie” Elizabeth Candee (née Connelley) of Framingham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at the age of 64 on September 2, 2022 in Lee, Massachusetts, while visiting family and friends. She was a native of Western Massachusetts, the daughter of John Joseph Connelley, Jr., and Louise Flora Defoe, both deceased. Maggie was one of eight children by her mother and an additional four siblings by her...

Walter “Toby” Brown, 62, passed away on September 2, 2022.  Toby was born on Flag Day in 1960 to the late James and Rose Donovan Brown.  He was raised in Lee, MA and was a graduate of Lee High School.  On July 6, 1984, he married the former Sharon L. Fromma who predeceased him in 2014. Toby and his wife were longtime residents of Lee, MA and raised their children there. Throughout his life, he volunteered in the community and loved to umpire sporting events or...