Ahearn Funeral Home

04/06/2026

Peter B. "Pete" Banister

CHESTERFIELD - Peter B. "Pete" Banister, 78, of Damon Pond Rd. passed away on Friday evening at his home after a brief illness. Pete was well known as a local historian for the Hilltown's and beyond. Longtime DPW employee for the Town of Williamsburg and retired Fireman with 45 years of service to Williamsburg. CALLING HOURS TUESDAY APRIL 14, 2026 from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M. Private interment in Village Hill Cemetery, Williamsburg.
A complete obituary will be forthcoming.

04/06/2026

William J. "Bill" Knittle

A Celebration of Life for William "Bill" Knittle will be announced as well as a complete obituary.

View William J. "Bill" Knittle's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

04/01/2026

Louise Henry

WILLIAMSBURG-Louise Henry, the daughter of Rev. W. Raymond and Mary Ward, passed away on January 14, 2026, from complications of pneumonia. She was watched over by her grandson, Sean Tyler Henry when she passed at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. She was born August 23, 1943, in Great Barrington, MA and grew up in Monterey MA. In 1956 her father was called to the Monroe Congregational church in Monroe CT where she attended high school and lived and worked until her marriage. She was predeceased by her husband of fifty years, George O. Henry, Jr. For all their married life they lived in Haydenville and Williamsburg MA. Louise graduated from Danbury Community College in CT.

Louise was active in the Williamsburg Grange. She was a poll worker in Williamsburg for many years. She and George loved vacationing in various travel trailers, especially camping along the Cape Cod Canal. She was also a prolific correspondent who kept in touch the old-fashioned way by writing letters to many life-long friends and family. Since George brought four young boys to their marriage, she was a busy mother, as well. She loved antiques and spent many happy hours at auctions and tag sales.

She leaves her older sister, Sally Ward Pullen (Steven) of Monterey. She was predeceased by her oldest sister Leslie Paine (Curtis) of Sutton, MA. She leaves four stepsons: Douglas Henry (Debbie), Clifford Henry (Marie), Jeffery Henry (Sondra), and David Henry (Ray). She and George had many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at the Haydenville Congregational Church, 143 Main St. Haydenville, MA on April 25, 2026, at 3:00 P.M.

Memorial gifts can be made payable to the Haydenville Congregational Church, 143 Main St, Haydenville, MA 01039.

An informal gathering for refreshments and sharing memories of Louise’s life will be held in the church social room after the service.

View Louise Henry's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

04/01/2026

June Carol Richter

FLORENCE - June C. (Benoit) Richter,87, passed away surrounded by her loved ones, peacefully on Saturday, March 28, 2026, after a brief illness. She was married to the late Owen J. Richter for 65 years. June was born in Northampton, the daughter of the late William and Edna (Fortier)(Benoit) Nuttelman and Ralph Nuttelman. June attended Northampton High School graduating in 1956. She furthered her education, graduating from the Cooley Dickinson Hospital School of Nursing in 1959. There were fifteen students in her graduating class. She worked as a Registered Nurse at Cooley Dickinson Hospital throughout her career, mainly in the OB Unit. June enjoyed crocheting, knitting, reading and spending time with her family. She leaves her children, Marie T. Chapman of Vernon, CT. and Sheryl A. Champagne of Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Her grandchildren; Matthew Chapman, Jennifer Costa and Nicholas Milani and her great grandchildren, Domenic and Jasmine Costa. June was predeceased by a daughter, Laraine Milani.

There are no calling hours. A Memorial service to celebrate June’s life will be announced at a future date.

Donations in June’s memory may be made to Disabled American Veterans, c/o Northampton Veterans Council, 240 Main St., 01060-3113 or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

View June Carol Richter's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

04/01/2026

Edward A. Joyner

GOSHEN - Edward A. Joyner, longtime resident of Goshen, died Friday March 27th at home after a period of failing health. Born August 18,1938 to Leslie and Grace (Knapp) Joyner, he was the youngest of seven siblings raised on the family farm in Cummington where he developed his work ethic and his love of gardening and the outdoors. He attended Cummington schools. Upon graduation from Pittsfield High School, he completed the General Electric Apprenticeship Program and after a few brief jobs including working on his brother Clark’s dairy farm he spent his entire career at GE in Pittsfield.

He was happily married to Mary Lou (Judd) for over 60 years, and they raised three children, had 5 grandchildren and one great grandchild who were his pride and joy. Family was always important and he attended as many dance recitals, school programs, games and big life events as he could.

After early retirement he dedicated his time to his garden. He loved to give tours and chat with people who stopped to buy his tomatoes or other veggies. Each Christmas season he spent hours creating beautiful wreaths, roping and evergreen decorations for family and friends.

Ed is survived by his wife Mary Lou, daughter Andrea (Chuck) Sisson of Concord, NH, daughter Jennifer (Doug) Brown of Farmington, CT and son Christopher (Nancy) Joyner of Williamsburg. Grandchildren Kelsie (Reid) Liimatainen and their son Hudson, Morgan (Sky) Sisson, Katie Joyner and her boyfriend Joseph Williamson, Garrett Sisson and boyfriend Cameron Morse and Mikayla Joyner. He is also survived by his sister Phyllis Chase of CT and sister-in-law Cynthia Joyner of Cummington and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his parents, brothers Frank (Terry, Delores), Ralph (Jean) Joyner, R. Clark Joyner, sisters Elizabeth (George) Adams, Dorothy (Elton) Magoon and brother-in-law Donald Chase.

Calling hours for Ed will be Friday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at AHEARN FUNERAL HOME, 783 Bridge Rd., Northampton. A spring burial in Goshen Center cemetery will be private.

A special thanks for all the love and support always offered by Mary Lou’s family, especially for the recent meals, visits and medical equipment loans. We truly appreciated the excellent professional and caring help from Cooley Dickenson VNA/Hospice which greatly improved his last days. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to one of the following: Highland Ambulance EMS Inc. P.O. Box 842 Goshen, MA 01032-0842; Cooley Dickenson VNA/Hospice P.O. Box 329 Northampton, MA 01061-9935; The Cummington Fair/ Hillside Agricultural Society P.O. Box 3004 Ashfield, MA 01030.

View Edward A. Joyner's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

03/30/2026

Irma W. Donnis

HATFIELD-Irma (Williams) Donnis, 101, of Elm Street Hatfield, died peacefully on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Keaton, KY, January 28, 1925, the daughter of Dudley and Sallie (Lester) Williams. Irma was predeceased by her beloved husband of 68 years, Bernard, daughter Joan (Donnis) Mullins of Turners Falls, grandson Eric Donnis of Holyoke, and great grandson Aidan Mullins. She was also predeceased by three brothers and three sisters. Irma leaves a sister Mary Sue Zempter of Portsmouth Ohio and a brother Jim Williams of West Portsmouth Ohio. She leaves three sons, William and his wife Nancy of Alexandria Virginia, David of Hatfield and his former wife Lynn of Holyoke, Paul and his wife Anne of Hatfield and a son in law Gary Mullins of Turners Falls. She is survived by six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. On April 15, 1945, while working for the War Department in Washington, D.C., Irma and her sister Cloma watched the funeral procession of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and military airplane flyover from the roof of the Commerce Building. Irma was awarded the Golden Cane by the Town of Hatfield on her 100th birthday on January 28, 2025. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, who devoted her life and love to her family. One could always find bubbling pots and pans on her stove, with something wonderful baking in the oven. Everyone congregated in the kitchen and when asked if she needed help, she would say, “No, keep talking, I like to listen”. After everyone was served and mom made sure you had something to eat and drink, she would sit down and join the family and say, “Well - I hope you can eat it”. When driving away from the Donnis house everyone remembers mom at the kitchen window smiling and waving goodbye. Irma’s family and extended family will observe private services with burial at Main Street Cemetery in Hatfield. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cooley Dickinson VNA & Hospice: https://giving.vnaandhospice.org or mailed to the Development Office, P.O. Box 329, Northampton, MA 01060.

View Irma W. Donnis's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

03/27/2026

Spring is here ( allegedly) … check the planting schedule .. Remember, it always snows on the daffodils!! ❄️

There is such a wide selection of ornamental annuals with different cultural needs that many gardeners do not know when to plant in the spring. Annual flowers differ in their tolerance to cold weather and frost. Some annuals are cold tolerant and will survive a light frost. Cold tolerant annuals can...

03/25/2026

Happy Spring from all of us at Wanczyk Nursery! It’s a sunny day and the crew is adding more nursery stock to our sales yard daily. Here’s a glimpse of some of our Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurels, colorful Yellowtwig Dogwoods, and more. We’ve got locally grown pansies too, plus seeds and seed starting supplies in our store. Stay posted for further updates and we hope to see you soon!
🪴OPEN 7 days a week 9AM to 5PM🪴
🪴www.wanczyknursery.com🪴
🪴(413) 584-3709🪴

03/25/2026

Mary Louise Dragon

WILLIAMSBURG-Mary Louise (Osgood) Dragon, 88, of Nash Hill Place passed away peacefully at her home on Monday morning with her family at her side. Mary was born in Westfield in 1937, the daughter of Charles K. & Harriet E. (Magargal) Osgood. She grew up in Northampton, was educated in local schools, and graduated as Valedictorian from Northampton High School in the class of 1955. She worked as a secretary for the Eastern States Farmers Exchange before moving to Germany where she lived for five years. After returning home, she began a long career as a Medical Receptionist for Dr. Cavanaugh, and then Dr. Bleiman with Eye Physicians of Northampton. She met Chester ‘Chet’ E. Dragon and they were married in 1963, settling in Worthington to raise their family. Chet was the leader of The Chet Dragon Band. In the early years Mary Lou played tambourine with the band as a Polka Doll. Mary Lou and Chet traveled extensively, performing throughout New England; Chicago; Canada; Hawaii; Poland; and on 10 cruise ships. In 1971, Mary Lou and Chet began broadcasting “Your Sunday Morning Polka Parade with Chet and Mary Lou” at WREB in Holyoke, Massachusetts. After 20 years they joined WTTT in Amherst, Massachusetts. They retired in 1996 and moved to Florida where they lived for twenty years until Chet’s passing in 2016. Mary Lou moved back to Williamsburg to be closer to family in 2018. She was predeceased by her parents (Charles & Harriet), her husband Chet, sister Norma Sadoski, and her son-in-law Daniel Moriarty. She leaves her daughters: Kimberly S. Dragon and her partner Neil Sadlowski of Dalton, and Melissa L. Moriarty of Granby. Her stepchildren: Chester E. “Rusty” Dragon of Turners Falls, Michael Dragon and his husband Roger, and Diane Hathaway and her husband Bob, all of Florida. Her ten grandchildren: Courtney Otts (Garrett), Brittany Sawyer, Nikayla George (Will), David Karrer-Gozzi (Gabriella), Haley and Dylan Moriarty, Jamie Sears (Tim), Adam Dragon (Eliza), Todd and Ayron Hathaway; and nine great-grandchildren. She also leaves her sister, Joan Donovan of Williamsburg and several nieces and nephews.

Calling hours at the AHEARN FUNERAL HOME, 783 Bridge Rd., Northampton will be Saturday morning 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 A.M.

A service will be held at the AHEARN FUNERAL HOME at 11:00 A.M. with burial in the Spring in North Cemetery in Worthington.

Donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, or Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

View Mary Louise Dragon's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

03/25/2026

Nancy (Palmer) Grant

For those unable to attend in person, the service will be streamed at www.youtube.com/live/0isPLFx0gK4

Nancy Palmer Grant

April 8, 1934 – March 21, 2026

"For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand so that we may walk in them."

(Ephesians 2:10)

Nancy exuded a living faith and shared generously with family, friends, and strangers alike. She was known for her "edible craft" of cooking hearty meals finished off with homemade pies.

She and her older sister grew up on Hilltop Road in Weston, Massachusetts, amid a throng of cousins—their father a lawyer so fair-minded that both sides of a dispute would seek his counsel, their mother pursuing programs to advance women's rights, racial equity, and ultimately elder housing. Graduating from Mt. Holyoke in 1956, her mother's alma mater, Nancy Palmer embodied these values—drawn toward children in underserved communities as a teacher in the 'open classroom' model.

Nancy and Bob Grant were married on March 22, 1960, his 27th birthday, in a Scottish chapel outside Edinburgh. Nancy flew from Boston on the new transatlantic jet service—wearing a pillbox hat and white gloves—to meet her husband-to-be at the close of his post-seminary year of study at the University of Edinburgh. Fifty years later, on their Golden Honeymoon, they returned to the same chapel and the same hotel room and lunched with the minister who had married them—now in his nineties. They still carried the message of his sermon about the three phases of marriage: love each other oblivious to flaws, despite flaws, then flaws and all.

Over forty years of United Methodist pastoral life, Bob accepted a succession of appointments in the Greater New Jersey area—each a decision he and Nancy shared—moving frequently as the bishop directed. Urban ministry in Paterson during the 1970s put their family at a place of concentrated need, where Nancy continued her teaching vocation in new communities until health challenges intervened.

Nancy was a free spirit. Their children quipped that in church, Dad sang the notes as written and Mom sang those notes, and all the ones in between.

Dogs and cats were always part of Nancy's life, but so was a wide assortment of winged, scaled, and furry beings. From the goats her parents allowed her to raise as a girl to the singing finches and canaries she bred whose songs were the backing track for her family's parsonage life, animals and plants were fellow creatures—companions in mutual care.

She relished August as the month of family vacation, full of adventures: biking, canoeing, and sailing. The purchase of a rustic A-frame in Boothbay, Maine, funded by an inheritance from her parents, became a summer sanctuary, with a wood cooking stove at the heart. Grandchildren were an immense joy, often baking or going around to garage sales with their Nanny when she'd say, "You wanna go 'saling'?"

Starting in 1997, Nancy and Bob enjoyed a full retirement together in Haydenville, Massachusetts. Over two decades, they explored the region; hiking—often with dear ones—was a favorite activity. An outdoor birder from childhood, Nancy would pause to listen, with a fine-tuned ear for each wild song. She lived a colorful life and sought to reflect the light, much like her husband's transparent watercolors.

Following Bob's death in 2017, Nancy aged in place, lovingly supported by family, longtime friends, prayer partners, and helpful neighbors. Even in her final years, punning was a daily delight. She passed away peacefully at home in her sleep in the early morning of the first day of Spring.

Nancy is survived by her three children, Bob, Andrew, and Anita, and their families. All of her relations—human and more-than-human—were blessed by her abiding faith, her wisdom, her humor, and her joy, which she believed would only grow more complete.

A service in Celebration of Nancy's life will be held by Pastor Steve Behlke of Grace United Church at the Northampton Elks Lodge at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 4, 2026. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be given to Grace United (graceunited.church) or a charity of your choice.

View Nancy (Palmer) Grant's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

03/25/2026

James V. Bourdon

SOUTHAMPTON-James V. Bourdon, 72, of Southampton passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 19, 2026, after more than 3 decades of living with the debilitating physical & mental challenges of Parkinson’s disease. James was born in Adams, MA., son of the late Arthur & Jeanette (Boucher) Bourdon. He was raised in Adams where he attended local schools. Jim graduated first in his Drafting class from McAnn Technical School and was admitted to the prestigious General Electric Engineering Apprenticeship Program. Jim worked as a draftsman and machine design engineer for many years before retiring. His love of all things mechanical drew him to enjoy working on cars. He was always up for the challenge of fixing anything. His many acts of kindness often involved stopping to help fix broken down cars to help their owners get on their way. He had a creative (albeit unconventional) aptitude for mechanical designs. Years before they became the newest rage, Jim built his own e-bike using a repurposed lawn mower engine! Jim even developed a prototype for LED flashlights over 3 decades before they came into common usage. He loved mechanical design and creating and solving complex problems. Jim had a great sense of humor and would often laugh at the absurdities of life - particularly his own. Before he developed Parkinson’s disease, Jim loved his rock climbing, backpacking, caving and hiking adventures with friends from the Appalachian Mountain Club. He leaves his son, Ryon W. Bourdon of Amherst, to whom he has passed on his gifts of kindness and his love of outdoor adventures, his former wife Mary O’Connor of Amherst and a brother Thomas A. Bourdon and his wife Inga of Benecia, CA. The family is especially grateful for the care that Jim received from the Berkshire County Arc. The entire staff did a remarkable job easing Jim’s suffering and keep him at home in this last very difficult year of his life. Ryon & Mary particularly appreciate the skillful & compassionate care that was so generously offered by the Coleman Rd. residential staff where “Jimbo” lived for more than 12 years. They are deeply grateful. Services will be private.

Following cremation, interment will be at Bellevue Cemetery, Adams, MA. There are no calling hours.

In Lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Jim’s memory to: Berkshire County Arc 395 South St. Pittsfield, MA 01201

View James V. Bourdon's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

03/18/2026

Barbara Cavalieri

Northampton - Barbara Hatch Rosenberg Cavalieri passed away peacefully at home at the age of 97 on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Barbara Cavalieri, known professionally as Dr. Barbara Hatch Rosenberg, was an expert in biological and chemical weapons with a PhD from Cornell University. Born on June 26, 1928, in New York City, she was the daughter of Arthur Hatch and Evelyne Schreiber Hatch and sister to Richard Hatch and Joan Joshi. She and Liebe F. Cavalieri shared 43 years of marriage filled with love and companionship until his passing in 2013.

She was the founder of the Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Weapons, established in 1989. As the Cold War came to an end, the Working Group was the first voice calling for strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention and the norm against biological weapons. Her work in biological warfare led to her becoming an Advisor to the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment study of Weapons of Mass Destruction in 1993-4 and then as a member of a prestigious panel of scientists that advised President Clinton, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health on biological weapons issues in 1998. She was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Working Group on Biological Weapons. She was also an officer of ProMED-mail, the first global electronic rapid reporting system for outbreaks of emerging diseases, which was launched by the NASEM Working Group in 1994 as a prototype and later became its own independent entity.

Trained as a molecular biologist, Dr. Rosenberg was for many years a cancer researcher at Memorial-Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and was Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Cornell Medical College. On leaving those positions she became a Research Professor at the State University of New York at Purchase, where she devoted most of her activity to biological weapons issues. She prominently questioned official accounts of the 2001 US Mail anthrax attacks that followed 9/11, and was profiled in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and The Atlantic among other media outlets.

Among numerous honors, she was elected a fellow to the American Cancer Society and a fellow of the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, a Member American Society Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Sigma Xi.

Barbara, known affectionately as ‘Mouse’ to her step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, had impeccable style and loved classical music, French wine and cheese, her beloved pet cats, traveling, and fresh cut flowers. She was an avid gardener and eagerly read the New York Times every day. She is survived by her step-daughters Claudia Kellogg and Frances Cavalieri, of Connecticut, along with 11 step-grandchildren and 12 step-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her stepson, Ralph Cavalieri.

Contributions in her honour to the Union of Concerned Scientists would be appreciated.

View Barbara Cavalieri's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.