O'Brien Family Funeral Home

01/21/2026

Stephen F. Gula

Stephen F. Gula, 72, passed away on January 18, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Born on February 15, 1953, in Springfield, MA, Stephen was the son of the late Thaddeus and Stella (Waz) Gula.

Stephen was a true free spirit. He spent much of his working life as an expediter, delivering goods across the country, a role that perfectly matched his love of the open road. He embraced a life of travel, often crisscrossing the country in his truck, living life on his own terms. His family fondly described him as having a true sense of wanderlust.

A devoted sports enthusiast, Stephen especially loved hockey and was a passionate Boston Bruins fan. He also enjoyed trips to the casino, many of which took place during his travels throughout the country. Wherever he went, Stephen carried his independent spirit and curiosity for what was around the next bend.

Stephen was single and had no children. He is survived by his siblings, Thaddeus S. Gula, Jr. and his wife Phyllis of Rochester, NY; Gail Lizotte and her husband Philip of South Hadley, MA and Palm Coast, FL; and Cynthia Gula-Desforges of Chicopee, MA. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews: Daniel and Brandy Gula of Hickory, NC; Michael Gula of Vestal, NY; Sharon and Tony Brognia of Pittsford, NY; Nicholas and Laura Gula of Victor, NY; Ashley Lizotte and Jason Dyer of Green Bay, WI; Lee Vieu and Matt Duga of Granby, MA; and Samantha and Joey LaPierre of South Hadley, MA.

Stephen was predeceased by his brother, John M. Gula, in 2019.

He will also be missed by his close friends, Bob Stiver and Sergei.

Services will be held at a later date.

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01/20/2026

Kenneth G. Auger

Kenneth G. Auger entered into eternal rest on Saturday January 17, 2026. He was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts to Charles J. Auger Jr. and the late June A. Auger on February 7, 1956. Kenny was a Navy veteran. He served his country during the Vietnam era. After his service in the Navy, he began his career working with the state DPW department in South Hadley, working with the highway department. After leaving the state DPW he went on to further his career with several local companies. Ultimately, he opened his own home improvement business until his retirement in 2021. Kenny was married in 1978 and from his marriage he was a proud father of four beautiful children. Kenny loved life to the fullest! He enjoyed the outdoors and especially fishing with his sons! He was an avid sports fan of the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots. He also enjoyed playing the lottery daily!

Kenny leaves to cherish his memory his father Charles J. Auger Jr. and stepmother Geraldine of St. Petersburg, FL, his loving sister Christine Wyszynski and her husband Walter of Chicopee, his loving daughter Heather Auger and her boyfriend Steven of Chicopee, his loving sons Michael and Stephen Auger, both of Chicopee and his longtime friend and caregiver Sandy Kadle of Chicopee. He will also be missed by his nieces and nephews, Kyle Morin and his wife Melissa, Cassandra Churchill and her husband Heath, Nathan Auger and his wife Ariel and Kathryn Auger. In addition, his great nieces and nephews, Zachary Morin, Avery Morin, Leyden Churchill, Adeline Churchill, Anna Auger and Orion Auger and his ex-wife Holly Auger Heroux. Kenny was predeceased by his beloved mother June Ann Auger, his dear brother Richard Auger and his loving son Brian Auger and his maternal and paternal grandparents.

The family wishes to acknowledge Kenny’s guardian Angel Christopher Plotniak, Director of Veteran Services, for the Town of South Hadley. Without your help, dedication and unending commitment to Kenny, things certainly would not have been possible for him to have the last year of his life as good as he had it. You were a blessing to him and to all of us. The world is a better place because of individuals like you.

The family wishes to also extend a special thank you for extraordinary care Kenny received by his dedicated nurse Jessica and Mary Ann during his time in hospice.

The committal service and Military Honors will be held on Thursday January 29, 2026 at the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, 1390 Main St. in Agawam at 3:00 pm.

If anyone wishes to make donations in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to State wide head injury program (SHIP) or any organization of your choice.

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01/15/2026

David M. Dufresne

David M. Dufresne, 74, of South Hadley, passed away peacefully at home on January 12, 2026.

Born on August 5, 1951, David was the son of the late Paul and Rhea (Antunes) Dufresne. He proudly served his country in the United States Army.

David is survived by his brothers, Raymond Dufresne of Holyoke, Paul Dufresne of Granby, and Bruce Dufresne of Chicopee, his sister, Rose Dufresne of Chicopee, and two nephews, Joshua and Daniel.

Services will be private.

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01/12/2026

Louis C. Rimbold Jr.

Louis C. Rimbold, Jr., 82, of South Hadley, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 10,

at Agawam West Nursing facility.

Born in Holyoke, he was the son of the late Louis C. Rimbold Sr. and Olive (Vermette)

Rimbold. Louis grew up in Granby and spent his life doing what he loved, working with his

hands and fixing just about anything. He owned and operated L&R Trucking, a small private

disposal service, later selling the business to Commercial Disposal where he continued to

work for many years. He later retired from Sullivan Scrap Metal in Holyoke.

Known to his family and friends as “Louie”, he was an ace mechanic with an unmatched

ability to repair and restore. He especially loved rebuilding classic cars, including Cadillacs

and Packards, but his pride and joy was his very first car, a 1937 LaSalle, which he owned

and cherished his entire life. As his passion grew, he found the need to build a larger garage

affectionately known as “Louie’s Toy Box” where he could tinker at his leisure.

Louie acquired many boats over the years. He and his late wife, Ruth, proudly restored a

1950 Lyman mahogany boat, spending many memorable summers on the Connecticut

River where the boat was well admired. It was there that he taught his daughters how to

water ski and how to hold on tight when tubing. Camping was another passion, with

countless weekends spent at Wakeda Campground in Hampton, NH, and the Ranch in

Orange, MA. Family trips to Pennsylvania, Hershey Park, Amish Country, and Lake George

were especially treasured.

Louie was predeceased by his beloved wife, Ruth (Murawski) Rimbold, and his brother

Robert Rimbold. His is survived by his three daughters; Lorri Twaddle and her husband

Jack of West Springfield; Linda Mumford and her husband Kyle of Bonita Springs, FL; and

Luann Beaulieu and her husband Ivan of Springfield. He also leaves his four sisters; Marie

Morris and Adele Smith, both of Sellersville, PA; Denise Sieben of Wahkon, MN; and Lucille

Gionfriddo of Agawam. He is further survived by his longtime companion, Cindy Brunelle

of South Hadley; five grandchildren, Brendan Mumford (Bayley) of Glenwood, MD, Ryan

Mumford (Courtney) of Guilford, CT, Connor Twaddle (Ainsley) of East Longmeadow, and

Ivan and Eathan Beaulieu of Springfield; and five great-grandchildren, Harrison, Cole and

Quinn Mumford, Callum Twaddle, and Wesley Mumford.

We would like to thank the staff at the Agawam West Nursing facility for their sincere

kindness and compassion.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 17th, at the O’Brien Family Funeral Home

in South Hadley. Calling hours will be from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., followed by a brief service

and burial at Mater Dolorosa Cemetery, South Hadley.

For more information or to leave online condolences, please visit obrienfamilyfh.com.

View Louis C. Rimbold Jr.'s obituary, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

01/07/2026

Jennifer L. Hebert

Jennifer L. Hebert, 39, was taken from this world far too soon, surrounded by her family and loved ones on January 1, 2026 at Baystate Medical Center. She was born in Holyoke, daughter of Raymond V. Hebert Jr. and Barbra (Blasko) Hebert. Jen was raised in South Hadley, and later moved to Huntington, MA, a home she truly cherished. Jen had a tireless work ethic, working for the United States Postal Service, which was rewarded by recently becoming Postmaster in Worthington, MA. To her friends and family, she was known for her radiant energy, boisterous laughter, and above all, her charitable nature and concern for others. Jen developed a passion for music early in life, making sure she saw her favorite musical acts every chance she had with the people she adored.

Jen was not only a devoted mother to Orion (23), August (7) and Jameson (3), her pride and joys, but also a deeply committed wife to Aaron Dirgo. She always said her family changed her life for the better, and they all felt that in the love and support she provided. Additionally, she leaves behind her Memere, Theresa (Boudreau) Hebert of Chicopee, her Grandmother, Lucille (Ford) Blasko, her mother, Barbra Hebert, her brother, Raymond V. Hebert III, his wife Kelly and two cherished nieces, Everly and Layla, of South Hadley, as well as extended family and countless friends that she considered family as well.

Jen is predeceased by her father, Raymond V Hebert Jr, in 2025 and her Pepere, Raymond V Hebert Sr. in 2008

Her family would like to extend sincere thanks to her Care Team at Baystate Medical Center.

“Such a long, long time to be gone

And a short time to be there”

-Box of Rain, The Grateful Dead

Calling hours at the O’Brien Family Funeral Home in South Hadley will be 4pm-7pm on Friday January 23rd 2026. Funeral home service will be at 10am on Saturday January 24th 2026 at O'Brien Family Funeral Home in South Hadley. For more information or to make online condolences please go to obrienfamilyfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Shelter or to the active GoFundMe Campaign to support Jen's Family https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-care-for-jennifer-heberts-family

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12/30/2025

Guido C. Schiappa

Guido Schiappa passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at the age of 79. He was born in Holyoke, MA on May 25, 1946. He was the youngest son of the late Guido and Anna (Vassallo) Schiappa of South Hadley, MA.

Guido was a graduate of Holyoke High School. After graduating, he enlisted in the Army and later went on to start his own floor‑covering business, Guido C. Schiappa Wall and Floor Covering, specializing in ceramic tile, carpet, and vinyl flooring.

After retiring, he worked at the Stop & Shop Supermarket in Holyoke, MA. He was a longtime member of the Fairview Council 4044 Knights of Columbus and a communicant of St. Theresa’s Church in South Hadley where he served as an usher for many years.

Guido was the loving husband of Renée Schiappa, with whom he shared 39 years of marriage after their wedding on April 12, 1986.

He was predeceased by his parents, Guido and Anna (Vassallo) Schiappa; his brothers, Joseph and Paul and his sister, Rosemarie (Schiappa) Stevens.

He is survived by his devoted wife, Renée; his two sons, Anthony (Kimberly) Schiappa of Granby, Connecticut, and Nicholas Schiappa of South Hadley; and his beloved grandson, Charlie.

Guido was a devoted family man, always willing to lend a hand or offer thoughtful advice. He greeted everyone with a warm smile and kind words and never hesitated to help when someone needed it. He cherished time with his grandson Charlie, who never failed to make him smile. Guido also enjoyed watching sports, especially Boston Celtics, and spending quiet time working on puzzles.

The calling hours will be Wednesday January 7th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the O’Brien Family Funeral Home, 33 Lamb St., South Hadley. The funeral home service will be Thursday January 8th at 11:00am. For more information or to make online condolences please go to obrienfamilyfh.com.

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12/29/2025

Kathleen Moore-Ferreira

Kathleen Moore Ferreira, 66, of Barnstable, Massachusetts passed away on December 24, 2025.

She was the beloved wife of James Ferreira, with whom she shared a loving marriage. Kathleen was a devoted mother to her three children: Kristen Kocot of Agawam, Joseph Kocot of Longmeadow, and Ryan Kocot and his partner, Zabrina, of Barnstable, and two stepchildren: James Ferreira of Cambridge and Amanda Ferreira of Ayer. She was also a proud and loving grandmother to Raiden and Zooey, who brought her immense joy.

Kathleen was predeceased by her father, Francis Moore, and leaves her mother, Roseline Moore.

She is also survived by her brother, Kevin Moore, and his wife Debbie of Brimfield; and her sisters: Joanne Deskus and her husband Bill of Stafford Springs, Maureen Robert and her husband Paul of East Windsor, Carol Tokas and her husband Jimmy of Enfield, and Francine Rossing and her husband Tom of East Windsor.

Kathleen worked as a labor and employment attorney, dedicating her career to supporting nonprofit organizations—a reflection of her deep care for others. She was known for her s***k, humor, and kindness, as well as her love of cooking and the joy she found in spending time with her family. Kathleen loved all things Cape Cod and was truly at her happiest when surrounded by family and friends there.

Calling hours will be held on Friday, January 2, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. at O’Brien Family Funeral Home, 33 Lamb Street, South Hadley, Massachusetts. A Prayer Service will follow at 6:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Kathleen’s memory may be made to Holyoke Chicopee Springfield Head Start at 30 Madison Avenue, Springfield, MA 01105, or to Nonotuck Resource Associates at 425 Prospect Street, Northampton, MA 01060.

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12/29/2025

Elaine M. Jordan

Elaine Marie Jordan, (1945-2025) a lifelong resident of Western Mass passed peacefully in her sleep at Baystate Hospital on Sunday December 28th at 9:50 a.m. Elaine was born at Holyoke Hospital March 8th, 1945 and lived in the Flats of Holyoke until she met and married an Air Force serviceman from Nebraska stationed at Westover Air Base while she was working at Sentry Cleaners. They married November 28th, 1970 and moved to South Hadley where they lived the remainder of her life. Elaine is survived by her husband of 55 years Gary L. Jordan and her two sons Todd and Jeff. Family and friends are invited to attend her wake on Friday, Jan 2nd at O’Brien Family Funeral Home, 33 Lamb St., South Hadley from 4-7 p.m. Friends and Family are invited to meet at St. Theresa’s Church in South Hadley at 11am on Saturday January 3rd for the funeral Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the D’Amour Center for Cancer Care at Baystate hospital. Checks can be mailed to 280 Chestnut St, Springfield MA 01199 or make a donation online at Baystatehealth.org/foundation. For more information or to make online condolences please visit obrienfamilyfh.com.

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12/23/2025

Christopher T. Mattson

Christopher T. Mattson, 42 of South Hadley, MA passed away on December 17, 2025.

Christopher will be remembered for an abundance of attributes. He was incredibly clever and had an infectious sense of humor. Everybody liked Christopher, quite literally everybody who met him. He was a gifted craftsman. His skills as a carpenter were only exceeded by his ability to build almost anything to perfection. His amazing skill sets, drive and perseverance recently led to his new and thriving business.

Christopher was a beautiful boy and grew to become a very handsome young man. Crystal said she knew she wanted to marry him the first time she saw him. Christopher and Crystal were love at first sight since the eighth grade. In fact, Christopher told Crystal he loved her on their first date. Their love for each other and their daughter Sophia was unbreakable. As Crystal always says – there was nothing he wouldn’t do for his girls. Christopher, Crystal and Sophia enjoyed family vacations in Maine, and anniversary trips to tropical get aways. They also enjoyed playing co****le, having fires in the back yard, and listening to music. Sophia had compiled a playlist of her father’s favorite songs from those times called the “fire songs”.

Christopher loved golfing. He was a very competitive player with his cousins Ethan and Max King, Connor and Ryan Gaughan, David Naginewicz Jr., and Christopher’s uncle David Naginewicz Sr. Like anything Christopher applied himself to – he excelled.

Christopher is survived by, his wife of 19 years, Crystal Lynn (Tarczynski) Mattson. His daughter 16, Sophia Therese Mattson, her best friend and boyfriend Noah Rivera all of South Hadley. Christopher’s mother Laurie Wiernasz and her husband and Christopher’s step father Mark Avgoustakis both of South Hadley. Christopher’s father Timothy Mattson of Chicopee. Christopher’s sisters Meg Callahan and her fiancé Eric Fernandes both of South Hadley, Sage Callahan and her partner Dan Brzezicki of Denver, Colorado. Christopher’s uncle, big brother, best friend, and mentor – James Wiernasz of Chicopee. Aunt and uncle Mary Jo Wiernasz King and her husband Brian King of Granby, MA. His very special grandmother Ruth Wiernasz of Chicopee. His mother and father in law, Debbie and Wayne Tarczynski of South Hadley. Christopher was pre-deceased by his grandfather Edward “Buddy” Wiernasz – Christopher and Buddy were the best of pals. Buddy adored Christopher. Christopher also leaves several loving aunts, uncles, cousins and life long friends. And lastly, Christopher’s dog pack of Australian Shepards – Apollo, Gemma and Jaxon.

In accordance with the Family’s wishes, services will be private.

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06/16/2025

📢 We're Hiring! - Per Diem Funeral Assistants.

O'Brien Family Funeral Home is looking to add a few per diem funeral assistants to our team. This is a flexible, as-needed position—great for someone retired, semi-retired, or just looking to be part of a meaningful service to the community.

What you’d be doing:
• Greeting and guiding guests at services
• Helping with parking and processions
• Assisting the funeral director as needed
• Light setup/cleanup before and after services

No experience? No problem—we’re happy to train the right person. We’re just looking for friendly, dependable people who are respectful, calm under pressure, and good with the public.

If you’re interested or know someone who might be, give us a call at (413) 538-4642 or send us a message.

Send a message to learn more

04/17/2025

12/31/2024

Louis J. Capone, 70, died Friday December 27th at Holyoke Medical Center. Louis was a jack of many trades. He was an entrepreneur at the young age of 18. He owns Capones pool water and was proud to build it up to the successful business it is today. Louis had