Deaths and obituaries from the May 17 'Springville Journal'

[photo1]Leonard Hatch
Leonard J. “Lenny” Hatch, 62, of Springville passed away May 11 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Buffalo.

He was born in 1950 in Providence, R.I., a son of the late Harold Hatch and Lois (nee Smith) Hatch. He worked in construction and his last employer was Callback Construction. He was also a member of the U.S. Air Force from 1969 - 1975.

He was the father of Krystle, Hayley and Michelle Hatch, all of Springville; brother of Dustin Hatch of Springville and several other brothers and sisters; grandfather of Avery Hatch.

Funeral services were held Wednesday morning, May 16 at Maplewood Cemetery in Springville. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Lenny Hatch family. Arrangements were made by the Smith-Weismantel Funeral Home, 271 East Main St., Springville. An online register can be found at www.smith-weismantelfuneralhome.com.

James Collier
James W. Collier, 73, of Boston passed away May 7.

He served in the United States Navy from 1956 - 1962 and was a member of the Army National Guard from 1984 - 1998.

He was the husband of Rae Ann (nee Grieble) Collier; father of James W. (Natalie Lynch) Collier, Richard G. Collier and Colleen (Jeffrey) Loftus; grandfather of Michael Redmond, Marc Rebmann, Matthew Rebmann, Rachel Loftus and Ban Ah Kim Lynch; son of the late William and Agnes (nee VanderMeer) Collier.

A memorial Mass of Christian Burial was held Thursday, May 10 from St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church in Boston. The Rev. Robert R. Hora officiated. Arrangements were made by the Smith-Weismantel Funeral Home, 271 East Main St., Springville.

Richard Engel
Richard J. Engel, 74, died Wednesday, May 2, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Vt.

He was born in Buffalo and received his early education in Springville. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College and a master’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University. He served in the Coast Guard Reserve for eight years.

He played the tuba and bass and formed a dance band trio that performed at Coast Guard functions.

He began his career as a certified public accountant with Haskins & Sells in New York City and worked in financial management for companies in New Jersey and Atlanta, Ga. In 1979, he moved his family to Manchester, Vt., where he established a CPA practice, now Engel Spivey Lemonik PC. In 2000, he became a licensed certified financial planner and established Wealth Management Partners with his CPA partner, Lee Spivey. He retired in December 2010.

He was a volunteer with several organizations. He was on the board of the Vermont Children’s Aid Society for more than 15 years and was president for two years. In 2005, he received the Asa Gifford Award for Wise and Dedicated Leadership from VCAS. He was also active with the Vermont Society of CPAs and served as chairman of the board from 1999 - 2000. He was a member of the Manchester chapter of Rotary International, where he served as president and was named a Paul Harris fellow. At First Congregational Church, he served in many capacities, including as a trustee and a deacon. He also served on the board of the Dorset Field Club and was treasurer for several years.

He was a hiker, skier, tennis and golf player.

He was the husband of Pamela Engel of Manchester Center; father of John Engel of Cincinnati, Ohio, Susan Engel of Tatmagouche, Nova Scotia and Stephanie Zoufaly of Latham, N.Y.; grandfather of four grandchildren and brother of Robert Engel of Colden.

A celebration of his life was held Saturday, May 5 from the First Congregational Church in Manchester. Expressions of sympathy may be made to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center of Manchester Health Services, care of Brewster Funeral Services, P.O. Box 895, Manchester Center, Vt. 05255 or to CareBridge online. Arrangements were made by Brewster Funeral Services of Manchester Center. Online condolences may be made at www.sheafuneralhomes.com.

Robert James
Robert M. James Jr., cofounder of Kissing Bridge Ski Resort and president of an energy business, died Monday in his town of Boston home. He was 88.

Born in Chattanooga, Tenn., James was a graduate of Amherst High School and attended the University of New Hampshire before enlisting in the Army. He was a sergeant and medic during World War II, serving in Okinawa, Japan.

In 1960, he and his brother-in-law, the late Harry J. Loomis, cofounded Kissing Bridge Ski Corporation, of which James was president. The two bought 415 acres of land in Glenwood, where Loomis lived in a restored log cabin with his family.

In the 1980s, James and his wife founded James Energy Corporation, which is involved in the oil, gas and alternative energy fields. James remained active with the company until his death.

James was also a golfer. In later years, he offered lessons to friends in the community. He also fished and hunted. Those pursuits led him to serve as president of the National Ruffed Grouse Society. He was also a pilot.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, the former Helen Loomis, whom he met in high school; two daughters, Melinda Umlauf and Jesse Michaud; sons Thomas, Robert III and Peter and a sister, Marianne Miller.

A memorial service was held May 13 at Kissing Bridge, Route 240, Glenwood.