Helen Dales Files, 86, formerly of Shelburne, died peacefully, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010 in The Converse Home in Burlington. She was born Dec. 17, 1923, in Philadelphia, the daughter of Harold Aubrey and Louise Crawford Walburn. Helen attended the Shipley School and Wellesley College, where she met and taught bridge to her dear friend, Helen Vamvas. On Sept. 16, 1947, she married Benjamin Strawbridge Perkins of Conshohocken, Penn. They lived in Marion, Va. and Wichita, Kansas before settling in Erie, Penn. Following his early death in 1975, Helen moved to Cape Elizabeth, Maine where, eventually, she married Walter W. (Bill) Files, of Falmouth. After Bill succumbed to cancer in 1988, Helen remained in Maine until 2002, when she moved to The Terraces in Shelburne. Helen will be remembered for her love of the English language and as its selfappointed guardian of grammar. Throughout her life, Helen was an active member of the Episcopal Church. A memorial service is planned for 10:30 a.m. on the Saturday following Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Burlington. She will be interned in Pittsburgh at the Homewood Cemetery.

Joreen Marie Silk, beloved wife, mother and grandmother was peacefully called home to be with the Lord on Nov. 13, 2010 while surrounded by her family. Born in Lawrence, Mass., on Dec. 30, 1940, Joreen was the daughter of Adelard J. and Rita A. (Dion) Boutin. On Sept. 14, 1963 she was married to Robert J. Silk. Joreen and Robert moved to Vermont in 1964 and she quickly fell in love with this beautiful state and with the many people who became her friends. Joreen will be remembered as an avid gardener, walker and quilter, and most of all for her vibrance and positive attitude which could brighten any day. Among her survivors is her husband Robert, a son Todd of Shelburne, and her sister by choice, Maedean Birmingham of Shelburne. A prayer service will be held at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Shelburne on Friday, Nov. 19 at 4 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 at St. Catherine of Siena Church with Fr. Michael DeForge as celebrant and Fr. Rick Danielson as concelebrant. In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial donation to the American Cancer Society.

Louise Adele Raynor, 98, a retired Professor of Botany at the University of Vermont, died Nov. 12, 2010 in Wake Robin of Shelburne, where she had lived since Dec. 1993. Dr. Raynor was born Dec. 13, 1911 in Montclair, N.J. She was a 1936 graduate of Mount Holyoke College and received her Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1945. Dr. Raynor joined the Department of Botany at UVM in 1946 and was named Associate Professor Emeritus upon her retirement in 1968. A lifelong Episcopalian, Dr. Raynor was the author, with the late Carolyn Kerr, of Church Needlepoint. Dr. Raynor designed her remarkable house on Spear Street in South Burlington and personally landscaped her large property. The most loving and generous of friends, Dr. Raynor patiently endured the loss of her eyesight, without complaint or bitterness. There are no immediate survivors, but she will be greatly mourned by her friends. A memorial service will be held next spring. Because Dr. Raynor was known for her love of felines, both great and small, contributions in her memory may be sent to the World Wildlife Federation.

Elizabeth (Betty) Funsten Oliver McCarthy, 92, died on Nov. 9, 2010 surrounded by her family. She was born in St Louis, Mo., the daughter of Edward Saunders Funsten and Gladys McNair Funsten. Betty graduated from John Burroughs School in St Louis, and was a member of the Class of 1940 at Vassar College. She married Guy Williamson Oliver Jr., who predeceased her in 1967. She married Roblee McCarthy in 1972. He predeceased her in 1989. A celebration of Betty's life was held at Wake Robin. A memorial service and burial will be held in St. Louis, Mo. at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Community School, 900 Lay Road, St. Louis, MO 63124, John Burroughs School, 500 Price Road, St Louis, MO 63124, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110 or Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12604.

Addison Powell, 89, passed away Monday evening, Nov. 8, 2010 to the sounds of Vivaldi and the Beatles, and in the loving company of his three children. A film and stage actor, a WWII navigator, and a son of New England, Powell had lived in Vermont for 22 years, most recently in Shelburne Bay, an independent living community. He enjoyed a long career as a New York City-based stage, screen and TV actor. Born in Belmont, Mass. in 1921, the son of schoolteachers, he graduated from Boston University and joined the Army Air Force. Based in East Anglia, he flew 30 missions as a navigator in a B-17. After the war, he graduated from Yale Drama School. In 1950, he married a Michigan girl, Bunnie Rowley and they raised three children in the tightly knit vertical block association that is an Upper West Side apartment building. Bunnie died in 1995 and he never remarried. He is survived by his three children and their spouses, a brother, Edward, and eight grand-children. Those wishing to make a donation in his memory may do so to the Sudan Development Foundation 139 Elmwood Avenue Burlington, VT or the Veterans Bedside Network, 10 Fiske Place, Room 328, Mt. Vernon, NY 10550.

John Erald Young, Sr., 57, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, Nov. 8, 2010 in St. Johnsbury. He was born in Burlington on July 27, 1953, son of the late Edward and Connie (Tourville) Young. He served our country with the U.S. Marine Corp during the Vietnam War. John will be missed by all that knew and loved him. Among his survivors is a son and daughter-in-law Timothy and Jennifer Young of Shelburne. There will be no public visiting hours. Memorial contributions in John's memory may be made to Norris Cotton Cancer Center North, 1080 Hospital Drive, St. Johnsbury, Vt. 05819.

Robert "Bob" Hoehl, 68, passed away peacefully at home on Nov. 7, 2010, surrounded by his loving family. Born on Dec. 13, 1941 in Brooklyn, N.Y., Bob was the son of the late Robert and Dorothy Huey Hoehl. The family moved to Teaneck, N.J., where he graduated from Bergen Catholic High School in 1959. He attended Saint Michael's College in Colchester on a basketball scholarship and graduated with honors in 1963 with a degree in mathematics. While attending St. Mike's, Bob met the love of his life, Cynthia Kieslich. They were married on Aug. 17, 1963 at St. Mary's in St. Albans, and shared 47 wonderful years together. Bob began his career at IBM as a systems analyst. He then co-founded Burlington Data Processing (BDP) in 1969 with Rich Tarrant. BDP eventually became IDX Systems Corporation. In 1991, he won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Bob and his wife shared the blessings of IDX's success and earned the title "Outstanding Vermont Family Philanthropist" from the Northern New England Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2002. He served two terms on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, as well as on the boards of a number of Vermont organizations. The Hoehl's also established an endowment through Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for scholarships for children of Vermont war veterans. Among his survivors is a son and daughter-in law Tad and Jessica Hoehl of Shelburne. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the MOVE Program (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts) at Saint Michael's College, 1 Winooski Park, Box 256, Colchester, VT, 05439, or the Addison County Home Health and Hospice Inc. of Vermont, PO Box 754, Middlebury, VT, 05753

Lillian Guidry, 93, passed away peacefully Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, in the VT Respite House in Williston. Lillian was born April 5, 1917 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Margherita and Giuseppe Cincotta, from the small Sicilian island of Lipari. She was the youngest of nine children. Lillian attended Cook County Nursing school, becoming an RN and married bomber pilot, Joseph Cotton. She enlisted as an army surgical nurse during WWII hoping to spend Christmas of 1944 with him in England. By then Joseph's plane was missing in action, instead she spent Christmas crossing over to France where she served with her surgical unit. Lillian learned after the war Joe died in action. After her wartime service she continued her nursing career by traveling around the country, landing in Florida and eventually returning north to raise her family in Burlington, Vt. She worked in nursing homes, at the VNA Day Center as an exercise coordinator, and in hospitals. Among her survivors is a son, John Guidry of Shelburne. A Catholic Mass will be celebrated Saturday, Nov. 20 at 10 a.m. at St. Stephan Church in Winooski.

Ruth Weers Davis, 83, of Shelburne, formerly of Northfield passed away on Nov. 15, 2010. The only child of Peter J. Weers and Florence Weers Goggin, she was born on April 20, 1927 in Melrose, Mass. She attended Vermont Junior College in Montpelier, graduating in 1948. It was there she met her husband, Ronald N. Davis, of Northfield, marrying him on Oct. 2, 1948. They lived in Northfield, raising five children while staying very active in their local community. Ruth served two terms on the Northfield School Board. In 1974, Ruth began working in the Vermont College alumni office, and eventually became an Associate Director of Admissions at Norwich University until 1992. She served on the Norwich University Board of Fellows, Alumni Association Board, and the Partridge Society. In 1982, Ruth was the first woman appointed to the Board of Trustees at the Northfield Savings Bank, serving as a trustee for 15 years where she helped develop the Northfield Trust Group. After retirement, Ruth was a volunteer at the Fletcher Allen Hospital for many years. Summers were spent on Lake Champlain in South Hero and Ruth especially looked forward to family gatherings with her children and grandchildren. Ruth leaves five children and their families. An open house to celebrate Ruth's life and share stories with her family will be held in the Norwich University Milano Ball room in Northfield on Friday, Nov. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. The family requests no flowers. Donations in her memory may be sent to the Make a Wish Program of Vermont, 100 Dorset Street, Suite 14, South Burlington, VT 05403.