Robert N. Bairstow, 84, Sebastian
Robert N. Bairstow, 84, of Sebastian, has passed away with his family by his side. Robert was born in Pittsfield, Mass., to Harry and Phyllis Bairstow on Feb. 6, 1934.
Robert graduated from Dalton High School in 1951 with interim year at Mount Herman in Northfield, Mass. He attended the University of Massachusetts, graduating in 1957 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dairy Technology.
He married Dorothy (Donald) Bairstow, of Dalton, a teacher in the Central Berkshire Regional School District. They raised their family and lived for 40 years on Carson Avenue, Dalton, before retiring to Florida in 2003 to their newly built home in Sebastian.
Upon graduation from UMass, Robert went to work in his father’s dairy business, Berkshire Farms, for five years. After a career change, Robert worked as an architectural window representative until retirement, selling historic restoration and commercial windows with a territory from Buffalo, N.Y., to Boston.
He was passionate about town politics becoming a member of the Dalton Finance Committee for six years, three years as chairman, later becoming a member of the Central Berkshire Regional School Committee for nine years, three years as chairman. Additionally, he was a Public Health Agent for Dalton for several years.
After retirement, he continued to work at Home Depot where he was affectionately referred to as “Mr. B.” in Pittsfield, transferring to Vero and then Sebastian when they moved to Florida.
Robert enjoyed boating and fishing, which he did at a family camp for 18 years in Ipswich, Mass. He belonged to a bowling club in the Dalton area, which evolved into a lawn bowling club membership in the Vero Beach area.
Robert was an avid music lover from childhood learning several instruments and in retirement participated in a local Irish music group, where he played the banjo. He was a very social man and nothing pleased him more than a good laugh over a card table or dinner table with family and friends.
Robert is survived by his wife, Dorothy (nee Donald) Bairstow; his children, Jamie L. Bairstow, of Williamstown, Mass, Sally Fortini (James), of Chesterfield, Mass., Deirdre Bairstow-Allen, of Dalton and Boston, Rachael Bairstow, of Sebago, Maine, and William Bairstow, of Gloucester, Mass.; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; his sister, Janet Kokoszka, of Peru, N.Y.; brother, Douglas Bairstow (Ellen), of Center Harbor, N.H.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was a member of the First Congregational Church in Dalton, Mass.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Oct. 18, at the Seawinds Funeral Home, 735 S. Fleming Street, Sebastian. The service will begin at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to The American Heart Association or National Kidney Foundation.
Bruce Russell Bell, Vero Beach
On Oct. 6, 2018, Bruce R. Bell passed into the loving arms of his Savior after a brief illness. Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 21, 1939, to Russell A. Bell and Elizabeth H. Bell, Bruce grew up in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., where he attended Lower Merion High School.
In 1956, he and his brother, Alfred, rowed on the Lower Merion crew team and won the National Championship. He graduated in 1962 from Drexel University where he studied Industrial Engineering and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Bruce served his country in the Air Force Reserves from 1961-1968. He was called up for active duty in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Before starting his own company, ServiTech Graphics, Bruce worked for 20 years for Harris Graphics in Champlain, N.Y.
A member of the Clinton County Fair Board of Directors for 25 years, Bruce enjoyed serving his community and celebrating the benefits of the North Country.
He and his wife moved to Sebastian in 2001, a few years after his retirement.
A licensed Captain by the US Coast Guard from 1983-2013, Bruce was an avid sailor and raced his sailboat on Lake Champlain while living on Lake Shore Road in Chazy, N.Y.
After moving to Sebastian, Bruce continued enjoying the water on the open sea and the inland waterway and was an active member and instructor with the Vero Beach Power Squadron.
Bruce was also a member of the Moose Club and an officer of the Elk’s Club in Sebastian. He was also a member of the Indian River Model Sailing Club.
A member of Christ the King Church in Vero Beach, Bruce was sure of his eventual, eternal homecoming. Bruce will be remembered for his devotion to his family and love for his country.
His wide and varying interests included everything from growing orchids, carving wood decoys, antique clock repair, caning chairs, fly tying and fishing, hunting deer and birds, making stained glass lamps, and refurbishing a 1973 Corvette convertible and a 1960 MGA. He could fix everything.
Bruce was predeceased by his identical twin brother, Alfred, in 2002. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Bevera Louden Bell; his children, Julie (Karl) Johnson, of Ithaca, N.Y., his son, Matthew Bruce Bell, of Chazy, N.Y.; a brother, David Bell, of Mebane, N.C.; and a sister, Christine Bell Green, of Hillsborough, N.C.; as well as nine grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, at Christ the King Church, 4050 77th St, Vero Beach. A luncheon reception will be immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable gift in Bruce’s memory to Christ the King Church, 4050 77th St, Vero Beach, FL 32967.
Charles Robert Bell Jr., 88, Vero Beach
The Honorable Charles Robert “Bob” Bell Jr., 88, of Vero Beach, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, at the VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach. Bob was born in Wichita, Kan., to the late Charles Robert Bell, Sr. and Marjorie Wooddell Bell.
Bob found success at a young age while growing up in Hutchinson, Kan., and became an Eagle Scout as well as earning a full scholastic scholarship to Princeton University.
While at Princeton he met the love of his life, Janice Little, and they have been married for 67 years. After graduating from Princeton he attended and graduated from Harvard Law School. After Harvard, he served his country as a legal officer in the US Navy.
Upon returning to Wichita, he practiced law for many years until being elected a Judge in the 18th Judicial Circuit, serving three terms. After retirement, he and his wife moved to the Treasure Coast where he was an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and served as an Elder.
Bob was very proud of raising five children and loved them as well as all of their spouses and grandchildren. He was a Stephen Minister, Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, avid sailor, magician, story teller extraordinaire and voracious reader.
He asked us to report that he did his best to do his duty to God, his family and his Country.
Requiescat in Pacem
Survivors include his wife, Janice L. Bell, of Vero Beach; children, Barbara Luckey (Gregory), of Woodstock, Ga., Charles Robert Bell III, of Wichita, Nancy Carr (Michael), of Vero Beach, Bradley L. Bell (Linda), of Wichita, and James S. Bell (Christine), of Vero Beach; grandchildren, Lisa Cochran, Bradley Luckey, Jonathan Carr, Nicholas Carr, Corey Carr, Joshua Bell, Kyle Bell, and Zachary Bell; and six great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2555 58th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL 32966.
A memorial service celebrating Bob’s life will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday Oct. 19, Westminster Presbyterian Church.
David Hamman, 75, Vero Beach
David Hamman, 75, died Oct. 12, 2018, at his home in Vero Beach. He was born in Leroy, Ill., and attended high school in Western Springs.
David graduated from the University Of Illinois. After college, David moved to New York City, N.Y., where he met Bill McMillan, his longtime companion.
David was self-employed and had a successful career as an interior designer.
He was a member of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church.
Survivors include husband, Bill; and sisters, Martha Dice, of Fort Dodge, and Rebecca Hamman, of Roatan, Honduras.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Stanley and Jean Hamman.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church or VNA Hospice.
Services will be held at a later date.
John Francis Hulseman, 87, Vero Beach
John Francis Hulseman, 87, of Vero Beach, died peacefully Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018, following a brief illness.
He was the devoted husband of 64 years of the late Georgia Stillwell Hulseman.
He was drafted in October of 1952 and served in the Military Police Corps for two years before being transferred to the Army Reserve.
Before leaving for service, he married Georgia Stillwell, who would remain his life partner until her death in 2016.
Following military service, John resumed his career at Solo Cup Company, the business his father began. Working primarily in the company’s paper division, he launched new cup plants in Federalsburg, Md., and Belen, N.M., and helped guide the company into one of the largest foodservice packaging companies in the world.
John was a devoted husband and a loving father. During his 87 years, he lived life with class and dignity. He was larger than life, a true gentleman with a world class sense of humor and a zest for life.
An avid golfer and tennis player, he will surely be missed by his many friends.
John was actively devoted to his Roman Catholic faith and most recently a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Vero Beach.
Survivors include his children, James, of Lake Forest, Ill., John David (Angie), of Oxford, Md., Peter (Susan), of Portland, Ore., Jennifer, of Carmel, Calif., George (Tracy), of Franklin, N.C., and Christian, of Portsmouth, N.H.; 23 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
John was preceded in death by his son, Leo; brother, Robert; and parents, Leo J. and Dorothy Hulseman.
Born in Chicago on Dec. 29, 1930, John attended New Trier High School in Northfield, Ill., and Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., where he majored in business administration.
A private funeral mass will be held at Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, 1210 S Washington Street, Easton, MD 21601.
There will also be a private graveside service for immediate family members.
For online tributes, please go to www.fhnfuneralhome.com
Donations may be made to VNA Hospice House, 901 37th St., Vero Beach, FL 32960.
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. – 2 Timothy 4:7
Walter Land, Sr., 83, Vero Beach
Walter “Warren” Land, Sr., 83, died unexpectedly Oct. 7, 2018, at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach. Born in Easterly, Texas, he lived in Vero Beach for five years, coming from Bryan, Texas.
Following his mother’s untimely death, Warren spent his childhood (1937-1952) in the Corsicana State Orphan’s Home in Corsicana, Texas.
Warren lived most of his life in Houston, Texas. A service-related disabled veteran, he served in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Corporal before being honorably discharged in 1958.
He was very proud of his service to his country, having served in the artillery in Germany, during the Korean War. Because of this, he became very active, in his later years, in various veterans organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
Following his military service, Warren was employed as a mechanical draftsman most of working career.
Warren enjoyed fishing and hunting, was an excellent cook and was known to make a killer sweet potato pie.
A lover of nature, in his later years he enjoyed feeding and watching the many squirrels and birds that frequented his back yard. He was known for his sense of humor and loved to make people laugh.
He enjoyed Looney Toons cartoons and comic strips (particularly the old Pogo strip), loved his Dallas Cowboys and rooted for just about all Texas college football teams. He spent many hours, in his last years, watching movies and (of course) was particularly fond of old Westerns.
Survivors include his daughter, Doris Land (husband, Randy) Butler, of Vero Beach; sons, Walter Warren (wife, Robin) Land, Jr., of Belleville, Pa., Jonathan Land, of Canton, Ga., Michael (wife, Jennifer) Land, of Orlando, and Christopher Land; 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by sisters, Edith Lucille Redding and Edna Mae Roberts; father, Walter Edward Land; mother, Edna Lucille (Easterly) Land; and wife, Tammie Buck.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Aggieland Humane Society, Bryan, Texas. 5359 Leonard Rd., Bryan, TX 77807 (979) 775-5755 www.aggielandhumane.org
Per Mr. Land’s wishes, there will be no services at this time.
Patricia Relyea, 89, Vero Beach
Patricia “Patty” (nee Householder) Relyea, 89, of Vero Beach passed away at VNA Hospice House on Oct. 12, 2018, after an extended illness. She was born April 20, 1929, in Madison, Wisc., the youngest child of Glen and Erma (nee Dieter) Householder.
She spent her childhood in Brattleboro, Vt., where she graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1947 then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority.
Following graduation in 1951 with a degree in Speech Pathology, she married her college sweetheart, Philip “Pete” Relyea at Camp Gordon in Augusta, Ga., before he was deployed to serve in the Korean War. In his absence, Patty lived in Hartford, Ct., where she worked as a Special Ed teacher in the Hartford public school system, then moved back to Brattleboro to work at the Austine School for the Deaf.
Upon Pete’s return, they moved to Middlebury, Vt., where Pete managed a car dealership in nearby Vergennes.
In 1959, they settled in Newfane, Vt., until they retired in 1986 to Vero Beach.
Patty was very active in the Newfane community; she belonged to the Newfane Congregational Church, served as President of the Newfane Garden Club and volunteered to help the community in many ways, including a memorable stint in 1970 as a census-taker going door to door via 4-wheel drive in the Vermont backwoods during “Mud Season.”
She was assistant postmistress for 10 years at the Newfane Post Office.
As a Vero Beach resident, Patty served on condo boards for Riverside Gardens & Timber Ridge Village II. She was a deacon at the Community Church, member of AAUW and founding member of its Gourmet Group, an active bridge player and instigator of fun social activities.
Patty embraced life and loved to be “on the go” – she was always game for an impromptu party, organizing a group to try the newest restaurant or planning trips with dear friends and family.
Her motto was, “If you don’t want me, don’t invite me!”
She will be remembered for hosting royal wedding parties to watch the nuptials for Charles & Diana and William & Kate. With the time difference, this meant arriving at her home at 4 a.m. to sip Bloody Mary’s or mimosas. She loved to entertain family and friends, laugh at a good joke and always have something fun to look forward to on her calendar.
To paraphrase, she cooked with wine and sometimes added it to the food!
She had many passions from a prolific green thumb, traveling, attending her granddaughters’ sporting events and graduations, reading, solving the weekly New York Times crossword, and staying connected on her iPad where she played numerous, concurrent games of Words with Friends. Most of all she fiercely loved her family, friends and her dogs.
Patty was predeceased by her parents; husband, Pete; brothers, Neil, Howard, John, and sister, Helen.
She is survived by her devoted daughter and son-in-law, Paige and Charles Lehman, and beloved granddaughters, Sarah and Emily, of Cooper City, Fla.; and her dear niece and family, Sue and Mike Zaleski, of Middleton, Wisc., Sara Zaleski, of Denver, Colo., and David Zaleski, of Orlando. Additional survivors include nieces, Sharon Meier (Harold), of Sun Prairie, Wisc., and Nancy Householder, of Madison, Wisc.; nephews, Glen Householder (Erika) of Bloomingdale, Ill., and Steve Householder (Judy) of Waunakee, Wisc.; plus several grandnieces/nephews and great-grand nieces/nephews.
She will be greatly missed by her family, dear friends and special canine companion, Skippy, now of Cooper City.
The family wishes to thank Dr. William McGarry and his staff, the staff of Brookdale Vero Beach South and VNA Hospice House for their wonderful care and a special mention to Katie Kirchner for her devoted help and companionship.
At Patty’s request, there will be no service. The family will host a celebration of her life at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Vero Beach Dog Park, https://verobeachdogpark.org/donations, 505 Beachland Blvd., Suite 1-124, Vero Beach, FL 32963 or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, PO Box 98018, Washington, DC 20090-8018.
Bayard Van Rensselaer Robb, Vero Beach
Bayard Van Rensselaer Robb, affectionately known as Bydie, passed peacefully and painlessly in the comfort of his own home in Vero Beach on Wednesday morning, Oct. 10, 2018. Bydie was born Jan. 16, 1930, in Beverly, Mass.
He was a graduate of Groton School and Harvard University where he was a member of the Porcellian Club. He was a formidable athlete who played goal for the Harvard hockey team and was captain of the Harvard tennis team.
He served in the US Marine Corps as 1st Lieutenant during the Korean War.
Bydie pursued many professional endeavors during his lifetime including working at NBC after graduating from Harvard and later as a stock broker at Tucker Anthony and R.L. Day, Inc. in Boston.
He moved to Vero Beach in 1978 and became the tennis pro at the Moorings. He also coached the St. Edwards tennis team which gave him great joy.
He was involved in real estate investment and, in his later years, he enjoyed volunteering for Meals on Wheels and at the Indian River Memorial Hospital.
Husband to his loving wife Carolyn, father of Ren (Jill), the late Michael (Elsa), Lee, Linda (Michael Boardman), Jan Bailey, Jim Bailey and Ben Bailey, he is also survived by 11 grandchildren.
Bydie will be remembered most for his kindness, empathetic nature and quick wit.
A Memorial Service will be held at Christ by the Sea Church at a date and time to be named later.
In lieu of flowers, donations could be made in Bydie’s name to the VNA Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960 or The Alzheimer’s Foundation.
