Obituaries

Local Obituaries

Donna Jean Hazen

Donna Jean Hazen

Sep 8, 2025

WORCESTER - Donna Jean Hazen, 70, of Worcester, passed away peacefully on September 8, 2025 following a brave battle with a rare illness.

Born at Fort Devens in Shirley, Donna Jean was the daughter of the late Joseph and Phyllis (Slater) Nagle. As an "army brat," she spent her early years traveling the country and the world with her siblings and...

Catherine Azora-Minda

Catherine Azora-Minda

Sep 8, 2025

Gardner, MA / Minneapolis, MN – Catherine Azora-Minda, 81, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 8, 2025, at UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Catherine graduated with the Class of 1961 from Marshall High School. She also attended North Hennepin Community College. After college she was a truck driver and later she...

Brenda J. Morrow

Brenda J. Morrow

Sep 6, 2025

HOLDEN – Brenda J. (Johnson) Morrow, 84, beloved wife of the late Ronald R. Morrow, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Westborough. Born in Worcester and raised in Paxton, she was the daughter of the late Carl H. and Doris R. (Tanner) Johnson.

Brenda received her nursing degree and went...

Mary Jane Carroll

Mary Jane Carroll

Sep 3, 2025

HOLDEN – Mary Jane Carroll, 86, passed away on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at UMass Memorial Medical Center, University Campus. She was born in Calais, Maine on November 27, 1938, and was the daughter of the late Francis P. and Audrey R. Rutherford.

Mary Jane was an honors graduate of Calais Memorial High school and continued her education at Colby College,...

Roger W. Woodruff

Roger W. Woodruff

Sep 1, 2025

HOLDEN – Roger W. Woodruff, 88, beloved husband of Joyce (Schermerhorn) Woodruff, passed away peacefully at his home in Holden after a battle with Alzheimer's Disease in the early morning hours of September 1st. He was born on May 15, 1937, to the late Preston and Hetty Woodruff of Schenectady, New York.

A devoted husband, loving father and family man, and...

Elsie T. Norgren Stevenson

Elsie T. Norgren Stevenson

Aug 31, 2025

WORCESTER – Elsie T. Norgren Stevenson passed away on August 31, 2025, surrounded by her family.

She is survived by her children, Donald A. Norgren and his wife, Gabrielle of Worcester and Pamela Steinberg and her husband, Jay of Worcester; her grandchildren, Natasha Norgren, Joshua Steinberg and his wife, Katrina, Ariana Norgren, Vanessa Van Someren and her husband, Nick and Jacqueline...

Pauline F. Debatis

Pauline F. Debatis

Aug 31, 2025

Holden – Pauline F. (Lamoureux) Debatis, 93, died peacefully on Sunday, August 31, 2025 at Oakdale Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born and raised in Woonsocket, RI, the beloved daughter of the late Antoine and Lea (Desjardins) Lamoureux.

Pauline was married to the love of her life, the late Andre D. Debatis, Sr. Together, they began their life in...

Jean Albanese

Jean Albanese

Aug 30, 2025

PLYMOUTH - Jean Leslie Albanese, 80, of Plymouth, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025 with her family by her side. She is the loving wife of Arthur R. Albanese with whom she has shared the past 59 years.

Jean was born in Ipswich, the daughter of the late Robert and Rosamond Weaver. Jean graduated from Salem State College and...

Gail Peterson

Gail Peterson

Aug 30, 2025

WORCESTER - Gail L. Peterson, 89, of Worcester, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2025. She is the loving wife of the late Ronald G. Peterson who predeceased her in 2019.

Gail was born in Worcester the daughter of Francis and Martha Shroeder. She worked as the office manager for a local Podiatrist for over 32 years until her retirement.

Gail leaves behind...

Thomas L. White, Jr.

Thomas L. White, Jr.

Aug 29, 2025

NORTH BROOKFIELD – Thomas L. White, Jr, 91, of Paxton, passed away peacefully on August 29, 2025, at his daughter’s home in North Brookfield. He was surrounded by loved ones.

Tom was born in Cambridge, the son of Anne Lucille and Thomas L. White Sr. He was a carpenter and the owner of White’s Construction Company.

During the course of his long...

Thomas P. Rinaldi

Thomas P. Rinaldi

Aug 29, 2025

Thomas P. Rinaldi formerly of Worcester and Tarpon Springs, FL died in his home at The Residence at Orchard Grove, Shrewsbury, on Friday, August 29, 2025.

He was born in Worcester, the son of Luigi and Marie (Babastefano) Rinaldi on May 14, 1931. Tom was predeceased by his wife of 50 years Marie (DeGaetano) Rinaldi; his brothers, Patsy and Frank; and...

Theodore Dunshee

Theodore Dunshee

Aug 28, 2025

Theodore “Ted” D. Dunshee, 87, of West Brookfield, MA & Englewood, FL passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, August 28th.

Ted was born in New Jersey on September 13,1937 to Sally (Irving) & Kenneth Dunshee. In 1962, he married the love of his life, Janet Goebel. The day he met Janet; he went home and told his mother that he...

Violet E. (Lambert) Laska

Violet E. (Lambert) Laska

Aug 28, 2025

WORCESTER - Violet E. (Lambert) Laska, 99, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at UMass Memorial Medical Center after a brief illness.

Born and raised in Worcester, Violet was the daughter of Albanian immigrants, Thomas and Catherine (Ligor) Lambert. She lived for several years in Holden before returning to Worcester in 2024. Her beloved husband of 56 years, Peter...

Wayne L. Armstrong

Wayne L. Armstrong

Aug 27, 2025

WORCESTER – Wayne L. Armstrong, 89, of Worcester, MA, died peacefully on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

He leaves his wife, Jean Armstrong, his daughter Dawn Erickson and her husband, Gary, his daughter Kathy Jo O’Leary, as well as his grandchildren, Jamieson O’Leary, Kayla Erickson, Andrew Erickson and his wife, Emily, and great-grandchildren, Logan and Zoey Erickson.

A private graveside service will be...

Pamela A Richards

Pamela A Richards

Aug 26, 2025

PAXTON - Pamela A. (White) Richards, 65, beloved wife of Gary Richards, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. Born and raised in Leicester, she was the daughter of the late William and Virginia (Bajorin) White.

Pam was a graduate of Leicester High School, Class of 1977. She went on to further her education at Worcester State College where she...

Rachel Macphee

Rachel Macphee

Aug 26, 2025

LEOMINSTER – Rachel (Day) Macphee, 76, passed away peacefully on August 26, 2025, at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Hospital Leominster Campus surrounded by her loving family. She was born on March 2, 1949, in Clinton, the daughter of the late Kenneth and Marie (Bisson) Day.

Rachel grew up locally and graduated from Wachusett Regional HS in 1967. After high school, she earned her...

Robert E. Lingner

Robert E. Lingner

Aug 25, 2025

Worcester - Robert E. Lingner, 93, of Worcester, died peacefully at home on Monday, August 25, 2025. He was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Sally, his son Richard, and his sister, Nancy Carson, of Alabama. He leaves three sons: David and his wife Susan, of Santa Rosa, CA; Robert, Jr. and his wife Cynthia Thompson, of St. Louis...

Albert R. "Al" Bourget

Albert R. "Al" Bourget

Aug 25, 2025

HOLDEN – Albert R. “Al” Bourget, age 78, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Monday, August 25, 2025. Born in Worcester, he was the son of the late Thomas Sr. and Katherine (Vassar) Bourget.

Al is survived by his twin daughters, Jennifer L. Bourget and her husband, Joseph Yaskis, of West Boylston; Janet L. Bourget of...

Diane K. Mirick

Diane K. Mirick

Aug 24, 2025

Diane K. (Lohman) Mirick, 78, a long-time resident of Worcester and then Princeton, died on August 24, 2025, after a sudden illness. Diane was the “New Year’s Baby” of Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania in 1947. She grew up in Glens Falls, New York and Waterville, Maine. She entered Mount Holyoke College in 1964. On a blind date that October, she met...

Warren O. Thorell

Warren O. Thorell

Aug 22, 2025

PRINCETON – Warren O. Thorell, at 102 years of age, died peacefully after a short illness on Friday, August 22, 2025, at UMASS Memorial HealthAlliance – Leominster Campus, surrounded by the love of his family. Warren will be remembered for his calm and reassuring presence, intelligence, kindness, sense of humor, problem solving abilities, his master skill at so many trades,...