Obituaries from The Rockingham News, Plaistow, New Hampshire, from February 23, 2001 http://www.seacoastonline.com Copyright retained by the newspaper. Permission received to include in the USGenWeb Archives. Mary Louise Benaglia SEABROOK -- Mary Louise (Hester) Benaglia, 62, died Friday, Feb. 16, 2001, at her home after a one year battle with cancer. She was born in Worcester, Mass., the daughter of the late James and Vivian (Wainionpaa) Hester moving to Seabrook 10 years ago. Mrs. Benaglia was a registered nurse at Memorial Hospital, Worcester, the Worcester County Jail and Concord Prison. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Joseph Benaglia; one son, Joseph Benaglia of Grafton, Mass.; three daughters, Catherine Adair of Portsmouth, Linda Harrington of Holden, Mass., and Patricia Duhamel of Plaistow; two adopted daughters, Ann Emmons of Virginia and Meg Cloud of Maine; seven grandchildren; one brother, James Hester of Worcester; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday at 1 p.m. in St. Mary Church, 17 Waterville St., North Grafton, Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Seacoast Hospice, 10 Hampton Road, Exeter, NH 03833 or to the N.H. SPCA, P.O. Box 196, Stratham, NH 03885. Arrangements are by the William R. Short and Son Funeral Home, Marlborough, Mass. Mary Gerrish BRENTWOOD -- Mary "Stella" Gerrish, 87, died Sunday, Feb. 18, 2001, at the Rockingham County Nursing Home following a lengthy illness. She was born March 25, 1913, in Manchester, the daughter of Sebastian and Jozefa (Tobiary) Fafara. She resided in Portsmouth, Stoughton, Mass., and Plaistow before moving to Brentwood five years ago. She was educated in Manchester schools. Mrs. Gerrish was a homemaker all of her life. The widow of Raymon Gerrish, who died in 1962, she is survived by three sons, Raymon S. Gerrish of Strafford, John A. Gerrish of Telorosa, N.M., and Richard C. Gerrish of Kingston; one daughter, Charlotte Hubbard of Wilson, N.C.; 16 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Wednesday in St. Hedwig Church, Manchester. Spring burial will be in St. Hedwig Cemetery, Bedford. Memorial donations may be made to The Sad Cafe, P.O. Box 1051, Plaistow, NH 03865. Arrangements were by the John J. Bykowski Funeral Home, Manchester. Paul C. McNamara WINCHESTER -- Paul Clifford McNamara, 93, died Thursday, Feb. 15, 2001. He was born Feb. 10, 1908, in Charlestown, the son of Harry and Bernice (Lockwood) McNamara. He was a graduate of Charlestown High School, attended Vermont Academy, where he was tri-captain of the basketball, football and baseball teams and was among the first to be inducted into the Vermont Academy Hall of Fame. He received a full football scholarship to attend NYU and played for them from 1928 until 1932. After graduation from NYU he played professional football. He attended UVM, Yale and KSC for his master's degree. Mr. McNamara became principal of Thayer High School in 1952, retiring in 1973. He began his career in 1936, teaching manual training and social studies and was named sub-master and coach of athletics in 1937. He instituted a full program of sports for boys and girls. During his administration many new courses and innovations of the time were instituted including the school year book, newspaper, library, driver education course, guidance, music and art departments, language laboratory, student council, National Honor Society and a multi-track curriculum. He played an important part in getting the junior and senior high schools accredited in 1966 and 1971 by the New England Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges. He was a member and president of the New Hampshire Principals' Association and an active member of the Winchester Kiwanis Club. The widower of Mary (Fisk) McNamara, his wife of 62 years who died in 1996, he is survived by two daughters, Donna-Jean Chandler of Atkinson and Elaine Gatchell of Epping; four grandchildren; and one sister, Irene Freeman of Claremont. He was predeceased by one sister, Dorothea Cavanaugh. Memorial services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. in the United Church of Winchester. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Leddy Center for the Performing Arts, 131 Main St., Epping, NH 03042. Arrangements are by the Brewitt Funeral Home, Epping. Jean C. Tripp NEWFIELDS -- Jean C. Tripp, 75, of Route 108, died Monday, Feb. 19, 2001, at the Baker-Katz Nursing Home, Haverhill, Mass., after a period of failing health. She was born May 3, 1925, in Melrose, Mass., the daughter of the late William and Lillian (Hauver) Garvin and had resided in Newton before moving to Newfields in 1969. The widow of Homer Tripp, who died in 1995, she is survived by three daughters, Norma Giroux of Plaistow, Lynn Ellen of Lutz, Fla., and Janeen Marie of Saugus, Mass.; two step-daughters and their husbands, Marilyn and Gordon Lacy of Buena Vista, Colo., and Janice and Tony Juliano of Sequim, Wash.; several grandchildren; one brother, John Garvin of Ft. Myers, Fla.; one sister, Claire Cantone of Newburyport, Mass.; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held Thursday in the Brewitt Funeral Home, Exeter, with the Rev. J. Jermain Bodine officiating. Spring burial will be in Rockingham Cemetery, Newfields. Memorial donations may be made to Merrimack Valley Hospice, 360 Merrimack St., Lawrence, MA 01840. Helen E. Verge SOUTH HAMPTON -- Helen E. (Brewer) Verge, 83, of Hilldale Avenue, died Friday, Feb. 16, 2001, in Exeter after a lengthy illness. She was born Sept. 10, 1917, in Newton, the daughter of Perley H. and Stella (Currier) Brewer. She had resided in Melrose, Mass., for many years and in South Hampton for more than 30 years. She was a graduate of Sanborn Seminary, Kingston, and Chandler School, Boston. Mrs. Verge was a member of Fidelity Grange and was very active on the local, state and national levels. She was a Deacon at Green Street Baptist Church, Melrose, and was a member of the Ladies Fellowship Circle. She was a member of the Mary Colby and Currier family and attended the Colby family reunions. She is survived by her husband, Wallace C. Verge of South Hampton; twin sons, Richard Verge of South Hampton and Robert Verge of New Boston; two daughters, Mary J. Barton of Plaistow and Susan Currier Johnson of Alton and W. Peabody, Mass.; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. There are no calling hours. Memorial services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Brewitt Funeral Home, 14 Pine St., Exeter, with the Rev. Lawrence Starr of Melrose officiating. Spring burial will be in Newton. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Green Street Baptist Church, 179 Green St., Melrose, MA 02176.