Obits: Pacific Campaign Vet., Doctor and Pastor

Marlborough — Ann M. Beauks, 95, formerly of Marlborough, died Tuesday morning after a long period of failing health.

Beauks graduated from the former Worcester Trade School and went to work for the Norton Corp. for many years.  She then went to work for the Fenwal Corp. as an assembler for 32 years, retiring in 1979.  After her retirement  she volunteered as a companion for the elderly for 11 years. 

Grafton — Norman J. Levitre, 57, of North Grafton, died at home after a courageous battle with lung cancer on June 11, 2013, surrounded by his loving family.

His greatest love was his family, enjoying many camping trips and trips to the beach, coaching in the Grafton Little League for many years, and was a great fan of New England Sports, especially the Patriots, having been a season ticket holder for over 20 years.

Northborough — Vernal E. Patton, 74, formerly of Worcester, Northborough and Moundville, AL died Monday, June 10, 2013 surrounded by family and friends.

In 1955, he met Fannie Minor and married in 1959. Work was hard for Vernal cutting timber in the woods using mules and sharecropping. Work at the lumberyard was short money, so Vernal moved his family to Worcester in 1967 and began working at Wyman Gordon Co., thanks to the efforts of Rev. Thurman A. Hargrove, Pastor of the Second Baptist Church. The church hosted a joyful ceremony on January 16, 2005 when Vernal, along with his lifelong friend, Samuel E. May and others were ordained a minister.

Shrewsbury — Charles T. Rozak, 88, of Shrewsbury, formerly of South Attleboro, died on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 surrounded by his loving family in the Rose Monahan Hospice Residence in Worcester.

He graduated from Central Falls High School and the University of Rhode Island. He served his country proudly with the United States Army Air Corps during W.W. II. He later retired from the Rhode Island Air National Guard after 25 years of service as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Natick — John E. Ross of Venice, FL, formerly of Natick & Wareham, MA died on February 26, 2013 in Florida.

John was a self-employed plumber as well as the Plumbing Inspector for the Town of Natick. He graduated from Natick High School & entered the United States Marines Corp. in 1943 at the age of 17 and served our country proudly during WWII in the Pacific Theatre on the Island Hopping Campaign including Iwo Jima & Okinawa.

Shrewsbury — Arthur A. Like (“Art”) was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1929 to Ben and Ester Like, émigrés from the impoverished villages of the Ukraine, Russia. He died on June 9 at the age of 84.

As a Professor of Pathology at UMass, Art taught and trained new medical students, running the second-year pathology course and in this way, helping to imprint his knowledge on generations of new doctors who came through UMass.

Grafton — Daisy Pearl Lupien, 88, passed away June 9, 2013.

Marlborough — William N. Stone "Bill", 81, of Marlborough, MA, died Sunday, June 9, 2013 after a lengthy illness at the Rose Monahan Hospice Home, Worcester, MA.

He was an avid fisherman, and shared his interest through the years with anyone fortunate enough to cross his path near a body of water. He was a member of the New England Fly Tying Association, and a former Marlborough Fish and Game Club member.

Shrewsbury — Eugene "Gene" A. Dodd, 87, formerly of Boylston, died peacefully in the presence of his loving family on Friday, June 7, 2013.

Born in Worcester and raised in Shrewsbury, Gene was the son of George and Edith (Ainsworth) Dodd and lived 35 years in Boylston before moving to Sterling in 2011.