Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Paul Eugene Roy Jr.

Paul Eugene Roy Jr.

NORTH CANAAN — Paul Eugene Roy Jr., age 81, of North Canaan passed away on Friday, March 25, 2022.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Barbara Jean (Cruikshank) Roy on October 3, 2017. Paul was born on July 20, 1940, in Winsted, the son of the late Paul Sr. and Nancy Roy of Winsted. Paul had three brothers, Guilio, Louis and Fred and one sister Rose.

In 1962, Paul moved to North Canaan and married Barbara. Paul was a master mechanic at Phil Joseph Chevrolet, Morgan Motors, Arnie’s Arco and Village Auto. He also worked at Becton Dickenson. Paul retired from the Town of North Canaan in March of 2021, completing 23 years with the town highway department.

To those that knew him, he was known as the Mayor of North Canaan, even though he never held the position. Paul was dedicated to the Town of North Canaan. He served as an umpire to the Little League baseball for many years, completed 46 years with the Canaan Fire Company, 43 years with North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance, and he was a wrecker service operator for several auto repairs shops in town and served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Railroad Historical Association. Paul was a lifetime member of the FFA Housatonic Valley Chapter in Falls Village. Paul would help any community member any time.

He leaves behind his children Robert Roy of Goshen and his wife Deborah and their children Christina and Benjamin; Jenifer Serna of North Canaan and her husband David and their children Stephanie and Jessica and Emily Minacci of North Canaan and her husband William and their children Brooke, Ashlee and Jonathan William Paul. Paul was predeceased by his oldest son Paul Eugene Roy III of Lakeville. Paul III had two children, Paul E. Roy IV, of Melrose, Mass., and Nicole Roy, of Lakeville.

His graveside memorial will be on April 23, 2022, at 11:00 AM, at the Carlson Cemetery on the corner of Moses Meade and Canaan Valley Roads in Canaan Valley. There will be a celebration of Paul’s life at the Bitterman Center in North Canaan directly following the memorial. All are welcome to join the family and friends in the memorial and celebration of Paul.

In lieu of flowers or food please make memorial donations in honor of Paul to North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance, P.O. Box 178, North Canaan, CT 06018 and/or Canaan Fire Company 4 East Main St., North Canaan, CT 06018.

Latest News

Lelah M. Somers

Lelah M. Somers

DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

She enjoyed taking care of the mentally disabled, was a wonderful mother to her four children, always putting her family first. She is survived by her son, James F. Somers, Jr. and his wife Donna of Dover Plains; two daughters, Doreen Monica of Wingdale, and Frances “Fran” Horton of Dover Plains, who was also her caregiver for many years; seven grandchildren, Debbie, Margie, Leah, Stephanie, Deirdra, Benji and Jimmy and several great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, and her step-son, Kenny Elliott. In addition to her parents and husband, Lelah was predeceased by her daughter and son-in-law, Carol “DeeDee” Maile and Gil Maile, her son-in-law, Stephen Monica, and her son-in-law, Benny Horton as well as her companion of over forty-years, Andrew “Mac” McAlravey and her siblings, Ferris Brill, Eleanor Barryann, Richard Brill, William Brill and Barney Brill.

Keep ReadingShow less

The art of getting into art school

The art of getting into art school

Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day returns to Poughkeepsie.

Provided

For a young artist considering college, the question isn’t simply whether the work is good enough. It’s which work to show, which school might be the right fit and even whether a creative life can lead to a sustainable career.

On Friday, Oct. 16, hundreds of aspiring artists will have the opportunity to explore those questions at Hudson Valley Regional Portfolio Day, presented by The Art Effect at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie.

Keep ReadingShow less
A colorful life together at Atelier Valla

Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.

L. Tomaino
I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.
— Justine Valla

Husband and wife Victor and Justine Valla share a lavender and pink studio, Atelier Valla, across the driveway from their pink house, nestled into a hillside in Salisbury. The colors, said Justine, “were inspired by Monet’s house at Giverny.”

Creating art has been a lifelong pursuit for both.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

David Ruchman’s “Acquired Taste”

Filmmaker David Ruchman

Bleacher and Everard Photography

In a region known for its vibrant but geographically scattered arts community, discovering something new can require a little effort. The same might be said for finding a new place for an extraordinary meal. While the Northwest Corner, Berkshires and Hudson Valley have no shortage of creative talent, opportunities to experience it — whether on a stage, in a gallery or on a plate — aren’t always just around the corner.

In David Ruchman’s short film “Acquired Taste,” that challenge becomes the premise for an unlikely friendship between Nick, an aspiring young food critic living in an area with limited dining options, and a gruff New York City master chef.

Keep ReadingShow less
Follow the Clay Way for ceramic delights

Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.

Provided

As the leaves across Litchfield and Dutchess counties rush to make it to the ground, your last chance to peep autumn is fast approaching. On Oct.17 and 18, the 10th annual Clay Way offers peepers a route to follow lined with unique art that rivals the area’s natural beauty.

The two-day event is a ceramics-focused open studio tour through northwestern Connecticut, with a few studios peppered in just over the border in Dutchess County. Featuring nine open studios and 25 participating artists, the tour promises a wide variety of work, from decorative objects to grand vessels and a whole world in between.

Keep ReadingShow less
A new home for the unexpected at Kent Fine Art

CAMERON (1922-1995) is on view at Kent Fine Art in Pine Plains through Nov. 14.

Provided

Where can one find the work of an artist associated with occult rituals, surrealist visions and the underground California art scene? In a beautifully renovated former carriage house in Pine Plains, of course.

Unexpected discoveries are, after all, part of what Doug Walla has spent his career making possible. The longtime New York City art dealer and founder of Kent Fine Art, has brought the work of Marjorie Cameron Parsons Kimmel, known simply as Cameron, to his new gallery space. The exhibition, on view through Nov. 14, introduces visitors to an artist whose life and work moved between mysticism, poetry, film and the avant-garde.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.