Heather Mathews, Reading Specialist at Sharon Center School, seated before her book bus, The Roving Clover, reads “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn, to Blake Davis, center, and Eloise Gerstle. Mathews takes the bus to local events and gives books away.
SHARON — Like a pied piper, Heather Mathews and her little green bus, The Roving Clover, attract children and their parents wherever they go.
When parked at the Sharon Green recently, children and moms appeared within minutes. Mathews is a reading specialist at Sharon Center School.
“The Roving Clover’s mission is to promote literacy by providing young readers with free books; no matter income or zip code.” She has given away thousands of books.
“I heard from many parents asking for help to close the learning gaps created after COVID-19. I met with children on their porches and in their garages, always lugging materials in my large L.L. Bean bags,” Mathews said.
She got the idea to create a mobile classroom with organized materials.
Mathews began to hunt for a suitable bus. A friend told her about a bus in Maine.
“I left a note for my husband and son and drove to Maine,” she said.
After a test drive, she bought it with an inheritance from her parents. Refurbishing it the way she dreamed of would take more funds than she had, so she applied for and received a grant from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“My mom’s favorite flower was the daisy, so I have special curtains and pillows with embroidered daisies. When people come on the bus they are in awe of how cozy it is.”
“My father had the unusual knack for finding four leaf clovers.” Mathews said. “Hence the little green bus became The Roving Clover.”
In 2023 she hit the road for the Memorial Day Parade in Sharon.“My goal was to reach as many people as I could. I wanted to get books to them.”
“As a reading teacher and mom, I feel one of the biggest gifts you can give your child is to just read them. Just read! Reading to children fosters early literacy development that lasts a lifetime.”
Before long, people were leaving books on her porch and in her car at work. “I have never asked for book donations, they just appear.”
A young Hispanic man who was trying to learn to read English stopped by the bus at an event. He asked if she might have any books that he could have.She said he carried the books away “as if they were treasures”.It was a special memory and “still gives me goose bumps”.
The Roving Clover recently got its non-profit status. “Having a non-profit status will help us get funding for a bus that is totally dedicated to being a book mobile. I would like it to be cool in the summer months and warm in the winter so I can attend more events.”
Look for The Roving Clover at these events:
May 31 — North Canaan Spring Fest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June 11 — Sharon Center Schools Slip and Slide
June 14 — Sharon Library Summer Kick off
July 13 — July Fest, Cornwall, 5 to 7 p.m.
Aug. 9 — Taste of Cornwall, 4 to 7 p.m.
Every Wednesday evening from June 25 to July 30 at Sharon Summer Concerts at Veteran’s Field in Sharon Valley, 6 to 8 p.m.
Check therovingclover.org for updates and information.
Please join us for a Celebration of Life to honor Michael R. Tesoro M.D. (May 20, 1941-—Dec. 25, 2024) whose vibrant spirit touched so many. We will gather on May 17 at 11:30 a.,m. at Trinity Lime Rock to remember Michael’s life with love and laughter.
A light fare reception to immediately follow at the church’s Walker Hall.
Trinity Lime Rock, 484 Lime Rock Rd., Lakeville. In lieu of flowers please direct donations to: Malta House of Care, Inc.,136 Farmington Avenue,Hartford, CT 06105 www.maltahouseofcare.org
SHARON — Keith Raven Johnson, a long-time resident of Sharon, died on April 26, 2025, a month after his 90th birthday, at Geer Rehabilitation and Long -Term Care facility in Canaan.
He was born on March 21, 1935, in Ithaca, New York, the son of John Raven Johnson and Hope Anderson Johnson.
Keith was a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and Cornell University where he was editor-in-chief of the Cornell Daily Sun and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
After serving his active duty in the New York National Guard, he joined the New York Herald Tribune as a reporter in 1957. Four years later he moved to Time magazine where he served as a writer and editor in New York and as a correspondent based in Los Angeles, Washington, Paris and London, with temporary assignments in Africa, Germany, and Vietnam. He was executive editor of Money magazine and later of Discover magazine. He retired as a member of the board of editors of Fortune magazine in 1993.
Before his retirement, Keith served on the vestry at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City where he was also chair of the Choir School. He later became a member of the Lime Rock Episcopal Church.
After retirement, Keith served on the executive committee of the Lakeville Journal where he also contributed a column called “Cars” reflecting a life-long interest in performance automobiles. He also served as a trustee and treasurer of the Hotchkiss Library in Sharon and was on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. He was a member of the Cornell University Council and at one time chaired the Advisory Council of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell.
Keith is survived by his brother, Leonard Johnson, and his wife, Patricia, his son, Stephen Main, his niece, Paige Johnson Roth, his nephew, Keith Raven Johnson II, and his niece, Heide Novado Johnson. He was predeceased by his parents and his nephew, Eric Anderson Johnson.
Donations may be made in Keith’s memory to ACLU of Connecticut, 765 Asylum Avenue, Hartford CT 06015, or Keith Johnson ’52 and Leonard Johnson ’56 Scholarship Fund, Phillips Exeter Academy, 20 Main Street, Exeter NH 03833.
A celebration of Keith’s life will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11 am at the Lime Rock Episcopal Church, followed by a reception in the parish hall.
NORTH CANAAN — Sue Ann Miller Plain, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and sister, passed away on May 4, 2025, after a courageous battle with ALS. Sue Ann faced her illness with incredible strength, grace, and determination, never losing her spirit or her love for those around her.
Sue Ann was born on April 21, 1957, in Jersey City, New Jersey. She lived in North Canaan for 50 years where she built lasting friendships and began a life rooted in community and family.
She was the cherished wife of David W. Plain and devoted mother to Dara Robinson and Shanna Robinson, as well as loving stepmother to Felicia Plain and David K Plain. She was the proud and adoring grandmother to seven grandchildren, Collin Thyberg, Kartel Henry, Owen Henry, Rustin DeJesus, Colter DeJesus, Chayton Pastre and Brynn Pastre who were the light of her life and whom she loved more than anything in the world.
Born to Grace and Robert Miller, Sue Ann was raised with strong family values and a generous spirit. She was predeceased by her father, Robert, in 2008, and is survived by her mother, Grace Miller, and her two brothers, Robert and Rick Miller.
Sue Ann found great joy and purpose in community service, particularly through her involvement with the Women’s Auxiliary at the Couch Pipa V.F.W. Her dedication, warmth, and vibrant presence will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
Sue Ann’s life was defined by love—love for her family, her community, and the many friends she gathered along the way. Though ALS took her from us too soon, Sue Ann’s strength in the face of adversity and the love she gave so freely will never be forgotten.
Her legacy lives on in the hearts of her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.
Service details will be shared by the family at a later time. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Sue Ann’s memory to the North Canaan V.F.W.,104 S. Canaan Rd, North Canaan, CT 06018, a cause close to her heart.
SALISBURY — Joan Anderson Turnure, 91, died after a long illness on May 3, 2025, at Noble Horizons in Salisbury. She was the loving widow of Michael DeBurbure Turnure.
Joan was born July 29, 1933, in Mexico City, Mexico, the daughter of the late Lawrence Anderson and Barbara (Ryan) Anderson. She grew up in Mexico and Maryland, later attending the Shipley School in Pennsylvania and earning a Bachelor of Arts in English from Vassar College.
Joan dedicated her life to her family.While the family was living in Venezuela in the 1960s, she taught high school English and founded a preschool. In their two years living in Paris, she took cooking lessons while shuttling four kids to schools and caring for her fifth baby.
In 1971, she and Michael returned to the U.S. and purchased Community Service, the northwestern Connecticut lumber and building materials business where Joan worked alongside her husband.
In Salisbury, Joan was active as a bridge player, a book club member, and a member of the Millbrook Garden Club. Joan won the Garden Club of America Catherine Beattie Medal for horticulture. This medal is awarded for vibrancy, prime condition, and perfection of grooming of a single plant. This was the first time in over 100 years that a Millbrook Garden Club member had received it.
Joan represented the fifth generation of women in her family to be born in Mexico. Fluent in Spanish, she was well-known within the Hispanic community and often advocated for their rights. A devoted dog lover, Joan always had a puppy or two throughout her life. Her last dog, a Chihuahua named Itsy-Bitsy, was, she said, her “best dog.”
She is survived by five children: Lili Bassett (John), John Turnure (Evie), Barbara Turnure, Virginia Morgan, and Richard Turnure (Bethany); twelve grandchildren: Eva, Eliza, Jack, and William Bassett; Nicholas and Henry Morgan; Nicole Halstead, Christine Turnure, David Turnure; Charlotte, Ryan, and Griffin Turnure; and six great-grandchildren: Adaleigh, Kinleigh, and Beckett Halstead; Westyn Turnure; and Christian and Savannah Boulier. She was predeceased by her husband, Michael; her brother, Lawrence Anderson; and her son-in-law, Jeffery B. Morgan.
A memorial service will be held at St. John’s Church in Salisbury on June 1, followed by a reception at The White Hart Inn. The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
