Transitions

A time of transition, a time of change: Annual graduations signify more than just a rite of passage. Changes of great magnitude, transformational, happen right on the heels of graduations, making them bittersweet for all those celebrating the successful conclusion of one phase of their lives. There are some friends left behind, some friends made for life. Some teachers who will never be forgotten, whose lessons will carry their graduates forward and inspire them to achieve good things for the rest of their lives. Others will be too soon forgotten. Congratulations and good luck to all the graduates of 2011. Whatever the best lessons of those years leading up to this culmination of achievement may be, hold them close, for they will give strength, joy and courage when it is most needed.This week brought sorrow to us at this newspaper. Please allow us to express that sadness briefly here: The Lakeville Journal Company’s Managing Partner for the last 16 years, A. Whitney Ellsworth, died on Saturday, June 18, after half a year of enduring pancreatic cancer. Find his obituary and an article on him in this issue. When he received his diagnosis in January, he called together a quick Monday morning meeting to inform all in the company. He made the announcement of his terminal illness in a straightforward way, taking care to make all those in the room comfortable, at ease, as he was himself. He was a wonderful mentor and a steadfast support for all of us at The Journal and had a way of regularly conveying warmth and respect to all his colleagues. He will be greatly missed. Whitney gave us the benefit of his wisdom, journalistic knowledge and integrity. He also showed us, sadly, how to face death with grace and courage.

Latest News

Barbara Meyers DelPrete

LAKEVILLE — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at her home. She was the beloved wife of George R. DelPrete for 62 years.

Mrs. DelPrete was born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 31, 1941, daughter of the late George and Judy Meyers. She lived in California for a time and had been a Lakeville resident for the past 55 years.

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Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti

SHARON — Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti, daughter of George and Mabel (Johnson) Wilbur, the first girl born into the Wilbur family in 65 years, passed away on Oct. 5, 2025, at Noble Horizons.

Shirley was born on Aug. 19, 1948 at Sharon Hospital.

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Veronica Lee Silvernale

MILLERTON — Veronica Lee “Ronnie” Silvernale, 78, a lifelong area resident died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. Mrs. Silvernale had a long career at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, where she served as a respected team leader in housekeeping and laundry services for over eighteen years. She retired in 2012.

Born Oct. 19, 1946, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Bradley C. and Sophie (Debrew) Hosier, Sr. Following her graduation from high school and attending college, she married Jack Gerard Silvernale on June 15, 1983 in Millerton, New York. Their marriage lasted thirty-five years until Jack’s passing on July 28, 2018.

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Crescendo launches 22nd season
Christine Gevert, artistic director of Crescendo
Steve Potter

Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s artistic director, is delighted to announce the start of this musical organization’s 22nd year of operation. The group’s first concert of the season will feature Latin American early chamber music, performed Oct. 18 and 19, on indigenous Andean instruments as well as the virginal, flute, viola and percussion. Gevert will perform at the keyboard, joined by Chilean musicians Gonzalo Cortes and Carlos Boltes on wind and stringed instruments.

This concert, the first in a series of nine, will be held on Oct. 18 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, and Oct. 19 at Trinity Church in Lakeville.

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