Portsmouth senior center honors late volunteers

David Terry, Josephine Furtado honored with stone and bench

Jim McGaw
Posted 6/7/16

PORTSMOUTH — Christopher Terry remembers his dad, who passed away in 2012, as always being on the move.

“He was like Johnny on the spot — or like daddy on the …

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Portsmouth senior center honors late volunteers

David Terry, Josephine Furtado honored with stone and bench

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Christopher Terry remembers his dad, who passed away in 2012, as always being on the move.

“He was like Johnny on the spot — or like daddy on the spot,” Mr. Terry said of his father, David Terry, a longtime volunteer at the Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center. “I found out that he wasn’t just like that for me, but for lots of people.”

When he was older and would call home to check on his parents, Mr. Terry said his mom would always tell him dad wasn’t there; he was out helping at the senior center.

Mr. Terry was one of the volunteers honored Friday during the dedication of the senior center’s Memorial Garden. 

“The center is based on volunteers,” said Cynthia Koniecki, the center’s director for the past 15 years. “We have about 135 volunteers.”

It was only fitting that Mr. Terry was honored with a memorial stone bearing his name. Ms. Koniecki said he was her rock.

“He volunteered 10,000 hours,” said Ms. Koniecki. “I could go to Dave for anything. If I was upset, he would calm me down.”

After the ceremony, Christopher Terry said his dad never would have expected see a memorial named in his honor, because volunteer work was just part of his makeup. The senior center wasn’t the only place he helped out, said his son; his dad also put in many hours at Battleship Cove and other places.

Founding member

The other volunteer memorialized Friday was founding member Josephine Furtado, who passed away in 2013.

“She started the senior center by going to the (Town) Council and basically demanding they give the school to the seniors,” said Andrew Kelly, referring to the former Anne Hutchinson Elementary School, where the center is located. Mr. Kelly, a member of the School Committee, served as master of ceremony for the dedication.

After Ms. Furtado went to the council, volunteers spent six months getting the building ready, according to her daughter, Helen Mathieu.

“My mother was a fixture here for many years,” said Ms. Mathieu. “She enjoyed the memory and comfort of all the members and she mourned their passings, one by one.”

Ms. Furtado, who drove herself to the center until she was 92 and lived to be 95, worked in the thrift shop and loved the center’s lunches, where she would share her sandwich with current board secretary Bob Hamilton.

“She said he was always hungry,” joked Ms. Mathieu.

Bench honors volunteers

She and her sister, Irene Cosgrove, purchased a bench for the garden in honor of their mother and all the other volunteers who made a difference.

Ms. Mathieu said her parting wish is that members of the senior center keep using the building “to bring joy to each other. This center belongs to all of you.”

Also addressing the crowd Friday was Rita St. Laurent, chairwoman of the center’s board of directors, and guest speaker and life member Paula Bradley, who was first hired by the center in 1992 as an administrative assistant. She formed a garden club at the center which started planting a garden —including holly and magnolia trees — with Martin Van Hof’s help. 

“I feel not only grateful, but proud to be here today to remember where we came from and hope we have a better future,” said Ms. Bradley, who is Mr. Kelly’s grandmother.

Senior center members gave a shout-out to several people and groups who made the memorial garden and dedication ceremony a reality: The town’s Department of Public Works, Scott Sherman of Portsmouth Grange, Debbie Barandiarian and Amy Courville, Joan DeNardo, the family of Joseph Furtado, John Reynolds, Joe Balaeff, Hamilton Printing and Rachel Whitmarsh.

35th anniversary event

Ms. Konieki noted that the center will celebrate its 35th anniversary on July 31 at the Glen Manor House, with food, live music and more. 

“We’re going to have fun — and a fund-raiser,” she said.

senior news Portsmouth Multi-Purpose Senior Center Portsmouth Senior Center

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