Thomas J Latourelle, Sr.

Thomas J. Latourelle, Sr., 68, of Manchester Village passed away on Friday, June 12, 2020 in Bennington Hospital, Bennington, VT, surrounded by his loving family. He was a lover of all things horticulture, especially flowers and trees. His lifelong hobby started as a boy planting Christmas trees in Hartford, NY. Tom was perhaps most at peace while tending to his extensive vegetable garden or picking berries from his blueberry and raspberry patches. In the fall you could find him in the orchards searching for the perfect pie apple. Spring always meant time at the sugar house making syrup with his close friend, Hamilton Hayes. He was a lifelong collector of regional furniture, art and collectibles. The connection of pieces, their makers and the community from which they came always sparked a passion in him. No doubt a passion instilled by his mother from a young age. Early on he painted numerous still lifes of flowers and taught art classes. He was always intrigued by trees and wood. He learned to work wood from his father, a cabinet maker. Tom passed his love of art along to his daughter and his love of furniture along to his son. Tom enjoyed hunting Mount Equinox for deer and small game. He knew the mountain itself and its history extremely well and always loved to share that information with people willing to listen. He enjoyed fishing the trout streams around Manchester and the Mettowee Valley. He always preferred worms to flies on a fly rod. This preference made for heated debates within the household. He traveled extensively to the coast to fish the inshore and offshore waters around Newburyport, MA. He was a passionate fan of the New York Yankees all summer long. Come August, however, all focus switched to his beloved Boston College Eagles. Through the fall and winter he would always know what was going on with the BC football and basketball teams. Tom is survived by his wife Pam of Manchester, VT; his son, Tom, wife Emma and granddaughters, Willa and Leda of Missoula, MT; his daughter, Carolyn, of Manchester, VT; his brothers, Robert and wife, Cathy, of Haverhill, MA; and Norton and wife, Marlene, of Shoreham VT. If friends desire, contributions may be made in Thomas J. Latourelle Sr.’s name to Southwestern Vermont Cancer Center or Vermont Public Radio c/o Brewster-Shea Funeral Home P.O. Box 885 Manchester Center, VT 05255