Cournoyer Funeral Home & Cremation Center

12/19/2025

Is there a grieving child in your life this holiday season? If you’d like to learn several ways you can offer support and love when times of grief arise, check out this helpful article with 10 compassionate actions you can take to care for yourself and a grieving child this Christmas.

Is there a grieving child in your life this Christmas? Check out these 10 suggestions for ways you can offer support over the holidays.

12/18/2025

Deborah T. Roberts

Deborah Train Roberts, wife of Dr. Richard B. Roberts, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 12, 2025, in Peterborough, New Hampshire, with her husband and her brother by her side. She was 87 years old.

Born Deborah Train Smith on January 17, 1938, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she was the daughter of Russell Train Smith, who was the Head of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston for twenty five years and the founder of the art department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Deborah was a direct descendent of the revolutionary war General Benjamin Lincoln, the granddaughter of Broadway actor Henry J. Hadfield and the grandniece of Florence Gill of the Disney Studios.

Deborah received her early education at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, followed by high school at Milton Academy, and graduated summa cm laude from Smith College with a degree in religion. She continued her studies in religious drama at Union Theological Seminary in New York while studying acting with Mira Rostova and later with John Strasberg.

Deborah devoted her life to the dramatic arts, following in the footsteps of her maternal grandparents and her mother. Deborah’s career was marked by passion, generosity, and a deep belief in the transformative power of theater. She served for many years as Head of the Drama Department at the Kaplen JCC in Tenafly, New Jersey, where she inspired countless young people to discover confidence, creativity, and the magic she believed lived within everyone. In 2019, she and Richard retired to New Hampshire, where she had spent her summers since she was a young girl apprenticing at the Peterborough Players. She earned her Actors’ Equity card playing Anne Frank’s sister in The Diary of Anne Frank at The Peterborough Players.

Deborah is survived by her husband, Richard B. Roberts; her brother, Henry F. Smith; her children, Bryan E. Roberts, Gwyneth B. Roberts, Hannah L. Miller and five grandchildren. She will be remembered as a devoted wife, a loving mother and sister, an inspiring teacher, and a woman of warmth, intellect, and enduring grace.

A Memorial Service will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church, 51 Concord St, Peterborough, on Saturday, January 24, at 1:00 p.m., with a reception to follow at her son’s home in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends are invited to make contributions in Deborah’s memory to the Apprenticeship Program at The Peterborough Players, P.O. Box 118, Peterborough, NH 03458, or by going to their website at (https://www.peterboroughplayers.org/fundthefuture.html), honoring her lifelong dedication to the arts and the joy she found in nurturing creativity in others.

View Deborah T. Roberts's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

12/17/2025

Online shopping is more popular than ever, especially during the holidays. However, not all sites have good intentions for buyers. Click the link below to learn how you can keep your shopping merry instead of dreary! cutt.ly/7-holiday-season-tips

12/15/2025

Raymond A. Simard

Raymond A. Simard, of Dublin, NH, died peacefully at his home on Thursday, December 11, 2025. He had celebrated his 90th birthday on October 1st and his 67th wedding anniversary November 15th.

Ray was one of four children to Elphege and Germaine Simard of Manchester, NH. He is survived by his brother Norman Simard of Florida and his ‘kid brother’ Richard Mailloux of Florida.

Ray was a devoted husband and father to his wife and family. They were the heart and soul of his life. He is survived by his wife Dorothy Simard, and his four daughters, Gina Simard, Marie Lovy, Cheryl Demers, Alena Pardoe, and their families. Extended family, including grandchildren, great grandchildren as well as countless friends.

Ray spent over 30 years as a machinist for the New Hampshire Ball Bearing. He also served in the Army National Guard for 25 years, taught NH Hunter Safety for 50 years and was a major contributor to building the Peterborough Sportsman’s Club. But his real love was his gunsmithing business which he ran from his home, working until just weeks before his death. He spent many hours in his basement working on his craft and sharing stories with the many friends who would come to visit daily.

Fond memories of Ray include hunting in Northern Maine, stalking grouse with his hunting companions. Traveling to Alaska by military plane to catch salmon, caribou hunting in Northern Canada and the many family trips camping with his cherished family.

Ray was a story teller to all who would listen. He had a wealth of knowledge about the natural world as well as great talent with building things. His 4th of July canon shoots held for years will be greatly missed.

"Ray was a true friend. He showed me how to treat people with kindness and to be gentle. I felt pretty lucky to know him. I will forever be grateful for his friendship."

All are invited to visit with Ray’s family and celebrate his life together on Monday, December 22, 2025, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, at the Cournoyer Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 33 River Street (US Route 202) Jaffrey, NH 03452.

Memorial Contributions may be made in Ray’s name to the American Cancer Society.

View Raymond A. Simard's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

12/15/2025

12/13/2025

With over 150 positions available, do you know what jobs exist in the U.S. National Guard? Since today is the National Guard’s birthday, research some fun facts about this unique branch of the U.S. military. And take a moment today to thank a service member who serves or served in the National Guard!

12/12/2025

During the holiday season, grief can make you feel isolated and alone. Giving back and volunteering can be a welcome break to the ups and downs of grief and give you something positive to look forward to amidst the holiday happenings. Check out this article for ideas on how to get involved, give back, and balance your grief with joy this Christmas!

Giving back during the holiday season can be a meaningful and productive way to honor a loved one's memory. Learn more here!

12/11/2025

Marie R. Ruffle

Marie Royce Ruffle passed away peacefully with family by her side at Covenant Living of Keene, New Hampshire on December 5, 2025. She was eagerly striving to improve her good health and return to her home of nearly 60 years in Keene.

Marie was the second daughter of the late Harold C. and Mary (Smyth) Royce born on October 8, 1929. She grew up in Jaffrey, New Hampshire enjoying the woods, fields, and nearby Gilmore Pond and Mount Monadnock. Marie graduated from Conant High School in 1948, where she played basketball and participated in a variety of clubs and student organizations. She pursued higher education for her early career as a medical technician with Dr. C. Francis Wozmak in Jaffrey. Later, after marrying Ronald Ruffle, they began their family and she assisted him in growing his dental practice in Keene.

Marie loved being outdoors and was an avid birder and observer of nature. She was a long-time member of the Monadnock Garden Club and lovingly tended the Wyman Tavern garden and Dora Spaulding Nature Trail at Monadnock State Park, as well as her own flower and vegetable gardens. Marie was a dedicated volunteer at the Horatio Colony House, Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery and Wyman Tavern, where she took great pleasure in sharing the tavern’s history with visitors and local schoolchildren. She loved local history and worked as curatorial assistant at the Historical Society of Cheshire County for 17 years continuing as a volunteer into her 90s.

Marie had a sense of adventure and fondly recalled traveling cross-country with two friends in a late 1940s Chevy to be the horseback riding counselor at a girl scout camp near Pueblo, Colorado. Years later she rode a mule into the Grand Canyon with her daughters and explored the Arizona desert where her son lived. She enjoyed hiking, downhill and cross-country skiing with friends, and playing tennis with her ladies’ groups at the Keene Racquet Club, of which she was a founding member. Marie was passionate about native plants and ecology and joined the Appalachian Mountain Club to participate in their annual hikes and view alpine wildflowers in the White Mountains.

Survivors include her children and their spouses, Peter K. Ruffle and his wife, Martha, of Keene, Betsy Ruffle and her husband, Jon Sundstrom, of Boxborough, Mass., Molly Ruffle and her husband, William Deignan, of Wi******er, Mass., and five grandchildren, Michael Ruffle, Cameron Ruffle-Deignan, Nathan Ruffle-Deignan, James Sundstrom and Haley Sundstrom; her sister, Margaret Wenning of Madison Heights, VA, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. In addition to her parents, she was pre-deceased by her brothers; CMSgt. (Ret.) Henry W. Royce of Liberty, SC, H. Charles Royce Jr., William C. Royce, and Kent M. Royce of Jaffrey.

At Marie’s request, a private service and burial in the Old Burial Ground in Jaffrey will take place at the convenience of her family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Historical Society of Cheshire County, 246 Main Street, Keene, NH 03431.

View Marie R. Ruffle's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

12/10/2025

Christmas in June may sound out of the ordinary, but not for Kasey Zachmann! Discover how a loving community came together to support a girl with a terminal diagnosis.

“There are really no words to describe how incredible everyone is.”

12/10/2025

This holiday season may be especially difficult for you if you’ve lost a loved one. The emotions are at the surface, and you’re not sure what to do. Try taking time to remember – the times you spent together, the laughs you shared, and the beauty of the love between you. Light a candle of remembrance, shed the tears as they come, and find a way to honor their memory as you embrace this season of grief. If you would like to learn more about grief support and services this holiday season, visit us at www.cournoyerfh.com/grief-support/grief-resources.

12/08/2025