Maine Antique Digest March 2015

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Maine Antique Digest, March 2015 5-A
be nice,” said local dealers and
collectors. “Why not?” asked
Pete, who always embraced a
challenge.
With his business astuteness,
Ann’s antiques knowledge and
editing skills, and friend and
neighbor Jim Loeffler’s printing
experience, the Ohio Antique
Review was created in Septem-
ber 1975 (with some ready ad-
vice from Sam!). The publica-
tion provided a needed venue
for information, advertising, and
shopping to subscribers in Ohio
and the rest of the 50 states. The
“Ohio” was dropped from the
name in 1985. In 1987, Pete sold
his shares to Loeffler and Charles
Muller, who sold the business in
1999. Pete then restored several
historic homes in New Bern and
Pinehurst, North Carolina, and
Worthington, Ohio.
Pete was an ardent collector
and student of antiques. He espe-
cially loved Windsor chairs! But
he deserves special recognition
for his insight and determination
to enhance the antiques trade
in Ohio and surrounding states.
Through his efforts, dealers had
a low-cost advertising venue,
local auctioneers and show man-
agers reached a wider audience,
and excellent contributions were
made to the research of the Mid-
west’s early American material
culture. There probably would
be no strong voice for midwest-
ern antiques without his ven-
turesome spirit and pragmatic
endeavor. Pete Lowder’s vision
made a great impact on the an-
tiques market of the last quarter
of the 20th century. And for that,
we thank him.
Charles Muller
DOUGLAS J. BLANCHARD
Longtime antiques dealer
Douglas J. Blanchard of Marcel-
lus, New York, died on January
20, two years after being diag-
nosed with ALS.
He was born in his grand-
mother’s maternity hospital in
Baldwinsville, New York, on
March 1, 1932. A natural athlete,
he was on the All-County Foot-
ball team in 1950. After gradu-
ating from Baldwinsville High
School, he attended St. Law-
rence University, graduating in
1954. At St. Lawrence he met his
bride, Beverly Evans. They were
deeply devoted to each other,
celebrating their 60th anniversa-
ry on June 18, 2014.
After two years of service in
the U.S. Army, Blanchard began
a 40-year careerwithConnecticut
Mutual Life Insurance Company
(later with MassMutual). An in-
terest in antiques developed into
a business in which he remained
active until his last days. He was
the original “American Picker,”
enjoying the hunt most of all. He
loved teaching his grandchildren
how to distinguish a fraud from
something fabulous. He exhib-
ited at antiques shows in central
and western NewYork as well as
at Ludlow, Vermont, and other
New England venues. Blanchard
ELEANOR M.
CLEAVELAND
Eleanor M. Cleaveland, 93,
of Sherwood, New York, died
peacefully on January 31 at her
home, surrounded by her loving
family. She was born in Ben-
ton, the daughter of John N. and
Emma Hansen Jensen.
She and her husband, Edwin,
were married for 66 years. Their
marriage took them from Roch-
ester to Raquette Lake in the
Adirondacks where they owned
and rented cabins, to Dresden,
to King Ferry, and ending in
Sherwood. During this time they
brought into the world six chil-
dren who were fortunate enough
to be raised with their parents’
values and compassion for oth-
ers. They also imparted these
values to their grandchildren.
Cleaveland was a renowned
antiques dealer, owning and op-
erating Cleaveland’s Antiques in
the hamlet of Sherwood for over
50 years.
She is survived by daughters
Karen Corning (Robert Sr.) of
Ovid, Ane Christine Pollard
(Robert) of Cayuga, Charrene
E. King (Thomas) of Auburn,
Debra L. Rech (Terry) of Rush,
and Kim E. Fitzgerald (Gary) of
Easton; son, Edwin E. Cleave-
land, III of Rochester; sister, Ane
Becker of Groton; 18 grandchil-
dren; 20 great-grandchildren;
and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to her parents,
Cleaveland was predeceased by
her husband, Edwin, her grand-
son Charles Corning, and daugh-
ter-in-law Karen Cleaveland.
In lieu of flowers contribu-
tions may be made to Southern
Cayuga Ambulance Fund, P.O.
Box 7, Poplar Ridge, NY 13139,
or the Aurora Fire Department
Ambulance Fund, Aurora, NY
13026 in memory of Eleanor M.
Cleaveland.
BURTON CLAYTON
BILLINGS
Burton (Burt) Clayton Bill-
ings, 88, died on January 15 in
Easthampton, Massachusetts.
Born August 13, 1926, Billings
was awarded the title “prettiest
baby in Pawtucket, Rhode Is-
land” before moving with his
parents and paternal grandpar-
ents to Attleboro, Massachu-
setts, where he graduated from
high school.
At age 18, Billings joined the
U.S. Air Force, serving overseas
in Occupied Germany. After his
return, he attended the Univer-
sity of Missouri on the GI Bill,
majoring in journalism. It was
there that he met and married
his wife, Marianne Guengerich
of Louisiana, Missouri. After
graduation in 1950, he worked
as a reporter for a number of
newspapers including Missou-
ri’s Louisiana Press Journal and
Palmyra Spectator, New Mex-
ico’s Eddy County News, Ver-
mont’s Caledonian Record,
Rhode Island’s Providence Jour-
nal, and the New York Herald in
Manhattan. He became editor of
Equitable Life Insurance’s in-
house magazine, Equinews, in
1955.
In 1957, Billings settled in
Suffern, NewYork, with his wife
and young daughters Kathleen
and Rebecca. There he renovat-
ed an early 20th-century home
down to the details of handmade
cabinetry and furnishings. He
was a determined gardener, spe-
cializing in heirloom tomatoes.
He played the bagpipes.
BILL CASKEY
Bill Caskey, 67, passed away
on Thursday, November 20,
2014, due to complications
from Early Onset Alzheimer’s
Disease. He was born to Doro-
thy and Elmer Caskey in 1947.
He spent his early childhood in
Ashland, Kentucky, and later
attended high school in Dayton,
Ohio. As a young man Caskey
frequented local antiques auc-
tions and acquired several valu-
able pieces. These early anti-
quing years fueled a lifelong
love of antiques and art.
Caskey moved to Toronto in
1969 where he met his first wife,
Sandra. Together they ran Red
Lion Antiques, the Collectors
Bookshelf, and the Indian Gal-
lery. During this time, he also
opened Horizon Enterprises, to
produce antiques shows across
Canada. Their daughter Netanya
was born in 1978.
Caskey returned to the U.S.
and settled in California in 1982
with his second wife, Elizabeth,
and stepson, Brandon. Netanya
joined them in 1991. Bill and Liz
founded Caskey Lees, an anti-
ques fair production house, and
also exhibited their own materi-
als in antiques shows across the
country. They created the Los
Angeles Folk & Ethnographic
Art Show in 1985, an art fair
that more closely reflected the
material they were drawn to and
dealt in. This endeavor became
the first of the Tribal & Tex-
tile Arts Shows that eventually
expanded from Los Angeles to
San Francisco and New York
City. It marked the beginning of
a 30-year career producing high-
end specialized art fairs across
the country, including the Arts
of Pacific Asia Shows (Los An-
geles, San Francisco, and New
York City), the Los Angeles
Modernism Show, and The New
York Ceramics Fair, amongst
others.
Caskey is survived by his wife,
Elizabeth Lees; stepson, Bran-
don; daughter, Netanya (Kris);
grandsons Maxx and Logan;
mother, Dorothy Caskey; former
wife, Sandra; and brothers Steve
and Kevin and their families.
Donations in Bill Caskey’s
memory may be made by mail
to the Alzheimer’s Association,
THOMAS CLOSSER
Thomas G. Closser of Endi-
cott, New York, passed away
peacefully at his home on Janu-
ary 25. He was born on Novem-
ber 9, 1937, in Bradford, Penn-
sylvania, to Robert and Irene
(Coast) Closser. He graduated
from Bradford High School.
He received his bachelor of
music degree in music educa-
tion from Syracuse University,
with private bassoon instruction
at the Eastman School of Music.
He received his master of music
degree in bassoon performance
from Binghamton University,
where he studied with the New
York Woodwind Quintet. He
completed further graduate work
at St. Bonaventure University
in Olean, New York, where he
received certification in school
administration.
Closser was a bassoon per-
former extraordinaire. He played
under the direction ofAaronCop-
land, Lukas Foss, Peter Schick-
ele, and many others. He was a
charter member of the Bingham-
ton Symphony founded by Fritz
Wallenberg. In addition, he per-
formed with the Syracuse Opera
and Symphony, the Tri-Cities
Opera, and the Binghamton
Philharmonic and Bingham-
ton Pops Orchestras. For many
years he handcrafted single and
double reeds for woodwind mu-
sicians all around the world. He
authored the New York state syl-
labus for double reeds.
Closser taught instrumental
music at St. Bonaventure Uni-
versity and at several New York
school districts before retir-
ing from the Binghamton City
School District after 20 years
of service. He was known for
making rigorous demands on
his students and giving them the
tools with which to meet his high
expectations. He took great pride
in the achievements of those
whom he taught.
Closser’s other interests in-
cluded art, world cultures, histo-
ry, and nature. These served him
well when he pursued a second
career as an antiques dealer and
auctioneer. Tom Closser Auc-
tions was the first local house
to offer on-line auction partici-
pation. His staff, audience, con-
signors, and many cherished col-
leagues will miss his expertise,
his kind and gentle manner, his
somewhat pointed sense of hu-
mor, and his genuine enthusiasm
and love for the auction experi-
ence.
was a regular shopper at such
geographically disparate shows
as Madison-Bouckville (New
York) and the Christie show in
Ontario, Canada.
Customers appreciated the
broad range his inventory en-
compassed, his friendly pricing,
and his generous but firm dis-
counting. They took particular
delight in “discovering” objects
in his booth that he had marked
“free.” The tactic, Blanchard
said with a wink, was “a great
conversation starter.”
His cottage on Charleston
Lake, Ontario, financed in part
by profits from his antiques busi-
ness, served as a family gather-
ing place, and he treasured time
spent there as well as on trips to
the Maritimes and, later, to his
grandchildren’s sporting events.
Blanchard is survived by
his wife of 60 years, Beverly;
his sons Thomas, David, and
William; and his daughter, Su-
san; and eight grandchildren.
Throughout his life he enjoyed
many loyal and lasting friend-
ships.
The family notes that “in lieu
of flowers or memorial dona-
tions, friends can honor him by
extending a kindness to some-
one the world has forgotten. You
won’t have to look far.”
Billings was an active member
of the Democratic Party in the
1950s and ’60s and initiated the
transformation of the empty lot
at the corner of Suffern’s Lafay-
ette Avenue and Route 202 into
the present-day park.
In later years, he and his wife,
Marianne, established the re-
spected antiques business North
Hill Antiques, specializing in
early American silver.
He and his wife moved from
Suffern to Easthampton, Mas-
sachusetts, in October 2014. He
is survived by his loving wife,
Marianne; daughters Kathleen
and Rebecca; and grandchildren
Katherine, Molly, and Harry.
Southern California Chapter,
Attn: Development Department,
4221 Wiltshire Blvd. Suite 400,
Los Angeles, CA 90010; by
phone with Jennifer at (323)
930-6246; or through the Web
site ).
His family would like to ac-
knowledge and thank his team
of medical experts, whom he
considered to be not only ex-
traordinary physicians, but also
his personal friends.
He was predeceased by his par-
ents; brother, Robert W. Closser;
nephew Edward Closser; and
brothers-in-law John Barno and
Bernard Eck. He is survived by
his beloved and devoted wife of
31 years, Elaine; nephew Robert
E. Closser (Cheryl), Lakewood,
New York; niece Suzanne Coast,
Larkspur, Colorado; sisters-in-
law Marilyn Eck, Endwell, New
York; Barbara Haley (John),
Hudson, New Hampshire; Jane
Coleman (Michael), Endwell,
New York; Lorraine Barno, Co-
coa, Florida; and many nieces
and nephews.
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