Notable NH Deaths: Former Newfields And Pelham Selectman, Former Concord Finance Director

By InDepth NH

InDepthNH.org scans the websites of New Hampshire funeral homes each week and selects at random some of our friends, relatives and neighbors to feature in this column. The people listed here passed away during the previous weeks and have some public or charitable connection to their community. InDepthNH.org is now offering obituaries through the Legacy.com service. We view this as part of our public service mission. Click here or on the Obituaries tab at the top of our home page to learn more. And if you know of someone from New Hampshire who should be featured in this column, please send your suggestions to NancyWestNews@gmail.com.

Reginald E. Barney, 98, of Canaan, died Nov. 24, 2025. He owned the Barney Insurance Agency in Canaan, retiring in 1996. He was a life-long active member of Canaan Assembly of God Church serving as former board member, treasurer, Royal Ranger leader and Sunday School teacher. He was a member of the Mascoma Valley Regional School Board, Grafton town selectman, and active in the Canaan Lions Club, serving as president and district secretary. He also was on the Canaan Historic Museum Committee, Friends of Canaan Village, and volunteer driver for the Canaan Meals on Wheels program. He volunteered with the Rails to Trails Canaan Depot Park, which was named after him. (Ricker Funeral Homes & Crematory)

Pamela Bean, 83, of Lebanon, died Nov. 16, 2025. She served on the Lebanon City Council and was mayor of Lebanon. She was elected to the N.H. House of Representatives, rising to the position of assistant majority whip. After her political career, she volunteered at the Ward 3 polls on election nights. (Ricker Funeral Homes & Crematory)

Ray P. Buxton Jr., 86, of Newfields, died Nov. 16, 2025. He was a selectman and was Water & Sewer commissioner for more than 50 years. He was a coach for the Little League and Pony League, served on the N.Y.A.A.. He was a member of the Newfields Fire Department for 64 years (39 years as assistant chief) and served on the Newfields Fire Department building addition committee. He also served on the Newfields Playground committee. (Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home)

Col. Kenneth W. Harding, U.S. Army, Retired, 82, of Peterborough, died Nov. 21, 2025. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1961 and served 30 years as a commissioned officer. He served two tours in Vietnam, was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and was inducted into the Officer Candidacy School Hall of Fame in 2020. After his retirement from the Army, he taught social studies and then became assistant principal at Milford High School from 1993 to 2008. (Cournoyer Funeral Home & Cremation Center)

James Roy Howard Sr., 77, of Concord, died Nov. 19, 2025. He had a career in municipal finance in New Jersey, then moved with his family to Concord in 1980 to become the Capital City’s first finance director, retiring in 2010. In retirement, he consulted in the municipal finance field and taught courses on public finance and sustainability at UNH. (Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services – New Hampshire)

Alice Rita (Cromey) Kirby, 84, of Pelham, died Nov. 21, 2025. She was a longtime member of the Pelham Conservation Commission and a former town selectman. She served on other local committees and boards. (Pelham Funeral Home)

John Arthur Leonard, 79, of Belmont, died Nov. 23, 2025. He was a man of many interests, including musician, clothing store manager, salesman, police officer, locksmith, and retiring as a corrections officer. He was a patrolman for the Laconia Police Department, then sold vacuum cleaners. While working for the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, he became a sergeant serving in Manchester, Concord, and Berlin. (Thibault-Neun Funeral Home)

Joseph Jay “Papa Joe” Oneail, 67, of Milford, died Nov. 22, 2025. He was executive chef at Ashworth Hotel on Hampton Beach, then at the Hilton Hotel in Merrimack, then corporate chef for LPM Holdings managing cafeterias in New England. He purchased the Milford Fish Market in 1995 and opened Humble Pie of Milford in 1999. After moving to South Street in 2009, he started Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen, crafting specialty burgers. (Smith & Heald Funeral Home)

Theodore D. Mahoney, 85, of Bedford, died Nov. 23, 2025. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and was employed by the FBI. He was a police commissioner for the City of Portsmouth. (Legacy.com)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.” – José N. Harris, author of “Mi Vida”

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.