Notable New Hampshire Deaths: Jim Hilton Once Helped Make World's Largest Ice Cream Sundae

By Staff Report, 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.

Roy A. Arsenault Jr., 64, of Londonderry, died Dec. 11, 2025. He was a successful business owner who operated several well-known establishments, including the Uptown Tavern, Raxx, and most recently The Pint on Elm Street, all in Manchester. (Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium)

Charles L. Connor, 94, of Pembroke, died Dec. 11, 2025. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served as a staff sergeant. He was legislative budget assistant at the Statehouse in New Hampshire for more than 15 years and was chairman of the Pembroke Budget Committee. He volunteered on several committees throughout the years and was named 2024 Citizen of the Year. (Roan Family Funeral Home)

Larry J. Cossette, 77, of Rochester, died Dec. 10, 2025. He owned and operated Larry’s Autobody and served in the National Guard. He was a state representative and served six years on the New Hampshire House Transportation Committee. (Peaslee Funeral Home)

Steven Hattamer, 65, of Nashua, died Dec. 16, 2025. He began his career as a high school science teacher, then went back to school to become a physician’s assistant. He enrolled in medical school, graduated and ran the anesthesia department at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center for more than 25 years and founded Nashua Anesthesia Partners. He studied Russian and after 25 years of medical practice, he returned to the classroom at Harvard University to earn a master’s degree. He volunteered his medical skills in Rwanda and Ukraine. (Dumont-Sullivan Funeral Home)

James Arthur Hilton, 71, of Durham, died Dec. 12, 2025. While he was recreation director in St. Albans, Vt., he and other residents participated in many events to break records in the Guinness Book of World Records. Among the accomplishments he participated in were building the world‘s largest snowman, scarecrow, and pancake. He also helped create the world’s largest ice cream sundae in collaboration with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. He was also recreation director in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, and for 27 years, in Newmarket, where he coordinated the construction of the Newmarket Recreation Center and the Sunrise Sunset Senior Center, athletic fields, and a premier recreation department. He was a UNH professor and received the UNH Recreation Management and Policy Hall of Fame Award for his contributions. (Kent & Pelczar Funeral Home & Crematory)

Lt. Col. Donald C. Houldsworth, U.S. Air Force, retired, 91, of Portsmouth, died Dec. 14, 2025. He entered active duty in 1957 and served in Louisiana, Ohio, Newfoundland, and North Dakota, as a crew navigator and crew commander, flying on KC-97s and KC135 tankers. He was a Minuteman missile combat crew commander and flew 120 combat missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He was assigned to Pease Air Force Base in Newington as a crew navigator and instructor and in 1975 assisted in establishing the Pease Tanker Task Force Operations Division, becoming its first chief. (J. Verne Wood Funeral Home - Buckminster Chapel)

Paul Gregory Lausier, 96, of Rochester, died Dec. 16, 2025. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. His career included combat duty in Vietnam. He founded the state's first high school ROTC program at Spaulding High School in Rochester and later served as vice principal in the Rochester school administration. (Stockbridge Funeral Home)

Frank O'Dell, 73, of Salem, died Dec. 14, 2025. A U.S. Navy veteran, he once owned a semi-professional basketball team called the New Hampshire Thunder Loons as well as an international trading company (ITEX), and a limousine company (Real Sense Limousine), before ultimately founding and operating a medical transportation business (Real Care Transportation). He was a coach and president of Salem Youth Baseball, helping initiate the first regional Babe Ruth baseball tournament in Salem. (Carrier Family Funeral Home)

Frank Ottaviano, 91, of Bedford, died Dec. 14, 2025. He was ordained a permanent deacon in 1978 and served in parishes, prisons, hospitals, and recovery centers. He also offered support to families and individuals in need. He most recently served at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Litchfield and Blessed Sacrament Church in Manchester. (Connor-Healy Funeral Home and Cremation Center)

David Keith Pinsonneault, Esq., 74, of Nashua, died Dec. 11, 2025. He was a partner in the law firm of Winer and Bennett for more than 40 years. He was a member of the Nashua Rotary Club and the Nashua Bar Association. He was a trustee and board secretary for the Nashua Public Library from 1997 until his passing. (Davis Funeral Home)

William Russell Prescott, 73, of Franklin, diedDec. 10, 2025. He was a tool and die engineer at Arwood Corporation and in the early 90s established his own business, PatrAngie Mold, which he ran until he retired in 2018. In Franklin, coached Babe Ruth baseball at Franklin High School, Winnisquam High School, and the American Legion. His team at Franklin High School won the state championship in 2009.
(Thibault-Neun Funeral Home)

Capt. John Oliver Webb Jr., U.S. Navy, retired, 74, of Alton, died Dec. 12, 2025. He was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in 1973 and was assigned to destroyers, including the USS Hamner the USS Damato. He joined the Navy Reserve in 1977 and became a registered professional engineer. He was assigned to Naval Reserve Naval Control of Shipping Organization in Boston. He was assigned to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in various positions and became commanding officer from 1991 to 1993. He was chairman of the Recruiting District Assistance Council (RDAC) supporting Navy recruiting efforts for all New England. He also served as executive officer of NR Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for industrial mobilization. Later he was appointed commanding officer of NAVSEA Detachment that provided support for management of naval shipyards and supervisors of shipbuilding. (Peaslee Alton Funeral Home)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “Remembrance, like a candle, burns brightest at Christmastime.” — Charles Dickens, English novelist, Feb. 7, 1812, to June 9, 1870

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