Obituaries

Lester R. Cote Sr.

Lester R. Cote Sr., 70, of Turners Falls, a retired carpenter I in Housing Services, died Feb. 15 at home.

He served the University for 15 years and 9 months before retiring in 1995.
He was educated in Chicopee schools.

His wife, Flora Lillian Cote, died in 1996.

He leaves five sons, Lester R. Jr., maintainer I in Custodial Services; Leo, motor truck driver in Auxiliary Services; and Lincolyn, all of Greenfield, and Lorenzo and Lucas, maintainer I in Auxiliary Services, both of Turners Falls; four daughters, Lillian Russell of Turners Falls, Louise Moulton, clerk II in the Undergraduate Advising Center, of Sunderland, Lissa Morin of Maine and Lenora Tanaka of Tucson, Ariz.; and other family.

Robert D. Allard

Robert D. Allard, 67, of Northampton, a retired painter I in Physical Plant, died Feb. 24 at the VA Medical Center in Leeds.

He served the University for 9 years before retiring in 1993. He previously had worked for 20 years at the Northampton State Hospital.

A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he was a member of the World War II Veteran's Club in Northampton, the Michael Curtin VFW Post 8006 in Florence, and the Korean War Vets of Chicopee.

A music fan, he enjoyed attending concerts at Stanley Park in Westfield.
His wife, Jeanette Allard, died in 1991.

He is survived by a son, Michael J., of Easthampton; a daughter, Jeanine M. Sankey; and other family.

Memorial gifts may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St., Framingham 01701.

Sylvia K. Burack

Sylvia K. Burack, 86, of Brookline, a former member of the Board of Trustees and longtime editor of the Boston-based magazine The Writer, died of heart failure Feb. 21 in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Appointed to the board by Gov. Michael Dukakis in January 1976, she lost her seat on the board when it was downsized from 25 members to eight in February 1981. She previously had served as a trustee for the state college system and the Brookline School Committee.

A 1938 graduate of Smith College, she joined the staff at The Writer two years later and remained there for approximately 60 years, influencing the careers of many young writers and soliciting essays from established writers for her magazine.

President of the Friends of the Boston University Libraries, BU awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1985 for her encouragement of budding writers.
She leaves three daughters and nine grandchildren.