Jason D. Kaine

VERNON -- Jason Daniel Kaine, 32, of Woodland Road, died Tuesday morning, May 23, 2006, at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, with his family by his side following a courageous battle with leukemia.

He was born in Bridgeport, Conn., on Jan. 22, 1974, the son of Larry and Karen (Fisher) Kaine.

Mr. Kaine was raised in Oxford, Conn., attending Oxford public schools, and was a graduate of St. Joseph's High School in Trumbull, Conn., Class of 1992.

He went on to attend Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I., earning his B.A. in criminal justice in 1996.

Soon after he enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 18, 1996, serving as a military tactical vehicle operator with an infantry unit stationed in South Korea and Kuwait and took part in Operation Desert Fox.

He was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal and the Expert Infantryman Badge before being honorably discharged from active service on June 17, 1999.

Mr. Kaine entered the Vermont Police Academy in February 2000 and graduated with the May 2000 class. He joined the Vermont State Police and was initially assigned to the St. Albans barracks. He served in the St. Albans area for three years before transferring to the Brattleboro barracks in 2003, working at the rank of senior trooper.

He was a member of the VFW Carl M. Dessaint Post 1034 and was a communicant of St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro.

Of his pastimes and interests, he enjoyed playing poker, watching boxing, playing soccer and recently started playing the guitar.

On July 18, 1998, in the historic Gingerbread House in Savannah, Ga., he was married to Joyce J. Avellino.

Besides his wife of seven years, he leaves two sons, Lucas and Liam, both at home; his parents, of Oxford, Conn.; two brothers, Jeffrey Kaine of Dallas and Stephen Kaine of Oxford; two aunts, Marilyn D'Elia of Monroe, Conn., and Margaret Cominelli of Stratford, Conn.; his paternal grandmother, Wyona Kaine of Bridgeport, three nephews, one niece, and several cousins.

A requiem eucharist will be celebrated Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, 47 Walnut St., in Brattleboro, with the Rev. Thomas J. Brown, rector of St. Michael's Episcopal Church., as celebrant.

Burial with full military honors will follow in Morningside Cemetery in Brattleboro.

Friends are invited to call at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, corner of Bradley Avenue and Putney Road, on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., when the family will be present.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mr. Kaine's name may be made to The Jason Kaine Foundation, c/o Citizens Bank, 894 Putney Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

Arrangements are under the direction of the ATAMANIUK FUNERAL HOME.u