Anthony A. Toepfer passed away on January 8, 2025, at home, with loved ones by his side.

Anthony was born July 30, 1947, in Framingham, Massachusetts, the second oldest of five sons of Louis A. Toepfer and Alice Mary Willy Toepfer. He grew up in Harvard, Mass, surrounded by apple orchards, goats, chickens and brothers.

Anthony graduated from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1970 with a degree in Fine Arts. He settled in Cambridgeport, Vermont, close to Athens, Vermont, the summer home of his parents.

In 1972, with business partner Robert Lee Morris, he opened File & Hammer Silver, a store featuring handmade jewelry in Bellows Falls, Vermont. In 1978 he opened Anthony Toepfer Goldsmith on Roxbury Street in Keene, New Hampshire. The store moved to 50 Central Square, a venerable bank building complete with a vault, and a new name: Anthony Toepfer Jewelers, in 1986. In the decades until the closing of the store in 2014, it was a hub of social activity, a gallery for local artists, a retreat from the ups and downs of daily life, and an oasis of beautiful things.

In 1988 he married Anne McKelvey and despite the marriage ending, he maintained an enduring friendship with members of her family: Sally and David Bulger and their children, Sarah, Blaine and Molly and grandchildren Anna and Amelia, and with Anne herself.

In 2009, at a family dinner hosted by a friend, Anthony met the woman who would become his life partner and true love, Debra Stevens.

In 2013 Anthony received a diagnosis of renal carcinoma stage 4. Given only two years to live, he instead went to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where he was treated with kindness, respect, and experimental protocols, giving him over ten years of happy, productive life with loved ones, family and friends in beautiful New England. He closed the jewelry store in 2014 and moved from Westmoreland to Keene in 2019. Learning in 2024 that Dana-Farber had exhausted treatments that could continue to help, he entered Hospice. In April 2024, he was able to travel to East Montpelier and view the 2024 Solar Eclipse on a perfect early Spring day.

Anthony will be remembered for his kindness, his good humor, his love of beauty and nature, his passion for woodworking and furniture making, flower gardening, restoring old houses and barns, banjo playing, his love of folk music and jazz, for bird watching and cooking and eating good food in good company.

Predeceased by his parents and his older brother Thomas Michael (Mike), Anthony is survived by three brothers and their partners: Daniel (Danny) and Barbara Strand of Neelyton, PA; Andrew (Andy) and Laurie Indenbaum of Athens, Vermont; John and Brenda (Dragon) of Keene, NH, and by Mike's children Peter & Nancy (O'Brien), Wyn & T.R. (Appleby), and Tom; Andy's children Sam and Rosa Indenbaum; John's children Matthew & Bridget (Castor) and Adam, and stepson Christopher Washburn & Kaitlyn (Hausmann); four great-nieces and a great-nephew, his many friends, and his life partner and true love, Debra Stevens.

Anthony loved flowers, and they would be welcome in moderation. To make a more lasting remembrance, donations are encouraged to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, or locally to Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services in Keene, for their excellent and compassionate care.

A celebration of life is being planned.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Brattleboro Reformer on Jan. 11, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Anthony Toepfer

Sponsored by BrattleboroReformer.com.

7 Entries

Kristen Snowman-Shelley

May 24, 2025

Anthony was a wonderful and talented man who like for many others helped us find the perfect engagement ring! Sending our comforting thoughts to his wife, family and dear friends!

Linda Sprague

March 24, 2025

I worked at Anthony Toepfer Jewelers for 3 1/2 years. He was a great boss, with a fantastic sense of humor and such a generous person. It was a memorable time. My condolences to his family and loved ones. I was so saddened to hear of his passing.

Anthony and Robert Lee Morris I their store FILE and HAMMER in Bellows Falls 1972

ROBERT LEE MORRIS

January 12, 2025

Our lives became entangled in 1965 when we were students at Beloit College and our friendship created two booming careers in jewelry. His in Keene NH and mine in NYC.

ROBERT LEE MORRIS

January 12, 2025

Anthony and I were pals as art majors in BELOIT COLLEGE 1965-69. After graduation I ended up moving in with Tony in Athens Vt, and we started File and Hammer craft store in BELLOWS FALLS. We were teaching ourselves to make jewelry and he caned chairs for supplemental income while I painted signs for local businesses. I ended up moving to Walpole NH and left the store to Tony and then went onto move to NYC with a huge career in fashion jewelry. I began ARTWEAR a wildly popular jewelry gallery and Tony started his jewelry store in Keene. He would often visit me in the city and help me make body casts for my store. Years passed and I would visit him often in Keene to see how our paths diverged. A few months ago I visited him and met Debra with two of his other old friends and we had a deeply moving tear filled reunion. I learned then how our entangled lives inspired and influenced him and how strong our bond had been. He seemed at peace and comfortable when we parted. His soul is so beautiful and I will forever consider him a major cause for my life’s success.

ROBERT LEE MORRIS

Sent Flowers

ROBERT LEE MORRIS

January 12, 2025

Anthony and I were pals at BELOIT college, both art majors and after graduation started living together and started a Vermont craft store in Bellows Falls. We called it FILE and HAMMER as we were both learning to make jewelry. Tony caned chairs to make supplemental income and I began a sign painting biz for local businesses. We shared a house in Athens, Vt. For about 2 years until I moved to Walpole NH and let Tony have the store. I began an exclusive business in NYC with Sculpture to Wear in the Plaza Hotel and began a fabulous career in fashion jewelry. Tony would often come to the city and stay with me in my loft in SOHO and help me make body casts for my new jewelry gallery ARTWEAR. I was able to visit him with two of his other old friends a few months ago when we heard he was in hospice. It was a long beautiful visit, lots of memories shared, lots of tears. I am so glad we were able to meet Debra and have this time for deep reflection after our friendship of 58 years...I learned how our friendship over the years affected and inspired him, and how much this final visit meant to him. That meant so much to me! To know how my life and his were entangled. He seemed to be at peace and comfortable in the end. The photo below is us in our File &Hammer craft store 1972.

Lydia Lilla Dunn

January 11, 2025

I am sorry to hear of Anthony´s passing, as I know he will be missed by many, myself included. I met Anthony in the late `70s and worked in both his Keene establishments. He was a kind, witty, intelligent man and we shared a love of music that brought many hours of happiness to both of us: listening, talking, attempting to sing along to NPR´s Music Americana et al. I will miss him, and know his memory will continue as a blessing.

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