Jean Canedy

WILMINGTON -- Jean Francis Canedy, 86, a resident of Larson Road, died Wednesday morning, July 18, 2007, at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.

Mr. Canedy had resided at the Twin Maples Community Care Home in Bennington for the past 31/2 years.

Mr. Canedy was born on Aug. 31, 1920, at the family home which was on the Wilmington Flats adjacent to the Wilmington White House. He was the son of the late Ralph and Maude (Temple) Canedy. He grew up in Wilmington where he attended local schools, graduating from Wilmington High School in 1938.

In earlier years, he had worked with his father logging timber in the area. In Somerset, they had constructed a bridge over the river to gain access to the logs. Many times he and Lewis Snow would spend a week in camp working the timber and come to town on the weekends.

Eventually his logging expertise brought him to work for Haynes Brothers, where he worked for 43 years, retiring as general manager of the company.

Throughout his career, he was involved in many projects including being the dozer operator who blazed the first trail at the Mount Snow and Okemo ski resorts. Along with Lincoln Haynes and Harlow Howard, he designed and built the smallest covered bridge in the state of Vermont in 1946 at the Pinkham Farm on Stowe Hill Road. The bridge has since been widely photographed and recognized.

He also obtained and established, with Haynes Brothers, the very first Ski-Doo snowmobile franchise in Vermont, located in Wilmington.

Mr. Canedy was proud to serve the town of Wilmington as a person involved in the community in various capacities including a member of the Selectboard for almost 15 years, many of those years as chairman.

He also was the building inspector for 11 years and moderator of the Annual Town Meeting. He was appointed by Gov. Richard Snelling to be the supervisor for Somerset, a position he held for a number of years.

He and his friend, John Lundstedt, had built his home on Larson Road in 1953, where he and his late wife, Mary Jane, raised their children.

An avid sportsman, he was a former member of the Deerfield Valley Sportsman's Club. He enjoyed fishing and hunting, in particular rabbit, coon and bird hunting. He also loved to train beagles for rabbit hunting. His favorite was his dog Sy, who would travel on the back of his snowmobile into the woods for the day.

As a sportsman, he took the time to teach his children the proper way to handle a gun safely and effectively. He enjoyed playing music and in earlier years liked attending the square dances at the Pinkham Farm.

He was married to the former Mary Jane Stewart in Whitingham on June 28, 1940. She died on Dec. 28, 1995.

Mr. Canedy is survived by a son, Jay Canedy of Wilmington; a daughter, Deborah Haslund of Wilmington; two sisters, Evelyn Greene and Joyce Boyd, both of Wilmington; two grandsons, Ethan Wetherby of Greenfield, Mass., and Mark Wetherby of Fort Rucker, Ala.

In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by a brother, Craig Canedy.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Wilmington Congregational Church, with the Rev. Marcia Dorey, pastor, officiating.

Following the service, Mr. Canedy will be buried next to his wife, Mary Jane, in the family lot in Riverview Cemetery.

Friends may call at the COVEY & ALLEN FUNERAL HOME on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. when the family will be present.

Should friends desire, gifts in memory of Mr. Canedy may be made to either the Deerfield Valley Health Center or Twin Maples Community Care Home, in care of the Covey & Allen Funeral Home, P.O. Box 215, Wilmington, VT 05363.

To send personal e-mail condolences to the family of Mr. Canedy visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com.u