Gene G. Duffy, 80

THORNTON — Gene Glenwood Duffy, 80, a longtime resident of Thornton, peacefully 
passed away on Monday, November 7, 2022, with his sister and brother-in-law and 
two close friends at his side throughout the day and night before he passed.

Gene was born on January 11,1942, to Glenwood Ham Duffy and Bertha 
Albertina Emery Duffy (Tina). They spent that winter living in a small home in Glen, just yards down the road from where Mama's brother, Homer Emery and his 
family would live. Mama called that home the coldest house she ever lived in, "We 
were never warm there." A few years later, Glen would take his family back to 
Thornton where he had grown up. Five years after Gene was born, his sister came to 
visit and then three more brothers arrived.

Gene went to elementary school in one-room school houses in Thornton; 
Grades 1-4 at Schoolhouse #5 in West Thornton and Grades 5-8 at Thornton Center 
School. For high school, he traveled to Lincoln.

After graduating from high school, Gene immediately went to work in the 
Lincoln Paper Mill. By then his father had lost both of his legs, and his mother was 
his father's 24-7 nurse. Gene gave most of every paycheck to Mama to feed the rest 
of us. Not many would have been that generous.

When the paper mill closed, the workers had to find new professions. Gene 
moved on to construction of new houses often working and sharing his tools with 
his brother, Ernie. They worked for CMB and Luther Haartz, who was especially 
appreciative of Gene's meticulous work. Later, Gene was self-employed completing 
precise finish carpentry as he created kitchen countertops. His brother, Dicky, has 
one of those countertops in his kitchen. In his later years, Gene created a firewood 
business selling cord and bundled wood to customers.

Gene was an avid outdoors man. He treasured his hunting trips to camp in 
the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The other men at camp especially treasured the 
food he brought with him; some cooked by Mama, some by him. He also loved the 
card playing that took place on these visits; he was one competitive person. Gene 
loved deer hunting, which again also fed the family. He enjoyed fishing whether it 
was summer or winter. Many spring times, Gene and his father went smelting 
bringing home buckets of the small fish. After they were cleaned, they were so 
delicious dipped in cornmeal and flour and fried in a cast iron pan. What great 
memories!

After his first stroke about five years ago, Gene had to move from the family 
home in Thornton to Burton Commons in North Woodstock. It was in this apartment 
building in North Woodstock, that Gene gained a wonderful new group of friends.

He returned to his love of cooking, blessing his neighbors with fresh-baked loaves of 
bread, cookies, or apple pies. He loved beating his sister and other friends at weekly 
Cribbage games or traveling in his truck to Mirror Lake or Beaver Pond and just 
quietly watching the water. Such peaceful settings. Gene truly was a quiet man who 
enjoyed the simpler joys of life. Already, he is missed so much.

Gene was predeceased by his youngest brother, Danny, and his mom and dad.

He is survived by his sister, Barbara and her husband, Morris Patterson; his brother, 
Richard and his wife, Hilda Duffy; his brother, Ernie and his wife, Debbie Duffy; nieces and nephews, most especially, Julie Patterson. Julie and her Uncle Gene were 
always trading small gifts throughout the year as they looked after each other. He 
spent his last two days at home wrapped in a gray and white fleece blanket Julie had 
given him. A most special relationship.

Services: A Memorial Service for Gene will be held on Wednesday, 
November 16, 2022, at 6:00 p.m., at Mayhew's Funeral Home in Plymouth, NH. 
Reverend Dean Roth will lead this service.

Please do not send flowers. Please do, if you are able, send a small 
contribution to the Lincoln Woodstock Food Pantry, PO Box 39, Lincoln, NH 03251. 
These generous, kind people are making such a difference in our area. Many thanks 
go out to them.

For more go to: www.mayhewfuneralhomes.com.