Houghton Cate Fairfax, Vermont Obituary

Houghton Cate

Houghton M. Cate went quietly to his eternal rest on February 4, 2015. He was born on October 23, 1920, the son of George L. Cate and Nina L. (Bates) Cate, who at that time resided on the family farm in North Calais. Although he was challenged throughout his life with very limited vision, Houghton never let it prevent him from accomplishing all that he sought to achieve. His short autobiography recounts many memories of his youth on the farm with his brother Elton, including herding and feeding cows, harvesting ice, cutting timber, and creating a business charging the neighbors 12 and 32 volt batteries with the family’s generator. He often spoke of his early use of electricity, after its arrival in North Calais in the late 30’s, to ignite fireworks because it was too dangerous for him to light them with a flame. Because he could not see the blackboard at the one-room school adjacent to the Cate property, he was home schooled by his mother, Nina, He went on to learn the equivalent of a college curriculum in electrical engineering through extensive reading, “radio school”, and an apprenticeship in Barre City. The family moved to East Calais in 1940 when Houghton’s father bought Moscow Mills (a grist mill) and the adjacent house and barn. Houghton recounted that some of the better aspects of moving to the Village were that the house had a flush toilet and bathtub and he only had to milk one cow instead of twenty. He traded milking cows for grinding and selling grain and repairing radios. When the U.S. entered World War II, Houghton was drafted and he hoped that he would at least be able to serve as a radio technician but, two physicals later, he was declared to be 4F because of his vision. He went on to do all that he could to help the war effort back on the home front. Houghton eventually moved to Barre to work as an electrician and it was there at the New Moon Diner that he met the love of his life, Lorraine Rogers, who was a waitress at the diner. He demonstrated his sly side by sitting at the counter near the waitress station, leaving an open seat for Lorraine so she could sit beside him while she was waiting for the next order. Never being one to be indecisive, Houghton proposed to Lorraine three months after they met and they were married on April 2, 1948, just six months after they met. Houghton and Lorraine moved back to the homestead in East Calais in 1949 and Houghton began his work as an electrician and repairman, and he also worked for several years at the bulk fuel plant in Montpelier. In 1963, Houghton’s father retired and Houghton took over Moscow Mills, which was now a feed store rather than a grist mill. Lorraine helped out at the mill during the day because Houghton spent most of his days wiring houses, repairing televisions and appliances and fixing every type of nonoperational equipment in Calais and the surrounding area. He was never able to drive so people came from all over the area to take him to their homes so that he could repair whatever was not working. In addition to his work, Houghton volunteered for all sorts of organizations including the Calais and U-32 school boards and the East Calais church, recreation association and water department. He also served as Grand Juror for the Town of Calais. A number of organizations in town sought out the man with terrible vision to be their treasurer because they knew that they could trust him and that he, like his father, would account for every last penny in his many ledgers. Houghton and Lorraine raised their two sons in East Calais and lived there for fifty years. However, as much as they loved it there, they also loved to travel with friends and with Elton and his partner Lil Irvine. Forever practical, when Houghton “retired” in 1998 at age 78, he and Lorraine moved to Barre City to a smaller home within walking distance of restaurants they enjoyed so much, as well as the Barre Senior Center. In 2008, Houghton and Lorraine again demonstrated their practical nature by moving to Chittenden County to be closer to “the boys” because they knew that they needed more help. Ever the card player, in East Calais, Barre, and Burlington, Houghton took great joy in winning far more than he lost at cribbage, whist, poker and a variety of other games. In his later years, he and Lorraine played Upwards (a word game) with the same passion, a tradition he continued with his daughter-in-law, Andrea, after Lorraine’s passing in 2011, when he lived with Richard and Andrea. He also spent countless hours expanding the work his mother began years before in the development of the family tree. He documented thousands of family members and recorded them and their relationships on his computer. Houghton set a fine example for his entire family by overcoming and essentially dismissing his disability, working hard every day in the true Vermont tradition, and serving his family and his community whenever there was a need. His family will miss him greatly but they know that, after 94 years, he deserves this opportunity to go on to be with Lorraine in a far better place. He was predeceased by his parents of East Calais; his brother, Elton, of Avon Park, Florida; and his wife, Lorraine. He is survived by his sons, Merrill and wife, Jina, of Essex Jct. and Richard and wife, Andrea, of Burlington; granddaughter, Dawn Holmes-Boone and husband, Paul, of Essex Jct.; grandson, Dereck Cate and husband, Javier Sicilia, of San Francisco, CA; and great-granddaughters Mariah Holmes and Desiree Holmes of Essex Jct. The funeral service will take place at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 14th at the Old Brick Church in East Montpelier, and a luncheon will be served in the church hall immediately thereafter. There will not be any calling hours. To send condolences to the family online, go to www.awrfh.com . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Haitian Partnership (www.haitianpartnership.org) (27 Southwind Drive, Burlington, VT 05401), a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing clean water to Haiti. Richard is a founder of this organization and, because of his long history in helping operate the East Calais water system and his eternal desire to help others, Houghton was very supportive of this effort.
October 23, 1920 - February 4, 201510/23/192002/04/2015
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Obituary

Houghton M. Cate went quietly to his eternal rest on February 4, 2015. He was born on October 23, 1920, the son of George L. Cate and Nina L. (Bates) Cate, who at that time resided on the family farm in North Calais. Although he was challenged throughout his life with very limited vision, Houghton never let it prevent him from accomplishing all that he sought to achieve. His short autobiography recounts many memories of his youth on the farm with his brother Elton, including herding and feeding cows, harvesting ice, cutting timber, and creating a business charging the neighbors 12 and 32 volt batteries with the family’s generator. He often spoke of his early use of electricity, after its arrival in North Calais in the late 30’s, to ignite fireworks because it was too dangerous for him to light them with a flame. Because he could not see the blackboard at the one-room school adjacent to the Cate property, he was home schooled by his mother, Nina, He went on to learn the equivalent of a college curriculum in electrical engineering through extensive reading, “radio school”, and an apprenticeship in Barre City. The family moved to East Calais in 1940 when Houghton’s father bought Moscow Mills (a grist mill) and the adjacent house and barn. Houghton recounted that some of the better aspects of moving to the Village were that the house had a flush toilet and bathtub and he only had to milk one cow instead of twenty. He traded milking cows for grinding and selling grain and repairing radios. When the U.S. entered World War II, Houghton was drafted and he hoped that he would at least be able to serve as a radio technician but, two physicals later, he was declared to be 4F because of his vision. He went on to do all that he could to help the war effort back on the home front. Houghton eventually moved to Barre to work as an electrician and it was there at the New Moon Diner that he met the love of his life, Lorraine Rogers, who was a waitress at the diner. He demonstrated his sly side by sitting at the counter near the waitress station, leaving an open seat for Lorraine so she could sit beside him while she was waiting for the next order. Never being one to be indecisive, Houghton proposed to Lorraine three months after they met and they were married on April 2, 1948, just six months after they met. Houghton and Lorraine moved back to the homestead in East Calais in 1949 and Houghton began his work as an electrician and repairman, and he also worked for several years at the bulk fuel plant in Montpelier. In 1963, Houghton’s father retired and Houghton took over Moscow Mills, which was now a feed store rather than a grist mill. Lorraine helped out at the mill during the day because Houghton spent most of his days wiring houses, repairing televisions and appliances and fixing every type of nonoperational equipment in Calais and the surrounding area. He was never able to drive so people came from all over the area to take him to their homes so that he could repair whatever was not working. In addition to his work, Houghton volunteered for all sorts of organizations including the Calais and U-32 school boards and the East Calais church, recreation association and water department. He also served as Grand Juror for the Town of Calais. A number of organizations in town sought out the man with terrible vision to be their treasurer because they knew that they could trust him and that he, like his father, would account for every last penny in his many ledgers. Houghton and Lorraine raised their two sons in East Calais and lived there for fifty years. However, as much as they loved it there, they also loved to travel with friends and with Elton and his partner Lil Irvine. Forever practical, when Houghton “retired” in 1998 at age 78, he and Lorraine moved to Barre City to a smaller home within walking distance of restaurants they enjoyed so much, as well as the Barre Senior Center. In 2008, Houghton and Lorraine again demonstrated their practical nature by moving to Chittenden County to be closer to “the boys” because they knew that they needed more help. Ever the card player, in East Calais, Barre, and Burlington, Houghton took great joy in winning far more than he lost at cribbage, whist, poker and a variety of other games. In his later years, he and Lorraine played Upwards (a word game) with the same passion, a tradition he continued with his daughter-in-law, Andrea, after Lorraine’s passing in 2011, when he lived with Richard and Andrea. He also spent countless hours expanding the work his mother began years before in the development of the family tree. He documented thousands of family members and recorded them and their relationships on his computer. Houghton set a fine example for his entire family by overcoming and essentially dismissing his disability, working hard every day in the true Vermont tradition, and serving his family and his community whenever there was a need. His family will miss him greatly but they know that, after 94 years, he deserves this opportunity to go on to be with Lorraine in a far better place. He was predeceased by his parents of East Calais; his brother, Elton, of Avon Park, Florida; and his wife, Lorraine. He is survived by his sons, Merrill and wife, Jina, of Essex Jct. and Richard and wife, Andrea, of Burlington; granddaughter, Dawn Holmes-Boone and husband, Paul, of Essex Jct.; grandson, Dereck Cate and husband, Javier Sicilia, of San Francisco, CA; and great-granddaughters Mariah Holmes and Desiree Holmes of Essex Jct. The funeral service will take place at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 14th at the Old Brick Church in East Montpelier, and a luncheon will be served in the church hall immediately thereafter. There will not be any calling hours. To send condolences to the family online, go to www.awrfh.com . In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Haitian Partnership (www.haitianpartnership.org) (27 Southwind Drive, Burlington, VT 05401), a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing clean water to Haiti. Richard is a founder of this organization and, because of his long history in helping operate the East Calais water system and his eternal desire to help others, Houghton was very supportive of this effort.

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Events

Feb
14
Service
Saturday, February 14 2015
11:00 AM
Old Brick Church
55 Vermont 14
EAST MONTPELIER, VT 05651
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