BRANDON, Vt. – Harmon Franklin Thurston passed away Aug. 3, 2022, at Porter Hospital in Middlebury, Vt. He was a fun, energetic, generous man devoted to his family, friends and employees. He influenced and touched many people throughout his life.

He was born March 4, 1926, on the family farm in North Rumford, to Lee Joel Thurston and Edith Martin Thurston. He was the youngest of 11 children and we loved hearing his stories about growing up on the farm, visiting his fathers’ logging camps in the area, and going to a one room schoolhouse.

He joined the Army at the age of 17 and was stationed in India during World War II. After the war, he went to the University of Maine and got a degree in Forestry. He married the love of his life, Maxine Dresser Thurston in 1954. After a short stay in Oregon, they moved to Vermont and started raising their family of four children. They were married for 59 years before she passed away in June of 2013. In 1960, they started New England Woodcraft, a furniture company that is still in operation. He was very devoted to the employees, many helping him for over 40 years. In 1996, they moved “out” to the farm in Shoreham, Vt. where many evenings were enjoyed on the porch with friends and family.

He loved his family and heartily supported all their many projects over the years. We relish many fond memories of skiing, picnics at Branbury Beach, hiking, traveling and family gatherings. He had a great sense of humor and was known for a good laugh. He loved dancing, designing furniture, tending his flower gardens and baked beans!

Surviving are his son, Lee Thurston and his wife, Susan of Grass Valley, Calif., daughter, Lynn Thurston and her wife, Janice of Scarborough, son, Charles Thurston and his late wife, Martha who passed in February 2022 of Brandon, Vt., and son, Jeff Thurston and his wife, Michele of Whiting; seven grandchildren, Everett, Pierce, Mackenzie, Emmett, Avery, Payton and Grant Thurston; three great-grandchildren, Eldon, Ada and Raegan; his brother, Marlin Thurston of Peru; his sisters-in-law Joyce Birch of Glen Allen, Va., and Frances Kerchner of Wellesley, Mass. Several nieces, nephews and cousins also survive him.

The family would like to acknowledge and thank Healthcare angels: Julie Lonergan, Rachel Chartrand and the staff from the Residence at Otter Creek whose attention to his needs were a source of immeasurable support for him and the family .

We hope you can join us for a celebration of Harmon’s life on Sept. 17, from 1-4 p.m., with stories at 3 p.m. The address is 2973 Hemenway Hill (the farm) in Shoreham, Vt.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Miller & Ketcham Funeral Home in Brandon, Vt., http://www.millerandketchamfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree or do a small kindness to somebody in need.

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