WESTFIELD — Gene Theroux does his work on behalf of veterans buried in Westfield cemeteries. Recently, he’s also done his work alongside veterans, earning a rebate on their city taxes.
“I couldn’t be happier with the great work these gentlemen are doing. They picked it up really quick — they can do almost anything I ask them to do,” said Theroux, the city’s veterans graves officer.
His new volunteers are participants in the Veterans Tax Work-Off Program. Michael Conroy, Rafael Gonzalez, Michael Janke, Tommy Johnson, Michael Pagliano and Rob Serra have been working with Theroux repairing graves this spring at Pine Hill, Middle Farms and West Parish (Mundale New) cemeteries, and most recently at the Old Burying Ground.
Theroux said the volunteers are familiar with all of the tools and materials.
“They just do it,” he said. He gets involved in the finesse repairs, such as marble tablets that are snapped in half, maybe hit by a lawnmower, and are missing mass — damage from “things that have happened over the last 40 years.”
He helps them work on the tablets that have a base and an intermediate base held on by pins, where the mortar is dried out, and the graves are falling over. Theroux said the volunteers have also been repairing tall obelisk monuments that are no longer level or plumb.
Theroux said the work is endless.
“Conditions change every year, and things happen. We could have 10 times the crew we have, and by the time we got finished, it would be time to start all over again,” he said, adding, “As far as the repairs they’ve done, they won’t have to be done again for a long, long time.”
Theroux said he could use three more volunteers on the project. The work-off program is for veterans who own property and pay real estate taxes to the city of Westfield. Participants must complete 100 hours of service in a calendar year, and are credited at $15 an hour towards a maximum $1,500 property tax credit to be applied to the following fiscal year’s tax bill.
Veterans Services Director Julie Barnes said she is looking for more volunteers for the program. Anyone interested may call her office at 413-572-6247.
Theroux has also arranged for a free workshop on cemetery preservation by Conservator Jonathan Appell of Atlas Preservation in Southington, Connecticut. Appell has started a 48-state tour of cemetery preservation workshops. He will be coming to Westfield on Aug. 2 for a free workshop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pine Hill Cemetery. Theroux said the public is invited.
“We have ceased working at the front of the Pine Hill Cemetery and will hold the workshop there. All the logistics have already been worked and ironed out — it’s all set, ready to go. People can come and stay as long as they want,” Theroux said.
“In my opinion, he’s the best in the business. We were very fortunate to get this scheduled,” Theroux said, adding they’ve become good friends over the years, with Theroux helping him at an event in Delaware last July.
Ad Choices