"Ed" Arnold of Becket passed away on August 19 surrounded by his loving family after a courageous battle with cancer.

Born March 7, 1956, in Tampa, Florida, to Milton and Betsy Arnold, Ed moved with his family to Sandisfield in 1967 where he built lifelong friendships and a love for the Berkshires.

After graduation from Monument Mountain Regional High School, he proudly served in the U.S. Air Force as a mechanic, later pursuing his dream of flying as a pilot and even owning an airplane. Throughout his life, Ed held many careers, including running his own businesses, but he was happiest behind the wheel of a Peterbilt (or a Kenworth if he had to). In recent years, one of his greatest joys was trucking and working side by side with his son Jordan.

Ed lived a life full of adventure and hard work, with a passion for all things that had an engine. His love of the open road and sky was evident by his interest planes, motorcycles, trucking, and race cars.

Ed is survived by his sons, Bryan (Kate) of Becket and Jordan (Meghann) of Otis; his cherished grandsons, Jackson and Cameron; his longtime companion, Claire Romeo; the mother of his children and friend, Elaine Arnold; his sister Betsy Arnold (Jeff); and many nieces and nephews. Also his best friend of over 50 years, Mark "Mac" McDermott of Canaan, Conn., and his boss and dear friend, Gary O'Brien of Lee.

The family extends their gratitude to the compassionate medical teams at Berkshire Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for their exceptional care during Ed's final days.

Ed's adventurous soul will be deeply missed, but his stories, laughter, and love will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.

A graveside service was held August 29 at the Sandisfield Center Cemetery with a Celebration of a Life held after the service at the Izaak Walton Field in Otis.

Mary Slater, a long-time resident of Sandisfield, died at Fairview Commons Rehabilitation Center on August 9. That afternoon, her daughter, Susan Galik, posted the news of her death on the ConnectSandisfield-Facebook page; ultimately, fifty-seven friends and neighbors posted condolences.

Mary was born January 6, 1935, in Budapest, Hungary. She was a schoolgirl when World War II began with the German invasion. When her younger brother Ferencz died in a bomb explosion in their neighborhood, Mary was sent to stay with relatives in the countryside to keep her safe. Years later she returned to Budapest and met her new brother, Joseph, who died several years ago.

After her schooling Mary became a bookkeeper in Budapest. She married Mihaly Galik and they lived under the Soviet occupation until the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. For a few months they were free, but in December the Soviets invaded and crushed the revolution, creating hordes of refugees fleeing the country.

A church in Torrington, Connecticut organized a refugee rescue and Mary Galik and her husband left their home country via Austria and came eventually to Torrington where Mary gave birth to a daughter named Susan.

Since she did not speak English, Mary began work as a housekeeper with a family that allowed her to bring her new daughter to work. Later Mary worked at Hitchcock Chair in Riverton, Connecticut.

She eventually went to work for the Torrington Company, starting as a machine operator and ending as crib manager, keeping all the tool and dies needed for the machinist to perform their job. During the 1960s, while at the Torrington Company, she met another employee, Fred Slater. They married in July 1967 at the New Boston Church, and Mary became stepmother to Fred's four children.

Seeing a need, Mary began looking into special education for Fred's two sons, a remarkable accomplishment for someone who did not understand the local educational system and after only eleven years in the country.

Married to Fred for 49 years, until his death in 2017, Mary was important to his accomplishments in Sandisfield. He served as Fire Chief from 1979 to 1981, Highway Department supervisor for 13 years, after which he worked part-time for the Highway Department. He also drove the Sandisfield school bus.

Mary was an accomplished sewer, knitter and crocheter. But she was best known for her embroidery. Examples of her work can be found at the COA, the Post Office and the New Boston Congregational Church.

Pastor Eric Kriebel of the New Boston Church, said of Mary: "She was a steady presence from the beginning of my pastorate here. My wife and I had the privilege, over the years, of picking Mary up for church services and bringing her home afterward. We got to know her very well, and she was always so kind, warm, and loving. She carried with her the spirit and heart of this congregation. Our church family was blessed to have her in our lives and in our congregation."

After her retirement in 2000, she joined the Sandisfield Council on Aging, eventually becoming its chairman.

In an email to The Times, her daughter Susan Galik wrote that her mother "led COA until shortly before Covid, when it became apparent that something wasn't right. Fred's death in 2017 brought Mom's Alzheimer's to the forefront. In 2019 she fell and broke her hip. While in the nursing home it became clear that she could no longer live alone and she moved to my home on Slater Lane to recuperate and then Covid hit.

"Mom lived her last 5 years at my place. A fall in June put her back into a nursing home, but the facility was understaffed and felt that at 90 with dementia my mother wasn't worth their time. She finally was transferred to Fairview, but it was too little too late. Mom refused Kit Kats and bananas, her favorites. And then she stopped eating and drinking. She was ready to go."

Her survivors include many friends, her daughter Susan Galik of Sandisfield, a stepdaughter Connie Campetti and stepson Frederick Slater III, and two nieces and their families in Hungary.