J. Robert “Bert” Senning, age 69, died peacefully in his Duxbury home on the evening of July 4, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Carol Camadine Senning, and his four children, their partners and his grandchild: Joshua Brian Senning of Tahoe City, California, Portia Senning and Eli Lesser-Goldsmith of Burlington, their son Wesley SLG, Thomas Victor Senning and Adoria Tudor of Burlington, and Sophia Senning and David Siegel of Burlington. He is also survived by his brother, John Senning and his wife Cindy of Duxbury; and his sister, Anne Senning and her husband Lester Wallerstein of Lexington, Massachusetts. He is predeceased by his parents, the late William C. Senning and Esther E. Rickley, and his brothers, William C. Senning Jr. and Rickley Senning, all of Voorheesville, New York.
Bert was the youngest born of five children in Voorheesville, New York. He graduated from Voorheesville Central School in 1965 and completed his bachelor of arts at SUNY Albany in 1971. By the mid-1970s he had obtained a master’s degree from the department of agriculture and resource economics at the University of Vermont, specializing in the field of organic waste management.
Professionally, Bert worked for a number of years at Resource Conservation Services and Browning-Ferris Industries. He then took a position with the state of Vermont Department of Corrections as the director of offender work programs. He retired from that position in 2011 and worked part time as a school bus driver for his remaining years.
Bert first met Carol Camadine in 1980, and on January 8, 1982, they were married. Together they raised their four children to adulthood on the farm on Crossett Hill, which he owned and tended from his late 20s until the day he died. The farm was home to animals ranging from pigs and chickens to family pets, including his surviving canine companion, Walker.
He loved his wife fiercely and accepted her wholly as she accepted him. He was a stern father, but there was never any doubt that he loved his family, whom he took pride in embarrassing. He set high standards for behavior and let you know when you failed to meet them. But behind his harsh ways, there was a warm and gentle love that would always shine through if you knew how to look for it.
He lived a hard life. His body was scarred by decades of farming and a heart that gave him a lifetime of difficulties. He made some mistakes in his early years, and carried the resulting wreckage with him for the rest of his days. Over 38 years ago he took his last drink. His greatest passion – outside of his family – was helping other alcoholics to achieve sobriety: a gift that he was extremely grateful to have received.
He was a character, and if you considered him a friend, then chances are you are one as well. He was always himself, candid and original, and he sought the same in the people he befriended. His laughter roared and he spoke from his soul. His words were chosen with plodding purpose and his ideas carried weight that was impossible to ignore. He had a legendary mustache and a presence that will be greatly missed.
A celebration of Bert’s life will be held from Waterbury Congregational Church on Monday, July 11, 2016, at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow in the church dining room. Assisting the family is Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences visit www.perkinsparker.com. The family has asked that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org). Or Bernie Sanders. That is what he would have wanted.
