Durward W. Starr's Obituary

September 9, 1937 – May 14, 2025

Durward (Woody) (Doc) Starr, a resident of Newport, Vermont, passed away peacefully on May 14 surrounded by his loving family. He was born September 9, 1937, in Newport, Vermont, the youngest of seven children of George E. Starr and Hazel (Hardy) Starr.  He attended North Troy Graded and High School where he played trombone in the school band and excelled at basketball and baseball.  He graduated in 1955.  He went on to attend the University of Vermont in the pre-veterinary program, graduating in 1959.  On September 5, 1959, he married the love of his life, Lorraine (Beaudry) Starr and began veterinary school at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, graduating in 1963.  He was very proud of graduating from Cornell, an Ivy League college.

Returning to Vermont, he began his 40-year career as a small and large animal veterinarian.  He served as president of the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association for several years.  He operated dairy farms for many years and owned and operated the Pepin Motel on the Derby Road for over 30 years.  He also served as a Director at the Chittenden Bank (now M&T Bank) for 30 years.

Woody was a lifetime member of the Elks Club and the Newport Rotary Club, where he was the perennial high salesman of duck tickets for the annual duck regatta fundraiser.  He was a past President and Paul Harris Fellow with the Rotary.  In addition, he frequently attended several cross border meetings at the Rotary Club of the Boundry in Stanstead, Quebec.  Following retirement, he and Lorraine spent winters in Fort Myers, Florida away from the cold and close to the spring training facilities of the Boston Red Sox.  While in Ft. Myers, he was a member of the local Rotary Club there.

He was an accomplished athlete who played semi-professional baseball in Canada for several years, played basketball and later played softball into his 50's.

Woody, enjoyed hunting, fishing and was a lifelong, diehard fan of the Boston Red Sox.  He attended many Red Sox games at Fenway park to include over 40 consecutive opening day games.  He had the privilege of attending the 1999 All Star game at Fenway Park and attended home games of the 2004 World Series, which the Red Sox won, beating the St. Louis Cardinals and ending the curse that had hung over Red Sox Nation for 86 years.  He was lucky enough to see them win 3 more World Championships in 2007, 2013, and 2018.

He attended the Boston Red Sox fantasy camp in Fort Myers, Florida for over 25 years, getting to know many of the former major league players personally.  In 2011, he had the honor of by being named to the Red Sox Fantasy Camp Hall of Fame as its inaugural member.  The award continues to honor him each year and is called the Woody Starr "Mr. Hustle" award to this day.  In 2012, he was honored at Fenway Park celebrating his 75th birthday in September, throwing out the first pitch in front of a packed crowd.

Woody is survived by his wife of 65 years, Lorraine (Beaudry) Starr of Newport, VT, his children Greg and Ann (Couture) Starr of Troy, Vermont and Geoff and Kelly (Ahn) Starr of Rye, New Hampshire; grandchildren Ryan and Hayley (Briggs-Dutton) Starr and Erin Starr; Caroline, Brett, and Devon Starr, and his great granddaughter Charlotte Starr.  He is also survived by his sister Ida (Starr) Cadieux of Newport, Vermont. He is predeceased by his parents George and Hazel (Hardy) Starr, his sisters Barbara and Dorothy, and his brothers Robert, Jack, and Urban Starr Sr.

Calling hours for Woody will be on Friday, May 30th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road, Newport, VT.

Funeral Services will be Saturday, May 31st at St. Mary Star of the Sea, 191 Clermont Terrace, Newport, VT at 11:00 am.  Interment will follow the service at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Newport Rotary Club at P.O. Box 166 Newport, Vermont 05855.

The family would like to thank the staff at Bel-Aire and the staff at North Country Hospital for their exceptional care prior to Woody's passing.

Online condolences may be made at curtis-britch.com. Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home & Cremation Service, locally family owned and operated.