Nicholas Verven

Died at the Birches Health Center at Trillium Woods in Plymouth, Minn. after a long illness. Survived by wife Carol Verven; son Andy; daughter Maria; grandchildren, Rita Krueger (spouse Erik Krueger) and Emma Schlesinger. Born on Oct. 7, 1926 and raised in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Dr. Verven enlisted in the Army Air Forces in July 1944, and served until his honorable discharge in December 1946. He then went to Harvard, where he graduated cum laude. He ultimately received a Ph.D. from Boston University in psychology, which laid the foundation for his exceptional career. He married Carol Poynton in July 1949. They went on to enjoy 66 years of marriage, adopting two children as infants and giving them an exceptionally loving home. While he practiced a little psychology on his children and later his two granddaughters, his greatest gifts to them were his love, wry sense of humor, and artful bedtime storytelling that often started with "When I was a little girl" After ten years of practicing psychology and consulting with New England area schools and clinics and as assistant director of Camp Wediko for emotionally disturbed boys, Dr. Verven assumed the directorship of a small child guidance center in Manchester, N.H. He ultimately went on to create the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester and directed the design and construction of a new facility. Over the next 34 years, Dr. Verven grew the Mental Health Center into the largest provider of outpatient mental health services in N.H. Affiliated with Dartmouth Medical School, the Center provides 24/7 emergency care and a broad range of services for people with serious mental illnesses as well as outpatient counseling through Bedford Counseling Associates. Under Dr. Verven's leadership, the Center won several awards for excellence and was viewed as an international leader in psychiatric and mental health care. After Dr. Verven retired at age 73, he wrote a book describing the unique system of care he had developed in Manchester, N.H. He also traveled, painted and spent time with his wife, children and grandchildren in his home in W. Falmouth, Mass. He and his wife moved to Trillium Woods in Plymouth, Minn. in July 2015 to be closer to family who will miss him dearly. Memorials may be sent at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, www.mhcgm.com/donate.