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Drivers will soon be able to buy insurance coverage by the mile from Nationwide. The insurer Wednesday is formally introducing SmartMiles, a program geared toward drivers who don't put many miles on their vehicles. Also, the program is designed for a day when drivers begin the transition to self-driving vehicles. "It gives our customers the freedom to control their insurance expenses by how much they drive and how safe they drive," said Teresa Scharn, Nationwide's associate vice president of personal line product development. Nationwide joins other firms including Allstate that offer insurance by the mile. Such programs are ideal for drivers who use public transportation; work from home or live near work, or are college students or retirees; use ride-sharing services; or own secondary vehicles that are driven infrequently. It also provides an idea of how Nationwide, at least for now, is looking at how drivers will be insured in the move toward self-driving cars in the years ahead. Scharn said Nationwide believes the switch will happen gradually so drivers can buy coverage for the times they are in control of the vehicle. "It gives us the ability to calculate rates if the driver is driving the vehicle or if the vehicle is driving that vehicle," she said. So far, SmartMiles is available only in Illinois. Nationwide plans to roll it out in nine other states this year, including Ohio, and extend it nationwide in 2020. How much drivers will save compared with a traditional insurance policy is hard to say, but in general, those who drive less than 10,000 miles per year have a good chance of saving money, Scharn said. There are no contracts for the program. If driving patterns shift, drivers can return to more traditional coverage. Nationwide will track the miles driven through a device drivers plug into the car's diagnostic port, typically under the steering wheel. They also will get a discount for driving safely. Every month, Nationwide will send a bill based on the miles driven the month before, and owners can track billing online. Volume 6 - 2015 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2015.00130 This article is part of the Research TopicOrigin of Tropical Diversity: From Clades to CommunitiesView all 23 articles Understanding the processes that have generated the latitudinal biodiversity gradient and the continental differences in tropical biodiversity remains a major goal of evolutionary biology Here we estimate the timing and direction of range shifts of extant flowering plants (angiosperms) between tropical and non-tropical zones and into and out of the major tropical regions of the world We then calculate rates of speciation and extinction taking into account incomplete taxonomic sampling We use a recently published fossil calibrated phylogeny and apply novel bioinformatic tools to code species into user-defined polygons We reconstruct biogeographic history using stochastic character mapping to compute relative numbers of range shifts in proportion to the number of available lineages through time 20 million geo-referenced occurrence records show no significant differences between the speciation and extinction of tropical and non-tropical angiosperms the latitudinal biodiversity gradient primarily derives from other factors than differential rates of diversification the outstanding species richness found today in the American tropics (the Neotropics) as compared to tropical Africa and tropical Asia is associated with significantly higher speciation and extinction rates This suggests an exceedingly rapid evolutionary turnover Neotropical species being formed and replaced by one another at unparalleled rates tropical America stands out from other continents by having “pumped out” more species than it received through most of the last 66 million years These results imply that the Neotropics have acted as an engine for global plant diversity The underlying causes for these inter-continental differences are poorly understood and could be analogous to those determining the latitudinal biodiversity gradient and digitalization of natural history collections (amongst others) could also play important roles Evaluating the validity and relative roles of the factors driving these fundamental biodiversity differences requires combining evidence from several sources and disciplines two main components stand out as essential in this pursuit: understanding species diversification (i.e. the interplay between speciation and extinction) and the geographic history of lineages In this study we explore these two components at a global and continental scale the last 66 Ma) of flowering plants (angiosperms) which form the dominant structure of tropical and temperate ecosystems been mainly a sink or a source of angiosperm diversity did range shifts (including trans-oceanic dispersals) between tropical and non-tropical zones occur in both directions at a roughly constant pace throughout the Cenozoic or were there phases of markedly different range shift rates and directionality (2) Is high diversity correlated with high speciation and/or low extinction were there significant differences in speciation and extinction rates between tropical and non-tropical zones are the most species rich regions also those with highest speciation and/or lowest extinction we calculate and compare rates of speciation and extinction between tropical and non-tropical zones and among the world's three tropical regions (in Africa and we infer the timing and direction of range shifts into and out of each tropical region and species occurrences constitute diverse data sources that can be used to infer diversity trends through time and space Here we explore the feasibility of using both neontological and palaeontological data for addressing the questions outlined in this study These biases precluded any sensible analyses of diversity changes in tropical regions and we were therefore forced to rely on species distribution and molecular data alone Figure 1. Visualization of a global data set of angiosperm macrofossil occurrences downloaded from the Paleobiology database as described by Silvestro et al. (2015). The data set included 9665 records, representing a total of 297 fossil taxa identified to the genus level. In this figure, all records were subdivided by country and time period, according to the Geological Time Scale of Gradstein et al. (2012) The four regions (operational units) used in this study Tropical regions are shown in red (dark red: rain forests Dots indicate species occurrence records of angiosperms (c 20 million) used in this study and obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) The resulting polygons can be retrieved from the authors upon request To further identify potential biases caused by erroneous geo-references (e.g., due to wrong coordinates or species identifications), we applied a set of arbitrary thresholds in order for a species to be coded as “present” in a certain operational unit. Three filters were defined, with increasingly more strict criteria, as outlined in Table 1 We implemented functions and scripts to carry out this data filtering in R (scripts available from the authors) Table 1. Automated criteria for recording presence of each species in each operational unit defined in Figure 2 departing from raw GBIF species occurrence data There was no major loss of occurrence records by going from Filter 1 to the more conservative Filter 2 (see Results below) We therefore chose to perform our analyses on range transitions on the data set generated under Filter 2 and the diversification rate analyses using the Filter 3 data set due to the fact that the method we employed cannot handle widespread taxa (see below) To evaluate whether the level of taxonomic representation was consistent among regions which could otherwise bias our subsequent analyses we calculated the ratio between the number of species sampled in the phylogeny and the total number of species recorded in each of the four regions in the GBIF database We tested whether species in each of the regions defined (Figure 2) were clustered in the angiosperm phylogeny (i.e., showed strong phylogenetic signal) using Bayesian Tip-Significance testing implemented in the software BaTS v. 1.0 (Parker et al., 2008) We compared the observed distribution of states in the reference phylogeny against 100 randomized replicates which were used to compute 95% credible intervals of trait distributions We used the region-coded, dated phylogeny of angiosperms to estimate the timing and directionality of range shifts between tropical and non-tropical lineages, and among the three tropical regions of the world. Since our analyses focused on the Cenozoic, when the three tropical continents were already widely separated by oceans (Mcloughlin, 2001) these events should include both trans-oceanic dispersals as well as range expansions over continuous land between the tropical and non-tropical zone We calculated rates of speciation (λ) and extinction (μ) for each tropical region separately, as well as for tropical and non-tropical species. For these analyses we used the Multiple State Speciation and Extinction method (MuSSE) as implemented in diversitree (Fitzjohn, 2012). We analyzed 17 subclades separately (Table 2) which we chose to correspond to plant orders This division was necessary due to computational limitations in analysing the full tree under this method but also carried the advantage of creating a sample of rate estimates across different angiosperm clades We did not explore the effect of splitting the angiosperm tree into different numbers of subclades or along different branches since there would be an almost endless number of possible combinations We accounted for varying levels of taxonomic sampling in the phylogeny by calculating the sampling fraction of each order Proportion of species included in the phylogeny for each plant order analyzed We compared the significance of results from the diversification analyses using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and then applied the Tukey's honest significant difference (HSD) test in order to identify outstanding values To account for intrinsic differences among plant orders we normalized the rates of speciation and extinction for each order over all regions This was done by dividing each rate by the sum of the rates in all regions analyzed Figure 3. Number of angiosperm species and occurrences in the four regions defined in this study. The bars show the influence of different cleaning steps on the data set (see also Table 1) (A) Number of species per dataset and geographic region (B) number of occurrence points per dataset and geographic region (C) number of species per dataset and geographic region (Tropical vs (D) number of occurrence records per dataset and geographic region (Tropical vs Purple: GBIF download; blue: species that are included (and could be matched) in the phylogeny; dark green: Filter 1 (minimum 3 occurrences to be coded as present in a given region); light green: Filter 2 (additionally 10% of all occurrences per species needed to be coded as present); orange: Filter 3 (additionally widespread species restricted to one region) The Filter 2 data set was used for all analyses except for MuSSE and BaTS The proportion between species with geo-references and species in the phylogeny ranged from c. 8 to 15% among regions (Table 3) All tropical regions were similarly represented in the phylogeny with only 2% difference between the best sampled tropical region (tropical Asia) and the least sampled one (tropical America) Non-tropical regions were better sampled phylogenetically than tropical ones (15% vs Table 3. Number of species recorded in each of the regions defined for the analyses (for which georeferenced data were available from GBIF), number of those species that could be included in the range shift analysis (after applying Data Filter 2; see Table 1 and Figure 3) Figure 4A shows the angiosperm phylogeny and the coding of each species as occurring in each of the four regions defined, whereas Figure 4B shows the coding in tropical and non-tropical regions. The Bayesian Tip-Significance testing indicated that species in all regions (Figure 2) are highly clustered phylogenetically (p<0.001 for all three statistical tests implemented in BaTS: parsimony score association index and maximum exclusive single-state clade) Figure 4. Angiosperm phylogeny used for the range shift and diversification analyses, pruned from Zanne et al. (2014). The tree contains c. 22,600 terminal species and shows (A) the codification into each one of the continental-level regions defined in Figure 2 and (B) the codification of all species as tropical or non-tropical Species in each of the regions defined are highly clustered phylogenetically according to Bayesian Tip-Significance testing (p < 0.001) The yellow boxes in the other figures are shown as references for the discussion Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum; GAARlandia Greater Antilles and Aves Ridge landbridge The region-specific rates of speciation and extinction inferred using the MuSSE model are shown in Figure 6, calculated under the sampling fractions for each order indicated in Table 2. Individual estimates are reported in Supplementary Table S1, and significance values in each set of comparisons are summarized in Table 4 Figure 6. Results from the diversification rate analyses under the MuSSE model. (A) Speciation rates per geographic region (tropical vs. non-tropical); (B) Extinction rates per geographic region (tropical vs. non-tropical); (C) Speciation rates for the three tropic regions; (D) Extinction rates for the three tropic regions. All results are normalized against each other. Each data point represents an angiosperm plant order (Table 2) Boxes indicate the interquartile range (IQ) of all estimates with the median shown as a horizontal line and the whiskers indicating data range outside the quantiles ** and *** denote significant differences (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001 Variables and statistical tests based on the MuSSE analyses of the molecular phylogeny of angiosperms The median values of both speciation and extinction rates were higher in non-tropical than in tropical zones, but these estimates showed large overlap in their confidence intervals and are not statistically different (Figures 6A,B). In contrast, both the speciation and the extinction rates estimated for tropical America were significantly higher than those estimates for tropical Africa and tropical Asia (Figures 6C,D Range shifts into and out of tropical Africa (Figure 5B) occurred in both directions at about the same rate, and showed the least fluctuations among the three tropical regions analyzed. The initial formation of the Sahara c. 7 Ma (Zhang et al., 2014) did not seem to leave a considerable footprint on these rates This event might be reflected in our results by the increase of lineages entering tropical Asia around that time leading again to a net input of non-tropical lineages into tropical Asia It seems therefore reasonable to suggest that newly speciated taxa might We did not detect any definite signal of the GAARlandia in our estimation of range shifts for angiosperms except perhaps for a slow decrease in shifts entering the Neotropics (which could also be linked to the global temperature decline at Eocene/Oligocene transition) who found no significant differences in the net diversification between tropical and temperate sister lineages our results suggest that the higher diversity of angiosperms in tropical compared to non-tropical regions is not primarily dependent on higher speciation and/or lower extinction in the tropics Evolutionary biology and biogeography are now experiencing a tremendous accumulation of data with a hitherto unrealized scientific potential is to what extent available data and methods are sufficient to provide us with reliable answers to some of the most fundamental questions in biology methods and assumptions is therefore crucial but often underestimated in evolutionary studies Whenever possible, palaeontological data should be studied in conjunction with molecular-based evolutionary analyses (Quental and Marshall, 2010; Fritz et al., 2013; Silvestro et al., 2014). However, our assessment of angiosperm fossils currently available (Figure 1) suggests that data unavailability is a serious issue for angiosperms The number of angiosperm fossil occurrences publicly available varied considerably among countries and geological periods the Miocene) being considerably better represented than others lack of data is particularly critical for Africa Southeast Asia and Australasia; but even within relatively well-sampled continents (such as Europe and South America) there are strong regional biases among countries The reconstruction of ancestral character states (such as morphology and geographic distribution) along phylogenies is now common practice in evolutionary studies, but only make sense when the traits analyzed are phylogenetically structured—i.e., they are not randomly distributed across the tree. Since we found highly significant clustering of species pertaining to the same geographic assignment in each of the regions defined (Figure 4) we consider that the geographic coding and reconstruction analyses using stochastic mapping are suitable for the goals of this study even if only a couple of species were sampled from a species-rich but strictly African clade our analyses should be able to detect when that clade arrived in Africa Further simulations would be helpful to assess at which sampling levels the calculation of continental-level range shifts stabilize and become fully reliable no method has been developed so far that is capable of confidently dealing with the level of taxonomic sampling observed in the angiosperm phylogeny we used The MuSSE analyses carried out here can only provide point estimates for the orders surveyed but should constitute a more powerful approach given the relatively large size of the phylogeny utilized we remain with limited power to assess the dynamics of diversification rates through time and across clades Here we have shown that currently available biological data—including species occurrences and dated phylogenetic trees—hold the potential of providing novel and important insights into large-scale patterns of species diversification and biogeography The geographic history of angiosperms involved a large number of range transitions between tropical and non-tropical zones, as well as into and out of the world's three tropical regions. Global climatic changes and major geological events are likely to have influenced some of the observed changes in range shifts, such as the early Eocene climatic conditions and the large geographic reconfigurations in tropical Asia (outlined in Figures 5A,C) these are temporal correlations that require further validation We cannot rule out that some of the fluctuations we observed in the mean rates of range shifts reflect instead the stochastic nature of dispersals and biome shifts and/or from lack of phylogenetic signal for events that happened tens of millions of years ago No significant differences could be found between the speciation and extinction of tropical and non-tropical angiosperms This result reflects the lack of conclusive evidence on global diversification patterns for different organism groups Although diversification estimates need to be continuously revalidated with the addition of more genetic and taxonomic data and increasingly robust methods our results suggest that the latitudinal diversity gradient in angiosperms is not primarily caused by differences in speciation or extinction rates Longer time for speciation and tropical niche conservatism might therefore constitute better models for explaining tropical angiosperm diversity All scripts used in data compilation and cleaning are available upon request and RS compiled and analyzed the molecular data BC-M and DS compiled and analyzed the fossil data All authors interpreted the results and provided input on the manuscript AA and CDB led the writing with contribution from all authors The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest We thank three reviewers and the Associate Editor for constructive feedback on this manuscript This research was supported by funding from the Swedish Research Council (B0569601) and the European Research Council under the European Union's 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March 2015; Published: 08 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 Antonelli, Zizka, Silvestro, Scharn, Cascales-Miñana and Bacon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Alexandre Antonelli, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg Botanical Garden, Carl Skottsbergs gata 22B, SE-41319 Göteborg, SwedenYWxleGFuZHJlLmFudG9uZWxsaUBiaW9lbnYuZ3Uuc2U= †These authors have contributed equally to this work Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish BELGRADE - A group of young cancer survivors take flight around the greater southwest Montana skies and reflect on the challenges they overcame and the possibilities at their fingertips For eight years, a network of partners—Summit Aviation and Eagle Mount and businesses throughout the community—donate their goods These survivors spend a week at Summit Aviation “I just kinda wanted to put that past behind me but I’ve really discovered beauty an healing with this community so I met other young adults that experienced the highs and the lows of this journey,” Bri Daniels said Daniels is a two-time cancer survivor and a junior at Montana State University describes her first moments of flying as just that—exhilarating you kind of get a fire under your butt to go do something bigger with your life,” Tredwell said felt a pull toward the sky and decided to pursue further training a couple of the campers hope to one day earn their pilots license or work in the aviation field Some may participate in the aviation camp to take a step toward their career I was really free-a free experience,” Quinn Scharn said Scharn had bone cancer when he was a child and though he was always interested in aviation it was the beauty of the Montana landscape that struck a cord with him and over all these frozen lakes,” Scharn said “I’ve never seen anything like it—only on Mission Impossible.” and Assistant Director for Big Sky Kids at Eagle Mount highlights the importance of support for young adult survivors “The support doesn’t go away when you leave you are still in contact with all of these people and the ability to look something in the eye and say ‘I got this’…like flying a plane!” Custer said The camp brings freedom and community together through aviation A 22,000-square-foot addition will nearly double number of seats at the church's Blaine facility On a regular Sunday morning at Eagle Brook Church's Blaine campus the place can be so full that crowds have to cram folding chairs into the lobby and watch a livestream of the service happening next door The Blaine church added two extra services on Sunday nights to try to fix its overflow problem executive director of operations at Eagle Brook The Minnesota megachurch with Baptist roots launched the construction of a 22,000-square-foot addition to its Blaine campus in April a project that will almost double the number of seats available at weekend services Eagle Brook Church is emerging as one of the nation's largest congregations with a weekly attendance of almost 20,000 across its locations, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research there are six other campuses across the Twin Cities "We have a great demand," Pisca said "Our mission is to reach people for Christ We didn't want space limitations to keep us from being able to do that." In recent years, a time when mainline Christian churches across Minnesota face unprecedented declines, attendance at Eagle Brook Church has only increased. "But for us, it's never been about getting big," Pisca said. "It's about connecting with people." The Blaine addition will expand the church's parking lots and provide a new auditorium that will seat 1,500, an upgrade from the current facility that seats 840. Eagle Brook will also remodel the interior of the existing building, restructuring its lobby, cafe and children's ministry spaces. Pisca said the renovation, expected to cost up to $14 million, was financed by Eagle Brook's general fund, which is supported by donations from the church community. The Blaine campus will close sometime in mid-August until mid-December while the interior is renovated. The community will temporarily shift its services to the Lino Lakes location, Blaine Pastor Travis Scharn said. "The payoff is going to be so well worth it," he said. "We're not even going to remember the little inconvenience for a couple of months in the long run." Eagle Brook's ministry emphasizes "connections" — to God and to others, said Karianne Langfield, a staff member at the church. The hourlong services start at an exuberant pace, with a full band playing live music on stage under bright, colorful lights. Then the congregation watches a livestream of a pastor delivering biblical-based messages, usually broadcast from Eagle Brook's hub in Lino Lakes. Attendees socialize before and after services, Langfield added, often loitering around the lobby area or grabbing a cup of coffee at the cafe with friends. "It's not like church as most people think of it," she said. "It's a different experience." Looking forward, Eagle Brook hopes to expand even more. The Wayzata location is at the local high school, Pisca said, so the church is searching for a permanent home in the west metro area. Eagle Brook would also like to extend its reach in the southern part of the Twin Cities, she said. Eagle Brook built its Blaine church back in 2010 ­— on a site just over four miles away from the existing Spring Lake Park campus — because there were too many members for the one facility to handle, Pisca said. Now, as the city of Blaine's population booms and the influx of new members continues, she said it was time for the church to adapt again. "Everybody's welcome in our church," Pisca said. "By having the space for them, we can show we mean that." Katie Galioto is a business reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune covering the Twin Cities’ downtowns. No Section Peek inside homes for sale in the Twin Cities area After falling behind 17-0 at halftime and being dominated most of the game the Bulldogs may have locked up a spot in the College Football Playoff .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLiveFBIphoto.jpg arrested Eugene resident Barret Russel Spangler Friday as part of an investigation into online child pornography A Eugene man who went by the online name "notpervect'' is accused of buying videos showing a woman and her young daughter in a bedroom naked playing tickling games and the mother sexually abusing the child FBI agents and Eugene police arrested Barret Russell Spangler He's accused of one count of possession and receipt of child pornography Spangler admitted he was sexually aroused while watching the woman's video and other videos of child pornography he bought online The woman was  identified only as "Lucy'' in the complaint The arrest is part of an ongoing FBI investigation into an unidentified website that involves people recording sexual activity with children and distributing the videos to its members The FBI identified a woman who was streaming videos of her sexual contact with her daughter The FBI contacted the woman and then began identifying people who were buying and viewing the videos Spangler is the same man who paid another woman for sex and then discussed the possibility of a future sexual encounter with a young child provided by Wheeler The Portland woman, Kelsey Wheeler, 27, was arrested in April, accused of sex trafficking a child Spangler told the FBI that he had met Wheeler through her Backpage advertisement in January They exchanged text messages about "fantasies and taboo/extreme fetishes which included sexual relations with children,'' according to an FBI affidavit They met for sex in the woman's Southeast Portland apartment in January Wheeler told him that she could arrange an "encounter" between him and her daughter who Spangler understood to be between 4 or 5 years old for $1000 FBI Special Agent Isabel Scharn wrote in a federal complaint The woman told Spangler she'd remain in the room with him and the child Spangler said the woman would no longer discuss any details over the phone or through text messages and wanted to meet with Spangler in person Spangler said he later got "cold feet,"  the complaint said He didn't go through with it and deleted her phone number from his phone Wheeler admitted offering to provide a child of less than 6 years of age to Spangler who intended to pay $6,000 for the sexual encounter Wheeler said she didn't offer her daughter and never intended to provide a child for the man's sexual gratification but played along because she planned to take his money The proposed sexual encounter with a child never occurred Wheeler's daughter was removed from her home based on the FBI investigation Spangler estimated that he spent $2,000 for online sexual gratification in 2016 mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. 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After Quinn Scharn of Napa lost a leg to cancer The two were filmed for an award given by the Petco Foundation The two met at a recent gala celebrating animal adoption Quinn and his mom Teresa Howell at the Petco Foundation event Fifteen-year-old Quinn Scharn lost a leg to cancer It made perfect sense to adopt a dog in a similar situation Quinn Scharn has faced some tough life challenges When he was just a baby he had a soft tissue cancer in his abdomen “He asked for a three-legged dog,” she recalled said that in March 2017 she saw a Facebook post from Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter that said the facility had a dog with three legs The group posted a video of Logan saying he was having a hard time getting adopted because he was missing a leg One of Howell’s friends had seen the video and told her about it we went to Sacramento and we brought home Logan,” said Howell “I was pretty excited and happy,” said Quinn “I did have a connection to him,” Quinn said of his dog His mom explained that after his treatment for cancer and amputation Quinn grew more and more fearful – in particular that his cancer would return “Having Logan has really comforted him and made him feel more safe,” said Howell Her son now has “somebody that actually understands him.” “He’s just like me,” Quinn said in a video posted on Facebook I just finished beating cancer and losing my leg Adopting a dog “changes your life,” said Quinn The two are separated only during the school day when Quinn attends school at Napa Valley Independent Studies Logan has brought other good things to the family – and the animal care community Each year, the Petco Foundation invites adopters to share the story of how their adopted pet changed their lives during the annual Holiday Wishes campaign giving the organization that they adopted from a chance to receive a grant award Howell wrote to the group about Quinn’s story and to their delight the Front Street animal shelter received a $115,000 grant from the foundation Quinn’s story went viral, appearing on the “Today Show,” People magazine, the Daily Mail, the Sacramento Bee and SFGate.com Quinn said the funny thing is that when he walks Logan the most common thing people notice is Logan missing a leg “A lot of times they do only notice the dog,” he said Quinn and his mom were invited to the 2019 Petco Foundation Lifesaving Awards where the Petco Foundation shared their story yet again Helping bring that grant to the Sacramento shelter is “very exciting,” said Howell It turns out that a Petco Foundation grant saved Logan’s life when he was first brought to the shelter He came to the shelter with a badly broken and infected leg the PetCo Foundation had previously given Front Street Animal Shelter a grant specifically for life-saving medical procedures “They used that money to save Logan’s life,” said Howell “The fact that we were able to get them another grant was just pretty cool,” she said You can reach Jennifer Huffman at 256-2218 or jhuffman@napanews.com Any son or daughter named school valedictorian no doubt leads to plenty of parental pride Email notifications are only sent once a day Friends and family of Berryessa's Turtle Rock bar collected the money pined to the ceiling of the cafe to donate to UCSF and celebrate the 15-year 'cancerversary' of Elijah Leung Most of Napa’s River Park Shopping Center tenants cater to locals Now a handful of tenants have left the center The sheriff's office reported seizing 13 roosters from a Carneros site where it said the birds were altered and trained to fight other male birds Take a ride around Napa on these motorized ADA-compliant scooters made to look like various critters and creatures Young denied a bid by Alan Jazeel Martinez to dismiss a second-degree murder charge for the death of 17-year-old Monica Flores after a fentanyl overdose in 2022 Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The State of Oregon identified 746 victims of human trafficking in Oregon between October 2018 and October 2019 120 were in Lane County; 16 were in Douglas County Only Clackamas (138) and Multnomah (208) counties had more identified victims than Lane in data compiled by the Oregon Department of Justice and the Oregon Department of Human Services - Law enforcement and social service professional who broke up a sex trafficking ring in Lane County will be honored Friday in Portland by the Oregon attorney general “DHS is proud to recognize the efforts of our Lane County and Clackamas Child Welfare awardees for their teamwork and collaboration,” said Rebecca Jones Gaston “Preventing human trafficking is not just one organization’s goal it takes everyone to work together to make a difference in this issue which is why the teamwork and passion exhibited by these awardees is so critical.” The State of Oregon identified 746 victims of human trafficking in Oregon between October 2018 and October 2019 RELATED | Hope Ranch helps survivors of human trafficking “Human trafficking and the exploitation of minors affects every corner of Oregon," said Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum "The individuals and community members we are honoring on Human Trafficking Awareness Day represent the courage and strong inter-agency partnerships necessary to help keep our most vulnerable Oregonians 10 at the Oregon DOJ office at 100 SW Market Street in Portland The Team Award goes to Lane County officials The attorney general also plans to present several Above & Beyond Awards: Melrose Mayor Rob Dolan said it took snow-removal savings from a nearly snowless winter for the city to be able fund free Proponents of full-day kindergarten cite a slew of benefits for a child’s emotional and “all-day-K” is becoming more and more common in the region “We know that full-day kindergarten makes a difference,” says Early Education For All Director Amy O’Leary “It’s really about more time for quality instruction more time for teacher and student interaction If you think about two-and-half hours versus six hours there’s just more time for instruction and learning at your own pace.” And while most kids in the commonwealth do have access to full-day kindergarten — 93 percent according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education — for many it comes at a price The result: some children across the commonwealth are reaping the benefits full-day kindergarten pay for the program with a mix of state and local funding Nearly all of western Massachusetts now provides free but the North Shore remains a patchwork of free and tuition-based kindergarten programs former Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr full-day kindergarten and other critical educational needs through “consolidation and right-sizing” by closing Waybright Elementary School and relocating district fifth-graders to Belmonte Middle School — moves the School Committee didn’t support more than 100 parents packed a School Committee meeting to oppose the plan barring any late adjustments to the budget Saugus parents will again pay tuition for their kindergarteners full-day kindergarten a priority since 2008 it was important that every student had access to our full-day program not based on whether they could afford it,” School Superintendent Lisa Dana said “We get to know all of our students for the entire day Full-day proponents point out full-day kindergarten students do better than their counterparts in early grades especially important since first grade has become more socially and academically challenging Proponents also say full-day kindergarten allows schools to identify learning problems among students earlier and to intervene earlier And yet the disparity continues from town to town State funding stems from the kindergarten expansion grant which has had a rocky history since it was instituted in 1999 There were originally two grants — one to provide funding that would help districts transition to a full-day program and one to maintain a full-day program after a district had transitioned all of the available funding now goes to maintain established full-day programs full-day kindergarten program with local money or charge tuition To move to a full-day kindergarten program districts must foot the bill for one year before they are reimbursed for the extra half-day by the state through Chapter 70 education funding Dolan said that bridge year cost around $600,000 “That one-year delay was close to what I bring in all new taxation in a year,” Dolan said “I used all our available money for snow and free cash that year to accomplish that goal.” Among communities that charge for full-day kindergarten some parents in tuition-based districts send their children to half-day programs 41 students attended half-day kindergarten this year This disparity creates an educational imbalance among students that that many state officials and local educators and activists argue should be corrected at the state level a campaign by nonprofit Strategies for Children that supports free cites studies that show full-day kindergarteners exhibit more independent learning classroom involvement and productivity in work with peers than half-day kindergarteners The National Association of School Psychologists lists higher higher reading scores in early grades and more reinforcement of positive social behavior among the benefits of full-day kindergarten programs senior lecturer in psychology at Williams College said the period between 5 and 7 years old is a crucial time in childhood development “It is this period of enormous cognitive and social growth,” Engel said “It’s during that time that kids become able to and eager to learn information and learn skills in a more formal way than they have before It’s the perfect time to begin to encounter the kinds of things that are available in good kindergarten programs.” Full-day kindergarten helps Danvers teachers identify students that have extra learning needs early and allows the school system to support those students earlier in their schooling full-day kindergarten program seven years ago with assistance from the state kindergarten expansion grant Before she became president of the Malden Education Association Page worked for 22 years as a kindergarten teacher in Malden Page was one of five teachers to pilot the first free full-day kindergarten classrooms in Malden funded by the kindergarten expansion grant Page said many teachers feel the two-and-a-half hours typical of half-day programs is too little time to reach state achievement standards even though the state expects full-day and half-day kindergarteners to achieve the same learning objectives and they’re all supposed to measure up to the same goal,” Page said “It’s very difficult to explain that to administration and the state You can’t expect everybody to reach the same height if they’re all getting different experiences and time to spend on it.” Increasing social and academic demands in first grade also places more emphasis on kindergarten “Since first grade has gotten so academic and competitive they really need to have a lot of skills to move from kindergarten to first grade,” Page said “If you don’t have full-day kindergarten and then you plop kids in first grade they don’t know how to work with other kids With the recent push towards providing public preschool Massachusetts’s full-day kindergarten policy is attracting increasing attention Charlie Baker ignited a storm of controversy when he recommended cutting the $17.5 million available in the kindergarten expansion grant leaving just $1 million in the kindergarten fund Both the House and Senate unanimously overrode Baker’s veto to restore the funding O’Leary said that event sparked an important conversation surrounding kindergarten policy and funding in Massachusetts “With the actions that happened in last year’s budget it’s obvious that there should be a bigger conversation about this,” O’Leary said “We see kindergarten as a really critical link between the early-education years and the early-elementary years so we are considering how we can use this opportunity to really highlight the importance of full-day kindergarten.” sponsored a bill that would lower the compulsory age of education in the state from 6 to 5 meaning that all school districts in Massachusetts would provide mandatory how can we afford to invest all this money in pre-k and full-day kindergarten?” DiDomenico said we’re spending more money than we would on services for kids who aren’t on par with their fellow classmates because they didn’t have full-day kindergarten DiDomenico said that the bill is currently being vetted in the Education Committee “I think universal full-day kindergarten is a right for all children “We have to make sure that we have the resources there” Kansas Department of Corrections photo of Jennifer Lyn Adams who spent six years in prison for killing three people while driving drunk in 2005 The Kansas Department of Corrections is revoking the parole of a former Kansas inmate — who killed three people in a drunken driving accident in 2005 — after she was arrested in Oklahoma on suspicion of driving under the influence said his agency issued an arrest warrant for Jennifer Lyn Adams following news that Adams was arrested in October in Bixby driving left of center and transporting an open container Adams spent six years in a Kansas prison after pleading guilty in Sherman County to three counts of involuntary manslaughter Adams was drunk when she was involved in an accident on Interstate 70 that killed three Goodland women Adams was paroled from prison in July 2011 but moved to Oklahoma The Oklahoma misdemeanor DUI charge had been dropped but only so prosecutors can refile felony DUI charges against Adams an assistant district attorney for Tulsa County Scharn said they learned of Adams’ past DUI history only after charging her But Barclay said Adams is in violation of her parole terms The violation allows the KDOC to issue a warrant and send Adams back to prison Adams was arrested last week in Oklahoma on the warrant and will be transported back to Kansas Though Adams was prohibited from drinking alcohol an Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesman said that Adams had not been placed on any type of alcohol-monitoring device It’s not yet clear whether Adams had a valid Oklahoma driver’s license The latest headlines from the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of Kansas, LLC | https://www2.ljworld.com | 1035 N. Third Street, Lawrence, KS 66044 | 785-843-1000 | Terms of Service FAYETTEVILLE — A man police say shattered a storefront window downtown and threatened to bomb the federal building pleaded not guilty Friday in Washington County Circuit Court This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing remembers walking through department stores with her and watching her run her hands across the racks of clothing She was “intrinsically optimistic about life,” he said Rosemary spent the last few years of her life at an assisted living facility in Concord where her family visited multiple times a week Rosemary left a lasting impression and a lifetime of memories for her family Rosemary attended public school and pursued interests in music describing her mother as a “lifelong tennis fiend.” where she was the cocaptain of the field hockey team She graduated in 1956 and joined the Quaker’s American Friends Service Committee and headed off to help a war-torn Europe Rosemary traveled across the continent but mainly worked in Italy and France It was during that time that she fell under the spell of French culture She appreciated French cuisine and the country’s culture Her love did not fade when she returned to the United States; her son recalls paintings of the Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame Cathedral hanging in their home She helped her children learn the language; Michael remembers her teaching him when he was just 3 or 4 Rosemary’s love of French culture expanded far beyond her own household After her time abroad she earned her master’s degree in education from Case Western Reserve University in 1960 and spent her career teaching French and English as a Second Language in Lexington and Acton Rosemary was one of the main proponents of teaching languages to students in elementary school She developed her own curriculum for foreign languages for young students and pushed for it to be implemented in the Lexington public schools Rosemary loved hearing other people’s views and was “always interested in finding someone in the room from somewhere else,” Jean said Her humming or singing were signs of her happiness and when she sat down at the family’s 1911 baby grand piano and Michael’s favorite spot was directly under the piano as his mother played If Jean wanted to learn to play a certain song her mother would sc our catalogs or the phonebook to buy the record or sheet music This story was written in partnership with Northeastern University’s School of Journalism Phillipo finally persuaded Ellie Macora to attend a Christmas party with him But he told her it did not cost him a penny; it was his sister’s “He pursued her until she relented and went out on a date with him,” Bena said in her eulogy at his funeral “He was going to marry this woman and make her the center of his world and he the center of hers.” Ron and Ellie were happily married for 45 years and raised two sons “They were meant for each other,” Bena said Ron died from complications of COVID-19 on May 17 Ron served in the Navy and then started his own plumbing business who called him “Honey Pot.” He called her “Tootsie Roll.” “He told me he loved me all the time,” Ellie said Ron would fly to Ellie’s work conferences to spend time with her in different states he met Ellie at the airport in Arizona and they had lunch together at the Grand Canyon the next morning when I saw you the other night at the airport I thought ‘That’s exactly what a 60-year-old guy wants to see when he lands.’” but he always managed to find time for family vacations But Ron always helped out relatives who had a plumbing problem and never thought to charge them Ron would spend hours on the floor coloring with Matthew when he was a child Timothy would make music with Ron on his iPad keyboard Ron’s favorite band was the Rolling Stones — he took Ellie to see them twice in concert “His kindness is what made me fall in love with him 46 years ago,” she said Ruth Fish’s wish for Mother’s Day was to meet her great-granddaughter It soon became a family tradition: a trip to Florida each May to visit Scarlett it was just the power of being together with family and that was always really important to my mom,” Mary Fish Ruth was extremely proud of her grandchildren and often talked about them with her friends They met at the senior center and would spend time handing out tickets at children’s piano concerts “Sometimes it was like watching junior high school girls They’d be giggling and talking about things and setting the world to rights I guess is the expression,” Mary said Ruth died from complications of COVID-19 on May 1 While the family was unable to gather after Ruth’s death they plan to have a cookout and celebrate her life let’s go back to mom and dad’s,” Mary said Ruth was a loving person and had a spark to create and learn She took night classes to learn how to sew She converted the dress she wore to Mary’s wedding into a cocktail dress to wear to her other daughter’s wedding She was featured on the cover of Weight Watchers Magazine in this ensemble she began woodworking with her late husband’s tools She took fine art classes at the Hunakai Studio in Foxborough and at 81 was recognized for being the oldest artist in the exhibition but Ruth still found time to volunteer with children many of whom called “Grandma.” “We have ‘adopted’ siblings all over the place just because of the way she shared and was helping,” Mary said She was the supervisor of housekeeping at the Wrentham State School and later worked at the YMCA after retiring She always approached tasks with a “Come on “It’s just that commitment to being with people and doing good things.” Josefina Nieves touched the hearts and souls of everyone she met from kind strangers on journeys far from home to those who made her an integral part of their lives “She always managed to create a warm place.” which cultivated her gentle spirit and her tough side leaving her to care for her six younger siblings Yet Josefina always made the most of her circumstances Josefina died of complications from COVID-19 on May 15 Half of her ashes will be buried alongside her husband Her remaining ashes will be laid with her mother in Bayamon where her husband was deployed in the US Army 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren Josefina embarked on many journeys abroad with her family during Domingo’s deployments and did so with just a third grade education She always emphasized the importance of education and college to her children and grandchildren the “Colegio de la Vida” — “College of Life” — was enough The most important thing Josefina learned was to create space for those around her to flourish “Sundays were beach day or lake day,” Wil and Regina Nieves recalled “We would go picnic: six or seven families would get together for a potluck like we would not believe; the grill going on and Spanish music blaring.” Josefina and her family settled in Clinton the couple began spending their retirement in Orlando where they enjoyed the sunshine and the daily company of their longtime family friend “Fina was like a mother to myself and my wife,” he said “She was the most wonderful person anybody would want to meet.” Josefina returned to Massachusetts to live at the Life Care Center of the South Shore taking her rosary and the hands of her new friends — all strangers to her at first — to pray Her dedication to her routine earned her the nickname of “The Ambassador” in the nursing home “For her to be there for other people was just part of who she was and a part that would never change,” said Kathy Behm director of business development at the Life Care Center Dance!” Her favorite song was “En mi Viejo San Juan” (“In My Old San Juan”) by Noel Estrada was a woman of grace and compassion who changed lives the same day as her husband of nearly 70 years She had a passion for education and was bound for a career as a nurse But when she married her husband before he left to serve in the Korean War she made the difficult choice to put her professional goals on hold Rosarina earned her degree in teaching at Fitchburg State University said her mother worked tirelessly for her family “I don’t ever remember running out of ketchup or milk She probably slept three hours a night,” Tammi said she found time to organize Sunday school at the local church Every responsibility was an opportunity to guide people with her wisdom and knowledge She became a teacher in the Brockton public schools using real-world tasks like creating a home budget to make the coursework more meaningful If students wanted to make their own prom dresses or refine their cake decorating skills sometimes reaching out to have materials donated Rosarina helped to develop a work-study program at the high school Many of her students had difficult home lives that made school feel trivial or overwhelming Tammi found a stack of letters students had written Rosarina over the years thanking her for helping them lead successful lives The letters describe an educator who truly believed in her students regardless of their background or previous academic standing an inspiration to her students and a friend Rosarina encouraged her two daughters to pursue an education Gender roles were nonexistent in the Hassan household regardless of the societal norms at the time my dad was doing laundry and helped cook meals,” Tammi recalled On lake vacations and cookouts he built lasting memories for his children and grandchildren he was always working at his house in Maine and he loved radio-controlled airplanes he had a whole gallery of them in the basement from COVID-19 at Notre Dame Long Term Care Center in Worcester Stephen bought property at Great East Lake in Maine and loved to bring his grandchildren there to water ski He worked for years at the US Army Corps of Engineers an intense job with a pace he described as “full steam ahead.” he was inducted into the Aircraft Engine Hall of Fame in Ohio He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his master’s degree at the California Institute of Technology He served in the Army during the Korean War he started his career and strived to maintain the work-life balance he desired He was head of engineering at the General Electric Aircraft Engine design and assembly facility in Lynn and worked on many notable projects which powers the Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt That was when “things started to crumble.” Jean said where he and Jean would play checkers together his family is paying tribute to his life as a respected leader Roberta McMann was known for her kind heart and selfless personality A lover of art and history and a devoted mother Roberta led her life with faith and kindness at the forefront That was her primary concern in life,” said James McMann She called her two sons every night at 7 p.m she made it a priority to remain in contact with her family through letters and phone calls Roberta died in April 2020 due to complications related to COVID-19 Roberta called Boston home her entire life She spent time in Europe and lived in New York before settling in Mission Hill The couple moved in together while James attended Boston College “It’s my mom’s free-spirit attitude of willing to pick up and go somewhere else and roll the dice that made an impact on me,” James said Roberta placed a high value on education and was an avid reader and student of history she could tell stories about each US president and was a particular fan of John F “She never watched television; she hated television,” James said explaining how her love for knowledge was a theme of his childhood Art books and visits to museums reflected Roberta’s deep love for the arts an appreciation that she passed down to her children Roberta’s sons described how their mother always found ways to make their childhood exciting “My mom had a great sense of humor; she would laugh at all my bad jokes,” said John citing some of his favorite memories of his mother Two of Roberta’s defining features were her kindness and her faith “She was guided by strong intentions and the idea of being a good person,” James said recalling how she would make fruitcakes to give to her doctors and nurses at Christmas “She believed in following the way of living that Jesus taught,” James said Madeline Elizabeth Brown loved a good party Whether it was celebrating the 1981 release of the American hostages in Iran or the annual Massachusetts Art Education Association conference “she wanted a party all the time,” said Elizabeth Brown being fancy getting her hair done — she was always into looking fabulous,” she said Madeline attended the Girls’ Latin School and then earned a Bachelor’s degree in the fine arts from Boston University She spent decades teaching art in the Dedham Public Schools and in 1979 was named Art Educator of the Year by the Massachusetts Art Education Association “She was a talented artist but also a very gifted teacher,” Elizabeth said with the help of her parents after her husband left a few years into their marriage She lived in West Roxbury for most of her life and moved to Norwood in the 1980s Madeline brought art with her wherever she went marching around the dining room table telling them to “hold their folds” so the paper snowflakes they were cutting would turn out just right “She would come to visit and she would have us do these crafts My parents could go out to dinner or for a break or something and Dee Dee would just have a massive craft project for us,” Elizabeth said Madeleine’s apartment “looked like a hoarder’s” because of all the craft projects she was working on “She had this huge old car that was just sinking to the ground all the time because it was so stuffed with arts and crafts equipment,” Elizabeth said specializing in pencil drawings and oil paintings “She was the reason we went to museums and knew about art all the fun things in life,” Elizabeth said Madeline was a fashion model with the Rogers Modeling Agency and made a name for herself as “Granny Brown” on Dave Maynard’s WBZ radio show her occasional calls to Maynard’s show to express her opinions became a regular feature Eventually Maynard started calling her “Granny Brown.” When he was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame he said of Madeline: “Granny Brown always had something to say.” “She was like ‘crazy Granny Brown,’ but also highly educated Elizabeth said Madeline did crazy stunts with Maynard once floating down the river in an outhouse until it started sinking and she had to be rescued Madeline enjoyed being the center of attention If she saw a news reporter looking for an interview Madeline would volunteer or nudge those around her to do so And she loved to rub elbows with anyone famous very funny and wild and annoying a lot of the time too because she was the star of the show,” Elizabeth said He was dedicated to his wife Sue and had a passion for storytelling settling in Worcester to continue his job in computer services for Digital Equipment Corp. said Brian had “that kind of Liverpool humor.” “He was the type of person that if you’re in company He would be the one telling all the stories telling all the jokes and everything,” Sutton said we went to a department store and he bought me a Barbie doll so we went back to the store and he took a Barbie doll and just took the ring off and gave it to me Sutton recalled her father as a great man: lively who was by his side as he developed dementia He published a collection of satirical essays on the equestrian sport dressage entitled “Enter at A Laughing: A Tongue-In-Jowl Examination of the Sport of Dressage As Seen Through the Satirical Eyes of a Dressage Husband” in 2003 Brian went on to publish another work in 2014 a historical fiction novel called “Hannah’s Left Hook.” who was quite a formidable woman and had a very powerful punch Having two books published was a source of immense pride for Brian Brian also enjoyed the building of historical battlefield dioramas painted the miniature figures with the correct uniforms and displayed them throughout the basement of his Worcester home Brian was particularly interested in the Napoleonic era but built scenes inspired by British history as well his passion for battlefield diorama making took a back seat to his stamp collection “He just had thousands and thousands of stamps I would sit with him and we would kind of pick out ones that were similar and put them on a page and he thought it was great,” Sutton recalled One of Brian’s favorite pastimes was playing with his dogs He would blow up balloons and throw them in the air for them to pop “I like to think of them doing that in heaven playing with the dogs,” Sutton said with a wistful smile Betty Lou Donovan devoted her life to kindness and family she saw the moving van but could find no trace of the movers Then she heard the sound of laughter coming from the back of the Needham house She arrived on the backyard deck to find the moving men laughing hysterically as they enjoyed sandwiches Lisa reminded her mother that the men were being paid by the hour “You can’t have guests in your home and not feed them,” Betty Lou replied Betty Lou was a proud Southern woman who carried her roots north when she moved to Needham with her husband Betty Lou died of complications from COVID-19 in Needham “She had a good attitude towards life,” Lisa said When she would tell her mother about problems with other people at school she always gave the same advice — be kind because “you don’t know what they’re going through,” Lisa recalled Betty Lou passed her traditional Southern hospitality on to her children She taught Lisa to respond to her teachers with “yes ma’am,” and if the teachers got upset Betty Lou said “well that’s just the way things are done.” Betty Lou spread her love of Southern manners and food far and wide Disappointed that her favorite drink — a tall glass of iced tea with extra ice — was generally not served around here during the winter she set out to convince some restaurants to change that policy “She personally takes credit for restaurants now having iced tea year-round,” Lisa said Betty Lou shared her food with everyone: family It was one of the many ways she showed her love Soup or baked goods were the go-to comfort foods; ham and pea soup was Lisa’s favorite Betty Lou played the game the way she tried to live her life “Being unkind is the biggest sin you could commit,” Lisa recalled her mother saying he showed true interest in everything they had to say to him and he truly focused in on them,” said David Levin Michael’s former boss and the best man at his wedding “He really listened; not many people truly listen.” then earned his nursing degree in Fayetteville “It was difficult and took a lot out of him he worked for the Veterans Administration in North Carolina and then transferred to the Northampton VA Medical Center where he met Sherry and many dear friends “He had all the characteristics of what a nurse needs He was very kind and very generous,” said Louise Dunphy Michael died of COVID-19 April 22 at the Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton “He had a lot more years left to live,” Walsh said who also contracted the disease in early April Sherry and Michael both had children from previous marriages “My daughter thought of him as her father,” Walsh said he dedicated his time to his granddaughters “He considered himself the most blessed man in the world He made sure he had one day a year with each one of them,” Louise said Michael loved to share his passion for Scottish music and culture with those around him He was an enthusiastic spectator at the New Hampshire Highland Games “he just could not get that thing to make noise like it was supposed to.” He was otherwise a talented musician and he lent his deep bass voice to many choirs His favorite aspect of Scottish culture was whiskey He hosted tastings and took pride in teaching friends When he developed an interest in something He learned more and more about it,” Levin said Michael even went to a distillery during one of his many visits to Scotland to learn from the experts the process of making single malt scotch “I know more about single malt scotch than I ever cared to know,” Walsh said Michael’s many loved ones will especially remember his extraordinary sense of humor and good nature He would play practical jokes and tell stories that were so funny you’d be crying go” –– but that never stopped him from singing alongside his daughter or I would hold it for him,” said Sharon DiFronzo “Even though he couldn’t say all the words he loved Elvis and anything from the ’50s because it took him back to “when he was a teenager Jim died on April 27 due to COVID-19 at Woburn Rehabilitation and Nursing Center where he lived after suffering multiple strokes and paralysis on his right side He started shining shoes when he was 12 before working at Stop & Shop bakery for about 35 years He later worked at Massport until he retired at 70 she often went with her friends to Roxbury to see Jim “The girls were adventurous –– they went over to a rough neighborhood from the North End of Boston which was a very protective Italian neighborhood,” Sharon said sentimental and over the years became extremely family-oriented “He wasn’t always an easy person to approach or understand,” Sharon said “Some people would think he was kind of grouchy until he loosened up and someone gave him a beer.” Jim and Sue had four children together: Sharon before eventually moving to Wilmington in 1994 planting beautiful bushes all around the house he also loved taking photos of her and their family which photos of the two together showed clearly “She really brought out the cuddly side of him After he lost mobility after his second stroke he was “glued” to the TV whenever his favorite teams were playing “It had become like the roles were reversed “But this was just so sudden because of the way the strokes happened everyone called Jim “GoGo,” and he was a riot A Jewish holiday did not go by without Richard Barry Cooper appearing on a family member’s doorstep Richard was a good-hearted man who more than anything wanted to be surrounded by those he loved he attended Antioch College in Ohio and lived in California for a while But he always found his way home and eventually settled in Wellesley “Richard was a very kind and gentle person He especially liked the Jewish holidays when he came to our home to celebrate them,” said Deanna Cooper recalled her uncle’s kind smile as his “essence and being.” Richard’s commitment to family did not end at the holidays Deanna Cooper recalled that at her wedding she and Richard danced the polka with such intensity that the buttons on her dress burst “He always had a need to be needed,” Cooper said saying he “found great meaning in being of service to others and making people happy He was a host at the Wellesley College Club for many years and always greeted guests with a big smile.” He “loved spending time with his great nieces and nephew and shared a youthful spirit with them,” Marc Cooper said Richard was blessed with a rare ability to love unconditionally Richard died from COVID-19 on April 14 at age 77 but Deanna Cooper said every person there had a different story to share about how Richard had touched their lives “I was really taken by the fact that each of them had something that they could relate to with him as part of their life,” she said Richard’s passion for style and clothes began when he opened a men’s clothing store in Houston with his friend William called “William Richard.” His family had been in the retail business The store was one of his greatest accomplishments his “baby.” William Richard sold fine men’s clothing but was also a lifestyle store Richard eventually closed it and did more retail work and later became involved in the test preparation business “The happiest time for him was when the store was doing well and he was never the same after he had to close it,” said his daughter Emily Rome Richard died of COVID-19 on April 25 at a senior facility in Roslindale Richard never stopped caring about his appearance Everything he wore had to be color-coordinated He loved his wide-wale corduroy trousers with a leather belt or suspenders a button-down shirt with a pattern that would pick up the color in the trousers “He definitely had a very strong sense of style,” his daughter said One of Richard’s best qualities was his quick wit and sense of humor he always had something to say at just the right time The personal delivery of a story or a joke is rare these days because of stuff online and that is something that will always come to mind when thinking of my dad,” his daughter said Richard was athletic and enjoyed playing tennis He was also interested in foreign languages and spent time living with a host family in Spain He stayed in touch with friends he made there “He wasn’t afraid to try things or to practice them to get good at them He was good at a lot of things,” his daughter said He loved good barbecue and “had a hell of a sweet tooth,” his daughter said he enjoyed going to the Avalon Diner in Houston They called it “the office.” Each of his friends was a character and lived in the South for most of his life including during his first and only marriage he moved to Massachusetts to be closer to family but felt like a “fish out of water” with his heavy Southern accent where he was a part of a musical group that sang and performed songs from Broadway shows he moved to the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Roslindale where he received long-term care he looked forward to lunch with his daughter It was a special time they shared that was cut short by the pandemic “The most important thing in the end was that he knew I loved him and he was able to tell us that he loved us,” Emily said all the golf courses in Worcester reopened Robert died May 3 from complications of COVID-19 had died at 83 after contracting the virus Both were both lifelong residents of Worcester said they remained “best friends” after they divorced consistently paying child support plus extra money to help her move or buy a new car when the transmission on hers went He told her to consider the $3,400 “Zachary’s child support early,” she recalled which he paid for by selling his treasured white Jeep She thinks of him and his “beautiful blue eyes” whenever she hears the Eric Clapton song “I knew that he was going to take care of me and that he would be a good dad,” she said teaching him the importance of integrity and faith where Robert is remembered as a dedicated family man a “straight shooter like his father” who graduated from Bryant University just days after his father and grandfather died she’ll talk to him about whether the conditions favor golfing the general manager at Leicester Country Club said Robert played there “very faithfully” as a member of Norton Co.’s Wednesday league with his co-workers Robert worked at the Saint-Gobain Abrasives plant as a molder for more than 25 years with a wallet full of winning lottery tickets at the time of his death hard-working man who did everything he could to ensure his son’s success and teach him the values of family and God His generosity and love were evident to everyone who knew him and never ask you for a damn dime,” Hope said Even a fall from a third-story window couldn’t stop Richard Harris His family never expected him to walk again after the terrible accident But he recovered and began walking every day He could always be counted on to pull up in his Chevy Impala with a kind smile ready to share a pizza or play a game of cards “He was an affectionate guy,” Maurice said “He’d always give you a little smile with a twinkle in his eye.” Richard was drafted into the Army to fight in the Korean War shortly after he graduated from Boston University with a degree in business He sustained hearing damage in the service he worked as a bookkeeper for several restaurants and cafes during his career Richard died from complications of COVID-19 described by Maurice as an “Italian bachelor type.” But he had countless friends he was known to bring gifts for his friends’ children many of whom were being raised by single mothers He even spent Christmases with his friends and their children “He was one of those people,” Maurice said Maurice took her uncle to vote and get some pizza just a few weeks before he died She recalled the waitress joking about his appetite Richard cared for people regardless of their background at a time when that was far from the cultural norm not for the color of their skin or where they came from,” Maurice said Richard was sometimes called “Dick the Greek” although he was only part Greek He was “a bit of a wild child” and on occasion got into trouble Richard lived in the same apartment nearly his entire life he moved to Twin Oaks Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Danvers Visitors were not allowed at Twin Oaks beginning in March so Maurice had limited contact with her uncle in the weeks before his death under layers of personal protective equipment Maurice has been working to organize a proper veteran’s funeral for her uncle Richard was able to build beautiful relationships with family and friends “He outlived a lot of people in his life,” Maurice said Stella Shilko was a loving and genuine woman who appreciated everything in her life she cared for her grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them “She was an amazing grandmother and amazing woman,” said her grandson but she was always happy and it is just something [that] inspired us to live by.” Stella died of COVID-19 on April 28 at the Buckley Health Care Center in Greenfield she had spent several hours with two of her grandchildren Stella had three brothers and four sisters she joined the VFW Auxiliary after her husband She traveled around the country organizing fund-raising events and helping veterans obtain their pensions she became president and commander of the Worcester Country VFW Auxiliary She spent much of her time with her grandson once taking him to see the Red Sox on a work-sponsored trip to Fenway Park when he was in elementary school She later moved to Weldon Associates Apartment in Greenfield to be closer to her daughter Joanne and her family Stella spent most of her time in the senior center assisting with events and doing office work and residents and employees alike were glad to have her company Patrick once titled her “overseer of the Weldon” because of her prominence there Stella was devoted to all of her grandchildren who spent a lot of time with her when he was attending college in Greenfield Stella would have dinner with him and let him stay and do homework “It was a real second home for me,” he said Stella was an excellent cook and loved to bake as well She was especially good at making authentic Polish pork dishes such as chop suey Stella moved to the Buckley Health Care Center when she was 97 who noted that Stella drove until she was 90 She “lived an amazingly long but fulfilling life.” Robert Runyon Stout will be best remembered as a man who loved adventure nearly as much as he adored his family He was “Pop Pop” to his grandchildren and known as a caring person with a big heart who contributed much to his community and sent all five of our children to college,” said his wife He died on April 17 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis from complications related to COVID-19 Born the youngest of three sons on March 19 Bob joined the Army during World War II at 18 was torpedoed while crossing the English Channel and sunk on Dec Bob managed to escape by swinging on a rope to another destroyer and Christmas took on added meaning for him in later years having thought that night he would never celebrate another Bob met his wife on a blind date on New Year’s Eve Bob graduated from Rutgers University and he and Joan lived in Plainfield for many years “Growing older together never dimmed his light for her He loved nothing more than finding the perfect gift for my mom and sitting back to watch her open it the family found a little yellow house near the sea and renovated it from the ground up to create a home for their children and nine grandchildren Bob looked forward to the various cultural programs the Cape has to offer such as performances at the Dennis Playhouse and exploring the area on long drives or birdwatching trips lending an ear or a hand to anyone in need He celebrated fellowship with friends at his book club meeting and had a lifelong hobby of restoring antique cars “Bob was a very precise and patient man who insisted on perfection for his beloved Woody the car looked as though it had just come off the assembly line Bob enjoyed watching “Seinfeld” episodes and laughed infectiously at every joke working for Meals on Wheels for more than 10 years His routes always took longer than they should since he stopped to chat with many people along the way Bob never complained about the various physical ailments he developed near the end of his life and his thirst for knowledge and love of history did not diminish Readers of The Cape Cod Times will miss his regular letters to the editor the last of which was published a month shy of his 95th birthday “My dad was truly exceptional: a Renaissance man was a proud veteran who was devoted to golf After graduating from Wellesley High School Albert attended Dartmouth College but quickly realized that he belonged in the Marines “I cannot imagine any 17- or 18-year-old going through what he went through in Iwo Jima.” never letting his age dim his vibrant spirit He would frequently make up different phrases or words to his family’s delight “One thing I used to love about him … it’d be a Sunday or Saturday afternoon and he’d say ‘Do you want to go for a ride-er-oonie?’ We’d end up at a great ice cream place,” recalled Regan Albert earned a business degree from Boston University and worked for his father in wholesale meat distribution at the Albert Richards Co Regan fondly recalls her father taking the family out to fancy dinners when she was a child and she was happy to return the favor in his later life and he’d get a dozen oysters for dinner and his martini,” Regan said where Albert enjoyed going to the ocean to sit and watch the boats Albert moved to Buzzards Bay before moving to the Jeffrey and Susan Brudnick Center for Living in Peabody about three weeks after contracting COVID-19 “I got to see him a couple of times … my son and I we went and stood out at the windows,” Regan said He’s buried at Otis [Air National Guard Base] Regan said she is grateful to the nurses and staff at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston for working with her father in his fight against COVID-19 “Beth Israel was really wonderful,” Regan said “I’m fortunate they took the time to get to know him Albert will be remembered not only for his military service and devotion to the Marine Corps League but for his lively personality and love for his family To the people of Somerville and Charlestown Reynolds Pignone was more than a truck driver Some knew him as “Rennie,” but most simply as “The Pizza Man.” Reynolds loved giving back to the city where he grew up and will be remembered as a friendly spirit who knew every customer he served Renaldo’s Pizza came to be when Reynolds decided one day to quit his job as an MIT groundskeeper and buy a pizza truck from a friend as within six months he was able to pay back a $10,000 loan from his mother “People come to me all the time and remember being a little kid and now their kids are going to the truck,” said his son “He was a hard worker and a fixture of the community Reynolds died May 5 from complications of COVID-19 three weeks after he was diagnosed with a special love for the Boston Celtics Reynolds attended all of his son’s basketball games The two bonded over sports and even attended Larry Bird’s first game together “He could tell you about the stats of players that played four years ago He could tell you everything about the game he watched 40 years ago,” Pignone said met her future brother-in-law as a college student “I first met him when I was moving out of the dorm at BU and just started to date his brother I had to move all my stuff over to this apartment,” she recalled “[Reynolds] helped me take everything up three levels Reynolds made it a priority to stay active and stay in good health running races together and comparing their times and distances Both men lived with Parkinson’s disease for almost 15 years Reynolds died almost a year after his brother they were walking great distances,” Pione said When he moved to a nursing home from his home in Quincy walking around the facility four to five times a day he walked the four miles to and from the grave of his wife Reynolds will be remembered as a caring and supportive man who put others before himself “If his brother or I needed anything he was always there for us.” Catherine Lugar amazed her close friends by carrying on her regular activities she’d make her way down the long path to the scull that she was going to get it all back,” said Gretchen Sterling one of Catherine’s close friends from her days at the Newton College of the Sacred Heart Lacking a strong connection to her relatives Cathy built a close-knit network of friends: work colleagues and friends from her high school days in St Joel and Naomi Rosenthal were working in Stony Brook University’s history department 55 years ago when they met Cathy Her brilliance instantly dazzled the couple Cathy became an administrator for the department’s new graduate program She ended up a student in that same program writing a dissertation on trade between Europe and Bahia learning Portuguese and tapping local sources many scholars still cite Cathy’s “The Merchant Community of Salvador Cathy spent the late 1970s picking up jobs as an adjunct professor of Brazilian history whenever she could and she encouraged her students to engage with each other and the course material rather than simply listening to her lectures “She stayed curious about the world and politics and kept up with Brazilian studies even when she was no longer teaching,” Joel Rosenthal said Cathy’s interest in the world went beyond her studies; she loved a good adventure Cathy even spent a year tracking distant relatives to various Midwest cities she picked up and did something,” Joel Rosenthal said but she was careful enough with it to subsidize that sort of thing.” Cathy’s stroke ended her days of traveling despite her efforts to regain physical strength she moved to the Youville House Assisted Living facility in Cambridge and then to the Belmont Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Belmont Friends and colleagues visited as often as they could Sterling showed up weekly with seven or eight books Sterling would bring another friend who had grown up in St Cathy “remembered the names of bakeries that they went to and places that they shopped,” Sterling said “They’d talk about things like that and laugh Catherine had been living in Belmont Manor for about a year when she contracted the coronavirus Joseph Policelli could be counted to arrive with the dessert Joe was a regular at Giovanni’s Italian Bakery in Worcester where he often picked up assorted Italian cookies and a specialty yellow cake and they were the most delicious cakes we have ever had.” “He had a special order,” said his younger brother ‘You are single-handedly keeping that bakery in business.’ ” Beyond his love of sharing sweets with his family For as long as his siblings could remember His love was first nurtured by their mother “He was like her prize student,” Lorraine said He went on to study music at Boston University where he earned a master’s degree in sacred music Joe served as a music director and played the piano and organ at churches and places of worship across Massachusetts When he wasn’t traveling from service to service Joe was meeting with couples from around Boston “He was kind of married to the music,” Rick said teaching students at choir schools around Boston without regard to experience or talent level One of his students at the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School wrote the family after Joe’s death “Even though I wasn’t very good at music theory I remember the passion that Joe had teaching it I wore his patience thin when he was trying to explain something to me for the second but I wouldn’t be who I am today without Joe as my teacher.” Multiple letters echoed the sentiment “I think he got great joy and satisfaction from his teaching career,” Lorraine said “And sharing his knowledge and his love of music with other people as well.” Joe also worked as an adjunct professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he taught a popular music theory class Affectionately known by students as “Joe P.,” he was renowned for his willingness to provide extra help outside class “He’d stay for hours after class and help them,” Lorraine said he would work with them until they got it.” When Joe’s niece toured WPI “she achieved something of a celebrity status,” Rick said the family celebrated their mother’s birthday gathering at Lorraine’s house in North Reading It would be the last time they were all together Even after retiring from the Worcester Fire Department Theodore “Ted” Bialecki set his alarm clock for the same time every morning The routine-driven homebody began each day with breakfast and a front-to-back reading of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette “He would read his paper for two hours and he would read it thoroughly and do the crossword puzzle,” said his daughter She remembers seeing her father immersed in the paper reading quietly under a swing arm lamp until he finished the last page Ted was measured and stoic but found joy in many aspects of his life Ted died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and complications from COVID-19 on May 20 at the Notre Dame Long Term Care Center in Worcester Born in Worcester to Polish immigrant parents Ted raised his daughter in the triple decker he grew up in and when he moved out in his 80s it was to a house just a half-mile down the road Ted served in the Army as a military police officer in Japan after World War II he briefly attended East Coast Aero Tech in Connecticut before joining the Worcester Fire Department in 1954 Ted met Esther Tryba at a Polish picnic in Medford Their shared Polish heritage and faith made them a perfect match They never ventured too far from home but would take their daughter on family trips to Cape Cod They were parishioners of Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in Worcester and enjoyed traditional Polish meals His wife’s kielbasa and beet soup were among his favorites which eventually included his daughter’s husband and their two sons a traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland that begins with the family patriarch breaking off a piece of a large Christmas wafer called opłatek The family would take turns breaking off their own piece and exchanging wishes for health and prosperity Ted retired as a lieutenant after 28 years at the Worcester Fire Department It’s a vocation he shared with two of his brothers While he rarely spoke about his time at the department He was fascinated by technology and overjoyed to learn that his elder grandson had chosen to study computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute Ted lovingly cared for his wife during her nine-year battle with cancer before she died in April 2019 at the age of 88 and he expressed a desire to see her again “He felt his earthly work was done,” said Bialecki Kerekon “He was looking forward to being reunited with her.” Abby Stern remembers her mother Shanie Rabinovitz as a woman who made stunning 7UP cakes and spent her weekends hosting book and movie clubs and being treasurer of her stock investment club who had two children and five grandchildren died April 13 from COVID-19 at NewBridge on the Charles Shanie got married at the age of 31 and shared a remarkable bond with her husband They loved going on cruises together and devoted most Sunday mornings to listening to the music of Barbra Streisand played bridge with her “Wednesday girls,” and attended concerts at Boston Symphony Orchestra on Friday afternoons with her friends and sister Shanie and her husband were a classic couple for their generation but “in some ways they did not follow the stereotypical gender roles,” said their son “My father would do basic cooking and my mother handled the finances.” Shanie was diagnosed with temporal arteritis and later developed mild dementia But she remained “so cheerful and strong at the same time,” Stern said Shanie grew up in Chelsea and moved to Newton after getting married She helped found the League School of Greater Boston which is now a leading educator of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder She also organized fund-raising events at WGBH and Hadassah always dedicated her time to charities in various organizations,” said her daughter Shanie was a talented writer and loved to be entertained Her favorite movie was the romantic drama “The Way We Were,” starring Streisand and Robert Redford “Starting in high school and through my adult life we would talk about politics and the world generally much more so than talking about personal stuff,” Joel said He remembered his mother’s endless encouragement and how she was always there for him Shanie was a worrier at times but knew how to overcome her fears Stern said she is grateful she inherited this strength from her mother “I had a hard pregnancy for which I was in the hospital for about six weeks and she would visit me every day,” Stern said “The nurses always used to tell me that ‘your mom got you through this.’ ” Stern shared a deep friendship with her mother They talked on the phone four or five times a day and Stern credits her mother with giving her a shoulder to cry on during her loneliest times Shanie died apart from her family because of the coronavirus a tragedy that still distresses her children “Everybody has the right to die with family and it breaks my heart that she passed away alone,” Stern said Anna Venuto sang happy birthday by phone to one of her 13 grandchildren She was a “typical Italian mother,” said her daughter she would buy fresh groceries and was a prodigious cook she would bake coveted pies for friends and relatives Anna and her husband Frank moved to Cape Cod after raising their children in Newton and Ashland They later moved to Boston to be closer to Ottaviani and other family members “They got to do things in their older years that they never got the opportunity to do” before She spent much of her time visiting her children The Venutos celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary shortly before Anna died They both grew up in Newton and were introduced by mutual friends Frank was in the Army and Anna worked at a bank “My dad would visit her every single day” in her senior living home Anna was in a serious car accident that left her with life-threatening injuries She underwent multiple surgeries but ultimately recovered “We used to say she was a cat with nine lives and she was just so She was hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 and died at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham and I think that’s the most heartbreaking thing,” Ottaviani said and people would look at her and never believe that she was 90.” William Robert “Bob” Aldrich hated sitting still finding things to fix and projects to take on He presented the completed dollhouse to his daughter as a gift from Santa Claus “It was one of my most cherished gifts I ever got as a kid because he built it,” said his daughter who still has the dollhouse in the basement of her home in Cape Cod Bob died May 10 after developing COVID-19 while residing at the Cape Regency Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Barnstable Bob had moved to New York when he was 18 to attend Albany Business College He later worked as a bookkeeper and payroll supervisor at Central Hudson where their two children grew up in a three-bedroom ranch with a big backyard and a swimming pool Bob had installed The family often went on walks in the woods behind their house Bob often took them out to dinner or to Friendly’s for ice cream When celestial events like lunar eclipses and meteor showers occurred Bob drove his family in a station wagon to dark parts of town to watch them There was a lot of giving and sharing of experiences.” When his health declined due to Alzheimer’s disease Bob willingly stopped taking long walks alone so his family wouldn’t worry That shined out even with that condition.” “He was genial and kind and awkward and did not seem to be aware that he was awkward Finlay could brighten a stranger’s day by sparking up a friendly conversation often while sporting his cherished fluorescent-green lawn maintenance shirt was the epitome of a family man and would sacrifice anything for his loved ones Bill dealt with a host of medical issues during his life But he never let his struggles break his spirit Bill died at Leominster Hospital on May 3 from COVID-19 His family believes he contracted coronavirus while traveling to dialysis treatment three days a week from an extended rehabilitation facility “He remained my muffin through it all,” said his widow Debbie memorialized Bill’s life by creating a “Bampa” shelf a name one of Bill’s five grandchildren had given him The shelf includes photographs and collages of Bill and his family in Winchendon before he moved into the rehab facility Lauren recalled the “red racing stripes” Bill would leave on the bathroom floor from dragging his walker across it she’d give anything to hear him pounding on the door again “But I know he is watching over my oldest stepson up there Bill was particularly close to his 8-year-old granddaughter They were like “two peas in a pod,” Debbie said and I wish we could go back to when he was alive and lived with us.” Bill’s proudest accomplishment was working as a police officer in Groton and Lunenburg also shared a very special bond with his brother Even through typical sibling fights and tussles I admired his attitude most — never let anything bother him.” Ray remembered how in the moments before Bill had his leg amputated his brother jokingly asked the nurse if she could save it for his dog Bill could make those around him happy with an unshakeable devotion to his loved ones He would do anything and everything,” Lauren said Whenever people around Sister Dorothy Cooper worried she had a mantra she would repeat: “It is what it is These words embodied her humble and optimistic spirit a nonprofit in Waltham that matches volunteers to elderly residents for friendship and emotional support “She knew back in 2002 that the older population was growing at such a rate and she really zeroed in on that,” said Martha Ryan Sister Dorothy died April 14 from complications of COVID-19 she lived at Mary Immaculate Nursing Home in Lawrence a healthcare facility founded by the Grey Nuns “She wasn’t your typical nun that people might think of but she really believed in service to God and she had tremendous faith,” Ryan said “It’s so hard to put everything this woman was into words.” Parties and gatherings were among Sister Dorothy’s loves in life She loved her grey nuns,” said Nancy Mulvihill who met Sister Dorothy in 1988 and helped her establish Neighbors Who Care She would never say anything bad about people She earned degrees from the University of Michigan and an honorary degree from Rivier College in Nashua She worked as a health administrator and nurse which was founded by the Grey Nuns in the 1800s during cholera and malaria outbreaks “Five grey nuns traveled by stagecoach from Montreal to Toledo Vincent’s Hospital in Toledo where Sister Dorothy served So that same spirit that carried those five grey nuns by stagecoach although the pandemic has complicated its work Another one of Sister Dorothy’s favorite sayings was reminiscing over when she met Sister Dorothy was to be of service to the poorest of the poor And that’s why she started this organization.” Those who knew Sister Dorothy best feel grateful for having learned from her example “I think she changed me in the fact that I look at life differently,” Ryan said the way she would feel people’s struggles.” Columbia Swinson never turned away a dinner guest “She always found room at her table for whoever I brought home,” said her daughter “She was always making sure that everyone was taken care of first.” Columbia died April 23 at the Devereux Nursing Home in Marblehead due to complications of COVID-19 Born prematurely and weighing just one pound “She was strong and had a certain spunk to overcome the odds,” Ginger said Columbia had dyslexia but never let it get in her way even holding on to the certificate she received she went to work as a seamstress so that her sisters She continued this work until she retired in 1997 She was a member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and its retirees club in Easton Columbia continued her needlepoint and crochet after she retired She would make “beautiful crochet afghans for friends and family,” Ginger said Family was the most important thing in Columbia’s life she fought harder to make life better for her family,” Ginger said “She never gave up and always said to me that I must be strong and not give into the hardships of life that I may face.” Columbia was extremely proud of her three grandchildren she moved to Swampscott to live with Ginger “She was like our live-in babysitter,” her granddaughter “She was always looking out for us and making sure we were safe.” Columbia spent time traveling with her family Columbia loved playing bingo with friends at the Swampscott Senior Center So much that she was thrown a bingo-themed party with a bingo-themed vest as a gift “I’m pretty sure she would only wear it to go and play bingo,” Merina said Columbia played for the competition and companionship she would always give us the prize,” Merina said Columbia loved animals and had three dogs and two cats “She would talk to them all the time like they were best friends,” Ginger said including the Koi fish in their front yard pond but would also feed them at the table,” Merina said with a laugh “Her smile made others smile even when life seemed sad,” Ginger said “She had an inner strength that everyone admired and all will never forget her strength of character.” “Gentleman” is the word Donald James Comer’s children use to describe their father if somebody was feeling down or something happened “He always projected this appearance of someone who was respectful Donald died from complications of COVID-19 on April 20 at the age of 82 in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton and lived both in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood and in Canton He graduated from Canton High School in 1955 and went directly into the Air Force Donald had various accounting and comptroller jobs as well as working as a security guard “Career wasn’t really his focus,” his daughter Katherine said Donald returned to Hyde Park to raise his family “We lived in a very close knit community,” Katherine said His children described their neighbors as their family The families would all go to York Beach in Maine together every year Katherine described her father as someone who had “a sense of community and groundedness but also an openness to new people and experiences.” “He wasn’t a man focused on milestones,” Daniel said And he took great delight in those moments He loved taking his children to Bruins and Red Sox games They went to Fenway Park three or four times a year Katherine said her father had “an exceptional ability to remember numbers.” He could remember anything from a birthday to a license plate “he would remember all the stats of every player that went up to bat,” Katherine said “And people around us would just be amazed.” Katherine took them on day trips to the Berkshires or the White Mountains Donald would relish seeing the leaves change color or visit the Norman Rockwell Museum we would always go out for every single holiday to a nice restaurant,” Katherine said the couple moved together to Kindred Transitional Care & Rehabilitation-Highgate Donald helped care for Mary until she died in 2017 “I really feel that even though he was 82 and failing he wanted to make it to 83,” Katherine said Edgar Van Buren’s accomplishments were anything but subpar A regular golfer until he was a century old he taught his family the importance of a strong work ethic and the meaning of longevity Edgar died May 18 at Carlyle House in Framingham due to COVID-19 complications The oldest of five children and the father of five graduating from New York University in 1936 with a degree in civil engineering before becoming an assistant superintendent at Turner Construction Co where he served as a lieutenant in the Navy Civil Engineering Corps He witnessed the iconic moment of US Marines raising the flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima in 1945 he continued at Turner for nine years before transferring to H.G working for more than 30 years as a consulting engineer “He worked his a-- off,” said his younger son Robert a manufacturing engineer in Washington state Edgar was “one of the best [engineers] on the East Coast,” he said But he also made time for his loved ones and for his hobbies He was active in a bowling league into his late 80s and played senior ice hockey until his mid-70s “His love of the game never ended,” Robert said Edgar was introduced to the sport in his teens while working as a caddie in Westchester County When he moved his family to Wellesley in the 1950s he became a member of the Marlborough Country Club playing from “dark to dark” almost every weekend during the summer Edgar also gave them lessons that came along with the game he learned to call his own penalties and mind his temper after spending over 10 years on the greens with his father “It was for his mental health and exercise,” Robert said Stephen added: “You’re spending hours in the fresh air but the handicap system made him competitive with most Robert recalled seeing him get knocked down by a ball going “100 miles per hour.” Edgar reacted by exclaiming At Edgar’s surprise 90th birthday party at Marlborough Country Club in 2005 He became the longest-tenured member ever at the club Robert said he’s most grateful that his father taught him that “one must earn their way in this world.” Lowes was the picture of a Boston Irish grandmother and stubbornness built the foundation of a long life along with a fierce dedication to the Boston Red Sox When she would fall asleep watching the game her son Bill could expect an urgent phone call the next morning “She used to vocally admonish when sports interrupted her regularly scheduled television programs,” said her daughter Eleanor died in the Penacook Place Nursing Home due to complications from COVID-19 and worked there throughout her adult life It was threaded with hardship that she kept carefully hidden The hardships that shaped her life began early “Her mom died from tuberculosis while giving birth to a girl named June Eleanor was taken out of school to work as a babysitter in Rhode Island and later worked in the cafeteria the former Haverhill Municipal Hospital working a lot of overtime to either pay bills or give us a good Christmas and Thanksgiving,” said her daughter She was also shaped by the loss of her husband who died of cancer after 14 years of marriage leaving her alone to raise their four children it was a loss that would never fully subside said her mother “never forgave our father for dying.” “After my Dad passed away when we were all young but didn’t know how to love us,” Bill said she reconnected with her previously estranged sister they kind of warmed to each other,” Kathy said wearing team shirts and having snacks galore Betty Cugini’s relatives never had a store-bought pair of mittens or gloves probably near a certain tree on the beach at Peter’s Pond Campground while her husband sat in the shade Betty met her husband Joe when they were 14 and 17 They did not spend a day apart until Joe died at the age of 89 Elizabeth Cugini died April 27 of complications from COVID-19 doting on her 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren “Now there are two more girls on the way,” said her granddaughter “She would have just been out of her mind over them.” When Betty and Joe’s eldest daughter died in 1987 at age 36 she left behind a husband and two young daughters Betty was able to step in and serve as a maternal figure to her granddaughters “She had this horribly rough hairbrush and she would just put these braids in me and my sister’s hair,” said her granddaughter “She was never going to let the neighbors say ‘I can’t believe that grandmother let [them] out of the house like that!’ ” “there was no sugarcoating anything,” Sara said “But you could call my grandmother and tell her the stupidest stories and she really made you feel like she cared I think she was a really good listener and she really was invested in the little things in people’s lives.” the day after Joe was hospitalized due to Alzheimer’s disease she realized she didn’t know how to make herself lunch “He just loved taking care of her so much,” Sara said “and she would just sit in the dining room on a stool and listen to the Statler Brothers … My grandfather would dance around the kitchen and she would pretend to be like would pick her up each week and drive to church and then to lunch at the 99 Restaurant a former bus driver known to “smoke” people while driving her Prius Betty could be found at Weymouth’s Community Baptist Church said she had many memories of her grandmother singing in the pews “She was the loudest voice during the hymns,” Amanda recalled but because her heart was filled under that steeple.” Betty’s legacy is the bond shared by the family she leaves behind “None of us are happier than when we’re all together,” Sara said “I know everybody has a special grandmother,” Sara said But my grandmother was … she was something Italian family was exactly what Dorothy Proietti wanted when she married her husband Nothing made her happier than being a mother Her six children were her proudest achievement Dottie died on May 25 at Life Care Center in Leominster after contracting COVID-19 and pneumonia Dottie lost both her mother and grandmother and was abandoned by her father She and her four siblings were sent to different foster homes and she was eventually taken in by an elderly couple That’s why her favorite thing about the Proietti family was how big it was Dottie loved to be around others and made everyone around her feel special “Anybody she met that was having a tough time especially people with special needs … she interacted with them,” John said Dottie met John after he went back to high school to get his diploma he spotted her at the public library and Dottie told her good friend One of their favorite activities was playing Scrabble Even when she was living in a nursing home John would bring the board so they could play together Dottie loved to sew and passed her expertise down to her children we did a lot of sewing with her help and made dresses and everything,” said her daughter when I was in junior high and in high school I often had an outfit on that we had made together.” Dottie made sure that her children had the opportunity to do anything they wanted she would have all the grandchildren work with her on a project and the grandchildren now carry on the tradition Dottie often baked with her children and grandchildren making sugar cookies with a cookie cutter of their choice Her own children and grandchildren weren’t the only recipients of her love When one of Dottie’s sons brought home a girlfriend who had children she always treated those children like her own grandchildren,” Linda said As family was the most important thing to her she spent several years searching for her biological brother “She saw her brother only once,” John said He was in the Air Force and he was stationed up near the Canadian border and ended up coming down to visit.” even paying a private investigator who never found him Dottie was always there for people who needed her “Now I realize that it was because of the way she was treated as a foster child not really being a part of anybody’s family,” Linda said “She always made sure she included everybody.” the Barstow family would get together and go bowling Arthur Barstow rolled three strikes in a row in the final frame to win the match he loved playing games and horseshoes or darts but bowling was one thing he did a lot of in a league,” said Arthur’s son “He would be frustrated that he couldn’t play like he used to play but he impressed us all that last Thanksgiving.” The three strikes came as a surprise but was in keeping with his father’s love of games My mother and he would sit down and play cribbage almost daily.” Arthur died April 17 of complications from COVID-19 at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield Arthur made it a point to stay active and would take his walker out every day to go for a stroll “He was a big believer that if you stopped moving nothing good happens from that,” Larry said “Even to the months before he contracted COVID and passed away he was on an exercise bike or walking around outside Arthur was the seventh of eight children and grew up in Hadley and he taught us all how to be responsible and how to be accountable.” After attending grade school in a one-room schoolhouse where he was the only student in his grade Arthur graduated from Hopkins Academy in Hadley While waiting for his 18th birthday to enter the service Arthur would drive his pickup truck to Amherst and pick up a group of high school girls to help with the asparagus harvest “He totally loved our mother through thick and thin and there really weren’t too many bad times She had Alzheimer’s and so it was a struggle,” said Patti Castelli Arthur served as an airplane mechanic in the Fifth Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater in World War II he contracted malaria and was sent home on medical discharge The only of his siblings to attend college Arthur graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with an electrical engineering degree in 1951 He worked for General Electric and Northeast Utilities “His career was with electrical power generation and distribution across New England,” Larry said Arthur always made time for family vacations and loved to take his family on cross-country trips Arthur was an avid Red Sox and Celtics fan and even wired a light switch in the bathroom to turn on the radio and play whatever game was on Strawberry shortcake was a special treat for the family and he always had butterscotch candies in the car and peppermint stick ice cream in the freezer “He never saw anything on a dinner plate that he didn’t like.” “The Card Shark Matriarch” wasn’t always known as the feared queen of bridge Elinor Olney was much more reserved and pensive she broke free from the societal norms she had adhered to most of her life she often referred to herself as “GEM” — grandmother mother — to represent her cherished roles and dedication to those she loved She died May 1 due to complications from COVID-19 a close friend and her partner in bridge tournaments said they would often place in the top two or three when they played duplicate bridge at a club in Woburn The club manager came to know the pair and would exclaim you brought your ringer,” when he saw Elinor enter the building Cruger was struck by how honest Elinor became toward the end of her life about how she really felt sometimes hurling insults at President Donald Trump while watching or reading the news Family said she also professed her interest in handsome movie stars like George Clooney and Ryan Gosling “She would crack jokes and you would be surprised,” Cruger said “She was always funny … she decided to show it more.” A librarian at Andover High School and later the Andover Memorial Hall Library She was known to read multiple books in a week and loved to share her knowledge with others Elinor was a great friend and role model to the younger members of her family “She showed me being who I was at heart was OK,” she said I was telling her something about my life and concerns at the time and she was listening watching them burn out in the ashtray between us Aunt Elinor never told me to stop what I was doing She just listened and gave me gentle feedback the two seemed to be having a full-blown conversation “I know Grandma was really smart,” she said a biotech company that has produced a COVID-19 vaccine the image ingrained deepest in her son’s and nephews’ minds is her constant laughter The “kind of laugh where you turn blue,” said her son “A real-life Carol Burnett,” said her nephew Dorothy Murphy died April 27 after a brief battle with COVID-19 Sue was born in Peabody and was a longtime resident of Salem Sue was a single mother until her oldest son “Sue lived a very tough life in her own right,” Donny said It was as if her “life fell into place,” her family said They were married for 35 years and ran S & M Answering Services together for more than 20 where she received awards for her shorthand writing skills Her interest prompted her to volunteer to help Ted Kennedy in his 1994 US Senate reelection campaign “She had what she needed and did what she wanted to do,” said her cousin While Sue’s love for her husband and sons ran deep the love she felt for her nieces and nephews was rare “Auntie Sue” forged special bonds with them “She always remembered everyone’s birthday she made sure everyone always got a birthday present,” said Joe whom she nicknamed “Fella” and said he felt more like her nephew than cousin Sue’s “favorite place in the whole world was going down to see her second family in New Bedford,” said Newton Sue would visit Joe and his family at least once a month They would sit around the kitchen table for hours so Donny would strum a guitar while sitting on the kitchen floor as the family gathered around the table and sang along Sue would request anything from Patsy Cline to Elvis You always knew where you stood in her heart.” If you caught her on the phone with any of her nieces and nephews She always made sure you knew that when you were speaking with her Gayton’s 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren got a “nana blanket” shortly after they were born complete with a “made with love by nana” tag Even after she was declared legally blind in her mid-60s she knew the patterns and she could almost knit blindfolded,” said Debbie LeBlanc of Amesbury Though they may not have had the top-of-the-line sneakers and the newest toys LeBlanc said their mother always made sure “that even when they didn’t have a lot that they always had what they needed.” A cancer survivor who beat lymphoma in 2012 Anna died May 4 at the Jeffrey and Susan Brudnick Center for Living in Peabody from complications of COVID-19 Born and raised in an Irish Catholic family in Salem Anna was the second youngest of five children After finding out at an early age that she was adopted she struggled with abandonment issues her entire life but never abandoned anyone else “She had to keep picking herself up and trying to remind herself what she was worth she just kept forgetting,” said her daughter Maryann Occhipinti she went to work for the Bell System — the phone company — until she met Ed Lassiter she stayed at home with them and kept an immaculate house She separated from her first husband in 1977 when her youngest daughter was 9 She became a working single mother and was the longtime manager of the toy department at Ann & Hope in the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers who worked as a security guard at the East India Mall in Salem where she was helping out in a T-shirt shop run by a friend’s niece Their relationship quickly grew from flirtation into love and they married in 1998 Marshall died in 2018 of congestive heart failure “My mom always went by Anna her whole life then when Marshall and her got together he called her Annie,” said her daughter Laurie Nagle of New Windsor he was kind of our guardian angel,” Nagle said “That was one thing that we took comfort from Family was always at the center of Anna’s life — and a key element of her home She had a picture wall featuring every grandchild throughout their life It started with pictures of her “babies,” as she liked to call her children but their photos were displaced to make room for her new babies Anna had her “brag book” filled with pictures to share “I think there were probably three books at the end,” Nagle said “She always had to have a big purse because she had to show people her babies.” Family photos weren’t the only tradition Anna loved she did her best to bring the holiday decorations and traditions into their homes she would stick decorations,” said Kerri Rogers She was a force of nature — working full time while raising a large family “She was very strong,” her daughter Laurie said where she lived for more than half a century As a member of Lexington’s Town Celebrations Committee Jean helped organize the annual Patriots Day parade While ensuring that the marchers were lined up at the start of the route Jean would still check to see if her niece and her kids were watching from the viewing stand “She always made sure that my children were able to sit on it with the town VIPs,” Joanne said Jean also worked in the Town Clerk’s office a job she was perfect for because “she knew everyone in town,” Joanne said Jean died due to complications from COVID-19 on May 4 at Aberjona Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Winchester The eldest of five children in a close-knit Italian family She graduated second in her class from Arlington High School in 1947 She received a scholarship to Boston University while volunteering with the Red Cross at Chelsea Naval Hospital Jean grabbed his wheelchair and brought him to a hospital performance she wanted to see getting sick and so she started to visit him,” her daughter Norma recounted Jean even drove to the Virginia Beach naval base where he was stationed Jean kept the elopement secret from their children for years finally telling them on Norman’s 80th birthday Jean began working for a stockbroker in Boston and hoped to become a stockbroker herself “Unfortunately back then when I came along they gave her my crib and stuff and said goodbye,” her daughter said she was told that she had to be a wife and mother but she had bigger ambitions,” Norma said mostly as an executive secretary in a variety of places including the former Youville Hospital in Cambridge and Middlesex Community College Jean still “managed to see most of our plays and went to as many sports things as she could,” Norma said The Coates’ Lexington home was a hub of activity brought home graduate students with no place to go for the holidays Jean “cooked enough for three armies,” Norma said “My parents were very generous like that.” Jean began to suffer from dementia and in 2009 moved to an assisted-living facility in Arlington “She had friends that she made along the way in every position in every career move that she made,” Joanne said “They continued to stay in touch with her.” “People liked to be around her,” Norma said “It’s a great quality to have people drawn to you and I miss that.” Connie Rosato was a sharp dresser who wore matching suits on special occasions and costume jewelry to accompany every outfit Her two favorite clothing stores were Frugal Fannie’s Fashion & Shoe Warehouse in Westwood and Savers in West Roxbury would often go “Senior Day Tuesdays” at Savers to take advantage of the discounts she had clothes and jewelry in every closet,” said her granddaughter Connie died on April 21 from complications of COVID-19 Connie was born and graduated from high school in Boston She then attended cosmetology school and became a hair stylist suggested that she and several other young female employees go dancing at a local club “At the end of the night Louis drove each one of the ladies home and left Connie for last,” her daughter Lois recalled “He pulled up to her family home and walked her to the door He kissed her and Connie admitted that she kissed him back.” They married not long after Louis served in the military during World War II they sold the business and moved to California Connie and her daughter moved back to Massachusetts a waiter at Boston’s venerable Locke-Ober restaurant They went to the local race track and performed at nursing homes as part of a senior musical group “I remember them practicing their song and dance routines for their parts in Oklahoma,” Lois said When Anthony fell ill with Parkinson’s disease Connie cared for him until his death in 1998 Connie lived for another decade in her home in Hyde Park where her family would gather for the winter holidays “Every year my aunt Kiki [Connie’s sister] would sit at the piano and everyone would grab a kitchen utensil and have a grand march through the house,” her granddaughter said Connie made frequent trips to the Reagle Music Theatre and the South Shore Music Circus and Melody Tent Connie left her house in Hyde Park and moved into Traditions of Wayland “She enjoyed the weekly excursions such as lunch at the Wayside Inn “She was highly competitive” at Boggle as well ‘You really like winning don’t you?’ Connie replied Connie moved to the Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center in Natick “Even when she got really old and had every reason to be grouchy she continued to be patient and kind,” her granddaughter said Kristen said Connie was most proud of her daughter Lois “We both enjoyed each other’s company until the very end,” Lois said “Some people might call it sheer stubbornness or even bull-headedness but tenacity sounds better to me,” Charlie’s youngest sister Charlie often referred to his three sisters as the “three B’s,” Katherine said the Beautiful sister and the Baby sister.” Charlie joined the Air Force directly after high school serving as an air launch missile guide technician for about eight years he worked at IBM for 27 years and then as an office manager for Hardwick Kilns for 14 years remembers him taking his suit and throwing it away to commemorate his retirement Charlie was an important part of his community He was a volunteer member of the Hardwick fire department for more than 50 years and was a long-time member of the Eden Lodge of Masons a group that believes in making “better men out of good men.” He twice served as master of the lodge He was a selectman in Hardwick for nine years where he tried “to do what he thought was right amidst much opposition,” Katherine said Charlie was married to his wife Alice for 57 years and they had four children: Susan Susan Kenney remembers going to the hardware store as a child with her father and helping him with different projects around the house as well as watching cartoons and eating cereal together on Saturday mornings Susan said her father had a great sense of humor She recalled a time when they lived in Florida and were experiencing hurricane weather at least we won’t have to water the lawn,’ ” she said He and his family would often drive between Florida and Massachusetts stopping at different campsites along the way Charlie and Alice would drive to Florida in their RV to spend the winter he and Alice volunteered at the Sun n’ Fun Aerospace Expo an annual convention for aviation enthusiasts He had plans to build his own two-seat airplane from a kit and I guess maybe just with his getting older didn’t get around to it Charlie died on April 15 from COVID-19 at Holyoke Medical Center after living at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home He will be remembered as a “great man,” someone who “took care of everybody best he could,” Susan said was widely admired as a “true Brocktonian.” Carl left his hometown for a short time to study psychology at Boston College and join the Marine Corps He worked as a teacher and guidance counselor at Brockton High School and was a mainstay in local politics Carl joined the Brockton City Council and served as mayor from 1985 to 1991 He entered the political scene during a tough time for the city which limited the city’s ability to raise property taxes went into effect while he was on the council Carl faced a budget deficit of about $14 million Eventually the city laid off 25 percent of its workforce Carl made the decision to obtain a loan from the state to address the crisis The city council criticized him for accepting the loan which came with the condition that the city hire a chief financial officer but Farwell believed his decision saved the city from bankruptcy regardless of circumstance or hardship,” said Brockton’s current mayor who served with Carl on the Brockton School Committee described him as a “quintessential gentleman.” and I was able to observe a very thoughtful Referring to today’s politics as a “contact sport requiring a thick skin and bold decisions,” Farwell said “Mayor Carl was the last of the gentle spirits.” Councilor Dennis Eaniri knew Carl first as an educator and counselor at Brockton High School Carl mentored Eaniri during his campaign for the school committee in 1977 Eaniri was unsuccessful his first time around but won the next time Carl Pitaro was very helpful to me,” Eaniri said Carl was raised on Ford Street in the heart of Brockton he ran track and sang in an a capella group He met his wife Patricia at Brockton High School “She was very active in all the things that he did in our city,” Eaniri said serving adults and children with mental illnesses When Patricia died in 2017 at the age of 81 He spent the past two years at All-American Assisted Living Facility in Hanson he died at Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital from complications of COVID-19 One of David Damon’s four children once heard his father say to his mother you can still assume that to be true.” That’s who David was — gruff but caring he cared for her full time even after he too developed the disorder they both moved into a nursing home because Libby needed extra care but I never realized how much he loved her until I saw him start to take care of her,” said David’s youngest son right and wrong were absolute things,” Bruce said “There was little gray area when it came to those types of questions for him That clarity and certainty is still something I can draw on.” David died on May 10 at Wingate Healthcare in Harwich of complications from COVID-19 he was raised in Amherst and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst David served as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve in West Germany He returned to UMass for his master’s degree then earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Springfield College David spent most of his career teaching physical education at Mount Greylock Regional School and Longmeadow Public Schools David retired with Libby to Cape Cod but later became an educational assistant at Brewster Public Schools They took the children on two cross-country road trips the family participated in reenactments and a parade Libby made colonial costumes by hand for everyone David had been captain of his college golf team and was an outstanding player David took just one shot to emerge from the notorious Hell bunker sand pit at the famous St Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus once needed three shots to escape that bunker — David was especially proud of that His son Stuart said his father’s integrity and resolve to play by the rules and I’ve had both my hips and one knee replaced,” Stuart said David began to express more of his emotions even though his diseases were progressing.” David’s children had to say their goodbyes over the phone I want you to know what your life has meant,” Bruce told his father and the work that you did made the world a better place You raised your children to do the same thing you got out of the Hell bunker in one shot,” he said Giacomo DiTullio had to show his mother his homework before turning it in an Italian immigrant with a second grade education would rip it up and make him redo it if his handwriting was too sloppy Giacomo’s siblings also experienced their mother’s exacting eye he felt the most pressure to meet her high standards “She’s the one that really made me work and try to do my best in school,” he said an oceanography professor at the College of Charleston in South Carolina said he wouldn’t be where he is without his mother even if she couldn’t afford any for herself “Her stockings would always have holes in them but she didn’t care as long as her kids had the best clothes,” Giacomo said “Her family always came first,” agreed Regina’s daughter “She was definitely selfless in that way.” When Giacomo went to college in Canada and his brother She cleaned offices at night while working as a seamstress during the day Giacomo went to college and received $50 a week in spending money from his mother his proud mother ensured many relatives made the trip for the weekend celebration graduating college was a tremendous achievement,” he said died April 13 from complications of COVID-19 at the Armenian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jamaica Plain She leaves behind three children and seven grandchildren Regina was born in the Abruzzo region of southern Italy Regina and the other residents of her small mountainous village were forced to live underground Money was scarce and they lived off potatoes for months Regina married Angelino DiTullio and Giacomo was born two years later The family immigrated to the United States in 1956 arriving at Ellis Island and continuing on to Boston The DiTullios lived in the North End for a few years before moving to Quincy Their daughter Donetta was born in 1958 and another son DiTullio wasn’t close with many of her neighbors She threw an annual Christmas party on Dec The smell of her frying Italian doughnuts and the sound of her singing Italian Christmas songs filled the house she sent her children to school with pastries for their teachers Although her husband was a chef and restaurant owner her children insist she was the best cook in the family “We miss her now in many ways,” Giacomo said “We laugh about different recipes when we try to cook them music was the most important force in his life,” Peggy McDonald said of her husband he released an album of original songs called “Angel Midnight.” His career with the country-rock band John Lincoln Wright and the Sour Mash Boys lasted six years a span that saw the band tour successfully through the Northeast they played with country music legends like Dolly Parton “He probably would have been more successful in music if he made that decision to just go out to Los Angeles with his good friend Hutch Hutchins who was in a band with him for years and who went out to Los Angeles and became quite successful.” Peggy said He and Peggy were high school sweethearts whose relationship spanned more than 50 years John gave up the band for his family and worked in property management and maintenance in 1985 but he became more of a family guy.” Peggy said My kids always say they can’t remember him yelling at them,” said Peggy “He got highly involved with Ryan’s middle school And he had the whole music thing with Travis Travis said his father passed on his love of music to him And the first time I ever played in front of people was with my dad on a parent talent show night at my elementary school,” Travis said John was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease Peggy said it was frustrating and heartbreaking to watch her husband struggle “Playing his guitar and singing is still the thing that gave him the most pleasure,” Peggy said Peggy visited John two or three times a week dealing with his health issues until March I was totally separated from him,” Peggy said I was informed he had contracted COVID at the hospital As a tribute to their shared love of music Travis is trying to finish writing a set of about six or seven unfinished songs John left behind and Travis has already written music to one of his songs so I know John would be really happy with that,” Peggy said but Arthur Thibault spent much of his time with family and friends and their children and grandchildren would gather at her home a few blocks from his Lawrence condo for Sunday dinners “We’d all show up and she’d have a meal waiting for whoever came We’d end up playing cards and Scrabble or just sitting around talking or watching a movie and he always really enjoyed that,” said Arthur’s younger sister “He felt like he was her caretaker,” Pauline said Arthur loved going to restaurants and movies and seeing plays in Boston it wasn’t uncommon for him to purchase tickets for the whole family He was an active member of Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in Methuen He would often treat fellow parishioners to breakfast or lunch after services and perennially donated presents for the parish’s Christmas drives he would just ask what they needed and always made sure they got it,” his sister “He was just a very good and kind and giving Christian even when he got older and he really couldn’t help it seems like every detective story where somebody is a murderer they always refer to them as a schizophrenic,” Dubois said they would know that’s not always the case Arthur died on April 29 after a brief battle with coronavirus Arthur was in good health when he suffered a fall at the end of March and moved into a rehabilitation center in Andover Days before he was scheduled to leave the facility selling copies of the Boston Record American on the street He didn’t own a car and often relied on strangers and coworkers for rides at one point considering working as a bagger at the Market Basket near his condo Thibault developed a lifelong passion for reading and writing authoring dozens of short stories and poems about everything from love to the weather “I am young and healthy and I am blessed with many gifts,” Thibault wrote in one poem “The winds of time may come and go with great speed “The seasons of fair and wintry winds may bring a change of heart “His naval service was central to who he was,” said Wayne-Daniel Berard who was adopted by Albert and his wife when he was six days old After leaving high school during his senior year to join the Navy Albert served as signalman for a landing craft at Omaha Beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy he pointed with amazement to the same landing craft when he watched the movie “Saving Private Ryan” with his family Albert died on April 27 of complications from COVID-19 They had both grown up in Taunton and settled in the Weir Village neighborhood “I can still visualize them whirling around the dance floor,” their son said Once they moved into a nursing home together Albert slept with his head at the end of the bed so he could watch his wife in the bed next to him Albert worked in a factory and later as a manual arts therapist’s assistant at the Brockton VA Medical Center where he taught men on piecework brought in by local factories very tender part of himself,” showed it is never too late to learn new things Louis and a Catholic eucharistic minister at the nursing home They gave him the spiritual comfort he treasured and ensured his wife had received Joanne Atkinson was a resilient matriarch with a bright sense of humor She married twice and lost both husbands to cancer bringing her family together for the holidays “When she couldn’t find the words to give me advice she would just talk,” said her granddaughter Nichole Parsons “She’d sit there and talk to me for hours so that by the end of the conversation .. she would find a way to help me without even knowing how.” died on April 29 of complications from COVID-19 at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington She worked as a secretary at the former United Shoe Machinery Corp Joanne moved to Danvers and met her second husband they would go out and dance to Elvis Presley songs and country music They loved to travel; their kitchen wall was lined with souvenir plaques from Vermont Bill’s work was enough to support the family so Joanne left her job to take care of Suzanne “She taught me to stand up on my own two feet and to be strong and to always be honest with people,” said Suzanne Dziadyk but Joanne would always sing to her daughter on her birthday Joanne and Bill helped take care of their children Nichole spent most of her childhood at her grandparents’ house playing dress-up and watching “Wheel of Fortune.” and she was my best friend in the entire world,” Nichole said Joanne was a devout Catholic and fan of the Red Sox and country singer Blake Shelton She ate the same breakfast nearly every day: a slice of toast with American cheese It was much like having a “stay-at-home grandma,” she said Suzanne wasn’t sure her mother could recover and she found the will to push on without him,” Suzanne said she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and early dementia where her family visited her weekly until March Joanne would make silly faces and laugh with her family for hours Joanne knew the paramedics and firefighters by name she would jokingly try to play matchmaker for Nichole while they were in the ambulance “And she would start singing and it would be OK.” It’s rare to find a photograph of Robert J He carried a smile everywhere he went and was known as a “giant teddy bear.” Robert was a family man who reliably put others first “He didn’t want you to pat him on the back,” said his mother “He would just do things because he wanted to and because it was the right thing to do.” Bob died July 26 at Lawrence General Hospital of complications from COVID-19 He was sent off with prayers and songs sung by his wife Matthew played Bob and his wife Coleen’s wedding song “Up Where We Belong” by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes he was a frequent plasma and platelet donor even after he married and started a family of his own “He was the kind of son that a lot of moms didn’t have,” Billie said “He would be on vacation and the phone would ring and the celebration would often start as early as July when he’d start playing holiday music at work He enjoyed family Disney trips and was an avid reader from a young age He loved the written word so much that he wrote a children’s book Bob was a major presence in his son’s life He served as a scoutmaster for five years and helped six of eight boys in the chapter become Eagle Scouts He also joined the tech crews at Spotlight Playhouse and Acting Out! theater companies his son had joined in Lawrence Bob tried to rip off his ventilator mask because he wanted to get back home to take care of his loved ones His wife and son had also contracted the virus but had less severe cases theatre company wanted to let him know that there was an entire community of support behind him so they recorded a video to boost his spirits who try each day to live up to her example described his mother as a “very caring and loving woman who valued hard work She would never give you something you didn’t deserve.” Mary lived in a cozy home in Sutton where she would carry out a daily routine filled with hobbies Mary also loved spending time with her sister Mary’s family was the central joy in her life it was one of her biggest accomplishments,” Travis said It allowed them to raise a large family and grow old together Mary made sure her children weren’t spoiled or self-centered “She gave you everything … if it was something that you needed,” said Travis He recalled his mother taking him out for pizza the day he got his braces off It was one of the first times he spent a day alone with her since she wasn’t usually able to take time off from her job as a medical assistant “My braces were off and I was sharing time with her,” he recalled “She had been with me during the whole process.” Mary died in Beaumont Rehabilitation & Skilled Nursing Center in Northbridge on April 14 due to COVID-19 But she was perhaps best known for her spicy and outgoing personality “The quick and witty remarks she would make to my dad are the ones I will most remember her by,” he said William “Bill” Edward Phillips worked hard to make the American middle-class dream come true for his wife Bill served in the Navy and supported his family by working multiple jobs he enjoyed being an integral part of his grandchildren’s lives “His family was the most important thing,” said his daughter Bill died on May 1 at Salem Hospital after contracting the coronavirus Bill graduated from high school during World War II but after a bout of vertigo he enlisted in the Navy and served on a wooden minesweeper in the North Atlantic assigned to the dangerous task of disabling enemy mines He didn’t often recount his time in the military to his family but they remember that he was proud to have served he returned to Lynn and married Grace (Mathewson) Phillips He had a passion for the big band music of the 1940s and daughter Linda Upton believes they met dancing at the Wonderland Ballroom in Revere he bought a plot of land on an old farm in Lynn The community would be called Veterans Village from the number of soldiers who settled there and drove the middle-class boom of the 1950s and worked his way up to become a drafting supervisor which would eventually include six daughters Bill worked part-time jobs tending bar and driving a taxi “He worked hard and had a great personality,” said Stephen Upton who worked with Bill as a bartender at the Towne Lyne House in Lynnfield He was a true people person who got to know all the regulars and asked after their children Bill worried about staying busy after his retirement from GE but his time was quickly filled with the duties of a devoted grandfather cleaning – “he was always busy” his daughter recalled but was rarely able to catch a game due to his work schedule Bill preferred to cheer on his 23 grandchildren at their sporting events and theater productions Bill and Grace would host parties to celebrate family birthdays Linda Upton remembers her mother at the center of those parties sitting in front of a large cake with the names of the celebrated Bill cared for Grace during a lengthy illness before she died in 2011 He spent his last years in Bertram House of Swampscott Through the kind assistance of his nurses at Salem Hospital his family was able to call him by video in his last weeks only one thing truly mattered in life: her family she left a vast legacy and an enduring memory of her compassion the youngest daughter of Polish immigrants Teofil and Valentina Hestowski Stella had a profound appreciation for the meaning of family She graduated with honors from Northampton High School before working for many years as a bookkeeper at the E & J Cigar Company and then as a secretary for the State Police enjoyed 55 years of devoted marriage before he died in 1997 She spent much of her life caring for her late son Edward John Sullivan “My brother was born with hydrocephalus and he wasn’t expected to live long,” said her daughter “She cared for him for 68 years.” Beyond Sunday church services and occasional errands “She was very caring and self-sacrificing,” her daughter said “You could always stop in for a cup of tea and there would always be a cake or pie ready in the kitchen,” her daughter said She was a talented homemaker with a knack for sewing and knitting she knit their christening outfits,” she said Around the holidays or for any celebration Stella brought the whole family together to share each other’s company she was always a constant,” said Kristine Hupfer of Westfield “You could always go see her or call her for anything.” She was known as the “secret keeper” and “gatekeeper” of the family she often assured her loved ones that “this too shall pass” when they came to her with troubles but she had this ability to make everyone feel special,” Kristine said Stella died on May 11 due to complications from COVID-19 an illness she referred to as “that dirty bird virus.” She lived at Day Brook Village nursing home in Holyoke Everything revolved around Grandma,” Kristine said “Anyone who knew my mother knew that she never had a hair out of place my mother went every week to get her hair done Her love of beauty and attention to detail drew her to interior design An assortment of Hummel figurines and beer steins lined her shelves and a beautiful cuckoo clock graced the wall “She always kept an immaculate home,” Evelyn said She loved all her plants and flowers and had them all on the windowsill.” she was admitted for a second time to the Brudnick Center for Living in Peabody and she inspired others to be kind as well Lotte cared for an elderly woman with dementia taking her out for lunch and even line dancing “She always put others first,” said her son “She was very generous to the point where when you’d visit her She and her family lived in poverty during World War II “She would tell us about the times of never knowing where your next meal was coming from and having a safe place to stay,” Evelyn recalled living in a time … where you sometimes would have to say ‘Heil Hitler’ even though you didn’t mean that who was a sergeant in the Army stationed in Augsburg they moved to the United States and settled in Lynn not knowing anybody and not knowing the language,” Evelyn said Lotte was a strong woman who kept moving forward Lotte held a variety of jobs to make ends meet She was a nursing assistant at a hospital in Lynn and worked at Old Neighborhood Foods meatpacking plant She worked for 17 years as an inspector at Analog Devices in Wilmington “She always made sure we had everything,” George said Lotte dealt with hardship and loss in her life Neil Krieger was fascinated by the way the world worked His appreciation for life’s mysteries led him to a career teaching neuroscience at Harvard University and a second act helping secure grants for up-and-coming biotechnology startups Neil wrote his neuroscience doctoral dissertation at Harvard about protein structures and bioluminescence He was fascinated by how bioluminescent creatures on the beach worked He also worked to make the world a better place Neil joined the Boston chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality He helped lead the chapter’s effort to integrate Boston banks He and his colleagues had white and Black candidates apply for the same bank teller jobs and then confronted managers who nearly always rejected the Black candidate Neil and others were able to convince multiple local banks to start hiring Black bank tellers A friend from CORE would introduce him to his future wife Neil was born in New York and grew up in Newark he lived alone in the Bossart Hotel in Brooklyn “His friends thought it was the best thing ever,” said Hilary Krieger “I think part of why he was so interested in spending as much time with our family was that he didn’t necessarily enjoy [his own childhood] as much.” spending as much time as he could with them in their Jamaica Pond home and he would tell me a story,” said his son “Some of the stories were stories that he made up or some of them were books that he sort of remembered.” He spent the 1970s and much of the 1980s teaching and researching at medical schools first at the University of Pennsylvania and then at Harvard He later used his years of experience securing support for academic research to found West Rock Associates a consulting firm that helped startups and universities pursue government grants and help others make their own discoveries he was a supportive friend who “appreciated the value of just slowing down” and of “having a two-hour conversation instead of a 10-minute one Neil died from complications from COVID-19 on April 29 his family asked people to “take a walk around Jamaica Pond” and “give a loved one your biggest hug.” He was seen bicycling and walking between Beverly and Salem hundreds of times over the years and became a familiar always walking,” said his sister Ruth Patch of Tucker “When he died lots of people wrote and said they knew him from the city fitness was a lifestyle that he maintained throughout his life he would ride his bicycle 25 to 30 miles at a time He was a “boxing aficionado,” those who knew him said Going to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota and Santa Kozlowski was one of his favorite things to do “He could tell you anything about boxers,” said Sandra LeClaire of Beverly his partner whom he had known for 30 years A graduate of Beverly public schools and Beverly Trade School Richard was an avid supporter of the local high school sports teams He went to every Beverly-Salem Thanksgiving football game for more than 60 years Richard served in the military in Germany and was proud to be stationed at the same base where Elvis Presley “He called him ‘The King’,” said his sister Ruth Richard had a long career at the Beverly public works department where he served as union president for a term “He would always say ‘I’m loud because I work around hard equipment all day’,” his sister “He had a very loud personality and seemed very gruff When his niece and nephews were visiting he would sometimes bring out his big trucks from work He even brought them through the McDonald’s drive-thru on a street sweeper “He could do anything for you if there was anything that needed fixing,” his partner Sandra said died on April 14 due to complications from COVID-19 at Beverly Hospital His family said they were deeply grateful to the medical staff for delivering messages to him since they couldn’t visit Richard was delivering soup to his “surrogate mother” and longtime family friend died from COVID-19 just six days before Richard Richard had Alzheimer’s later in life and relied on Sandra LeClaire to take care of him “He just kept saying ‘I don’t know your name but I know you’re my best friend,’ ” she said Theresa Vishaway loved the classic 1990 holiday movie “Home Alone.” Every year after Thanksgiving her family would gather around the living room TV to watch Theresa laugh on and on as Kevin McCallister set up traps for his intruders “Home Alone” never ceased to bring Theresa joy Every year it was as if she were watching it for the first time She was a social butterfly at her grandson Daniel’s wedding in Omaha showing up everyone else on the dance floor and bowling excursions; and she was constantly looking to update her wardrobe with a new piece from the Alfred Dunner line “She was really a hot ticket,” said her daughter a retired high school softball coach in Suffield died April 23 due to COVID-19 complications Theresa spent most of her working years at Bluebonnet Diner in Northampton Theresa enjoyed visiting the nail salon and hair salon every week if she could Yet Theresa’s true joy came on the weekend she went to Connecticut to spend the weekend with her daughter and grandchildren She spent nearly every weekend with them for 39 years “She was so intricately entwined in our growing up and childhood,” said her granddaughter a freelance operations coordinator for televised sports in Suffield and Deedee Presser would spend Saturday nights with their “Grams” while their parents went out for date night These treasured times always included the “Golden Girls” and the phrase “Don’t tell your mother!” “She was almost like a third parent to us,” Amanda said Theresa was an important member of every family vacation She knew all her grandchildren’s friends and could often be found cheering on the sidelines of their sporting events “She had a lot of hardship and heartache in her life but she always managed to hold the family together,” said her daughter Johanne but without them I wouldn’t have you.” She never failed to keep a positive outlook on life Theresa had a special connection with her daughters Johanne visited every day to chat over a glass of chocolate milk “She never lost her sense of humor and remained a joyful person always,” her daughter said Theresa’s world revolved around her family “It will be so hard not having her there,” Amanda “But after dinner we will all sit around to watch ‘Home Alone’ and will remember her laughing there with us.” Robert Winsor was always helping others and loved spending time with his family He made it a priority to be involved in his community he joined the Army Reserve and served as a military police officer until 1970 He was a produce manager at Stop & Shop for 30 years before transferring to Market Basket Even after his retirement he regularly helped out at a food warehouse At home he put just as much effort into his family and he took good care of me and his children,” said Carol Winsor his wife of 54 years and a resident of Peabody Robert spent much of his time caring for his Stephen who has a mild genetic disorder that can cause a range of developmental problems Robert always tried his best to put a smile on his wife’s face “He would always come up to me very quietly and try and get a rise out of me,” Carol said He could often be found gardening or reading during his free time “He could sit out on a nice day and read half a book,” his wife said He was also great with tomatoes when it came to gardening “I guess it was the produce manager in him.” He used to be part of a motorcycle club and loved swimming in the in-ground pool in his yard He loved going on vacation with his son Stephen and touring the NASCAR circuit Robert will be remembered as a kind soul who helped spread joy wherever he went His wife loves to reminisce about memories over their lifetime together Richard ”Ricky” Dempsey liked to spend mornings at the local Dunkin’ Donuts in Stoughton chatting with friends and strangers alike while sipping coffee “When he got the job as a police officer I always told him it was the perfect job for him because he could do that and get paid for it,” said Cheryl Widdiss Ricky’s former wife and mother to his two children Ricky grew up in Stoughton and went to Stoughton High School he began working for a trucking company in Framingham and picked up odd jobs to provide for his young family He always had at least two or three jobs and he always did something on the side,” Cheryl recalled he graduated from the police academy and went on to work as a patrolman in Stoughton “He was known in town for being a super fair cop,” his daughter Kristen said “I met people later through the years that would all tell me ‘Your dad was the best cop in Stoughton.’ ” after suffering a series of seizures and then a car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury He never fully recovered from the accident “We missed the Ricky before he had his accident because that took away the spark,” his former wife said he moved into a condo in Brockton next door to Joanne Czerwonka his lifelong friend whom he spent most of his time with these past few years Ricky died at age 65 at Brockton Hospital on April 16 of complications from COVID-19 His family said their goodbyes over FaceTime Ricky was always there for his two daughters and for Cheryl’s children from her second marriage “He was the best father ever,” said his daughter Kristen “Everything I learned about being an adult came from him “I know he was proud as hell of his kids,” Cheryl said Ricky spent Father’s Day last year with his daughters and grandkids at Faneuil Hall in Boston “We went to eat and spent the day there and we just had the best time We went to Build-A-Bear and made these little dolls,” recalled Kristen “It was like our last happy memory with him.” Ricky loved to spend his days riding on his motorcycle “He was known for being a comedian,” Kristen said he was so funny.’ He always had everyone laughing.” One evening when he was out on a boat with his brothers off Cape Cod he saw a basking shark gliding through the water The shark coasted at the surface while he held on for a ride His brothers pulled out their camcorder and filmed a video of him and the shark swimming into the sunset Michael died of complications from COVID-19 on May 5 at Massachusetts General Hospital He graduated from the New York Institute of Technology with a degree in physics He spent his early career working at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth where he helped design the radar systems for Alvin a research submersible vehicle used to document the wreck of the Titanic He spent months on a research vessel studying magnetic field traces on the ocean floor Michael spent much of his free time on the ocean He would recount tales of catching massive stingrays and 13-pound lobsters He would also skin-dive — a form of underwater diving without a portable breathing device — for lobsters and could hold his breath for more than five minutes “I was still a kid and I remember sprawling [lobsters] out all over the driveway to play with them,” his son said “My mom would say we ate lobster meat like everyone else ate hot dogs.” Michael decided he wanted to be a high school teacher He taught physics at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in Fall River Michael left teaching to work on radar air defense projects at the MITRE Corp This new job only fueled his thirst for adventure With job sites in places like Germany and Iceland “They would pay for him staying in a hotel [but] there were years where he wanted the experience of traveling as an explorer These long trips meant time away from his family but he made sure to pass on his love of the outdoors to his three children through many camping “He always made us recognize how beautiful nature was and take time to appreciate it,” his son said Michael returned to Diman High School and taught for two more decades until he retired He continued to enjoy learning about science and the outdoors “He was a lifelong explorer and learner,” his son said Michael had a strong faith throughout his life and his family organized a sermon by Zoom just before he died “He was the kind of guy that would quote scriptures at various times,” his son said Nobody wanted to miss one of Elaine Barker’s cookouts filled with family and close friends ready to enjoy food piled on two long tables pushed together It was her love language to her family and a way to reunite them all “Every time I came back to visit from Ohio have a cookout in her backyard and the whole family was there,” said her sister Whether gatherings occurred in the family home in Roxbury or while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard or traveling to Jamaica Elaine had a way of making everyone feel special in that moment in Everett Hospital of COVID-19-related complications Elaine was the eldest of five children of Harold Raphael Hector Sr she dreamed of becoming a nurse and enrolled in Boston City Hospital Nursing School She was a nurse’s aide at Massachusetts General Hospital before becoming a secretary at the Boston Fire Department in Roxbury and later for the Postal Service She married Lawrence “Larry” Barker in 1955 and moved to Stoughton The pair were together for nearly 50 years before he died in 2003 as well as multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting four continents for pleasure or to see family who had moved away One of her favorite trips was to Jamaica with her three sisters Lounging on the beach and exploring the country the four of them laughed while making new memories and friends “Someone once told my sister that they couldn’t believe the four of us went on vacation together and could get along but in my mind I couldn’t imagine people in my family not getting along,” her sister Carol said Elaine’s favorite family tradition was the weeks they would spend every summer in Oaks Bluff four generations of the family would swim at Inkwell Beach would take the family to all types of games Her fresh vegetables and herbs were used in meals she whipped up for loved ones She was also a skilled ceramicist and enjoyed making flower pots and garden ornaments For all the memories she shared with her family the image ingrained in her sister’s mind is the smile Elaine wore Family was more than a descriptor to Mary Colonna her family made sure she felt that same love in return forming heart shapes with their hands from outside the window of her hospital room Mary died on May 11 at Maples Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Wrentham of COVID-19 Mary was born in Framingham and she never left sacrificing her ambitions to ensure her siblings could achieve theirs but she didn’t necessarily have the resources to do anything with her intelligence,” said Kathryn “Katie” Mary Satko she had to basically take on the motherly role and she didn’t have the opportunity to be a child as much or even a teenager.” Mary’s selfless nature extended into her 61-year marriage to Albert Colonna “I think it was maybe only a few months after he passed that was when she started to lose her memory,” her granddaughter said she held on long enough so that she could take care of him.” cherishing the chance to watch the sunrise with a cup of coffee consistently donning her signature bright pink lipstick But none of that could compare to her biggest priority “Being with her family was her favorite thing to do,” said Mary Satko similarly spoke about Mary’s presence in the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and about how family gatherings were always “special because of her.” Mary’s positive outlook inspired those around her “She only saw the good in people and was very considerate of others.” Mary had a beautiful smile and loved to laugh She was a pillar of light and love in her family’s lives But Mary’s loving presence is far from gone … It’s just a different kind of love than we’re used to now.” but Roland Victor Morse III was gentle and kind He had a warm personality that charmed adults and children alike Spike volunteered at the First Congregational Church of Revere with his wife where Spike loved playing with the children as much as they loved playing with him Spike died from COVID-19 complications on April 19 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston he realized that his size and weight made him an ideal jockey He took a break from jockeying in 1966 when he was drafted into the military but returned after a year and continued in the sport he would usually spend his time at Suffolk Downs or Rockingham Park during the summer and travel to racing circuits in Florida during the winter He also worked at Meadow Event Park in Virginia Spike retired from the sport after suffering an ankle injury in a riding accident But his love for the sport remained strong "It was his favorite thing in the whole wide world … plus and he could tell you just by watching them go to the starting gate which one was sore which one was going to lose because he was lame,” Kathy Morse said “I think in the back of his mind and in his heart He became an auto mechanic and later worked as a quality control inspector at Fraen Corp Morse also developed an interest in computers and took courses he was always willing to help families fix their cars he was that kind of person,” said longtime friend Lisa Sturgis who met Spike at the First Congregational Church of Revere ‘Is there anything I can do’ and if you said yes Spike and Kathy Morse met in 1976 through mutual friends in Revere and were married soon after at the First Congregational Church there They did not have children together but Spike continued to have a close relationship with his two children from his first marriage Spike left Boston but eventually moved back to Revere to be near his children Sturgis described Spike and Kathy Morse as best buddies Younger people looked up to their marriage they enjoyed spending time at home together “He was a good man and a reminder that there are good men in the world,” Sturgis said “He leaves space but we have memories to fill that when we fill that emptiness.” Not many people can say they built their own house and even fewer raised a family in such a house and lived most of their life there But not many people were as skillful at construction as Frank Archibald who built his family home in Weymouth for just over $10,000 in 1961 Frank’s daughter Nancy said he lived his life with a do-it-yourself attitude an approach that led him start his own construction company with his brother The ranch-style dwelling Frank built was home for him and his wife whom he met through a friend and married when he was 22 with eight residents; it had three bedrooms Frank would exercise the cooking skills he learned in the National Guard by making the family breakfast every Sunday He was also a committed lottery player and in the 1970s won $50,000 on a season ticket Most of the money went to a much-desired addition to the house but each member of the family got a reward including a dirt bike for one of his sons and a new car for Barbara His work ethic served as a model for his kids who followed in his footsteps into construction and real estate His quiet and forgiving demeanor meant that if people owed him money he would rely on mutual trust rather than haranguing them about it He was a mentor to his son and many carpenters who worked for him through the years Frank remained in the family home after retiring in his 60s he tinkered and created “nooks” around the house building and fixing things at his kids’ homes One such project involved building a dollhouse for his granddaughter “You would have thought they still had six kids at home,” he was so busy He also enjoyed golfing with the Weymouth Elks He kept up with golf even after having a leg amputated in his 60s Most of Frank’s direct family remained very close to their hometown of Weymouth and they continued to spend time with him in his later years Nancy would bring him doughnuts and The Boston Globe on Sunday mornings would routinely take him and his grandchildren to Castle Island in South Boston always concluding the trip with a stop for ice cream Frank’s house is remaining in the family for the foreseeable future — his granddaughter purchased the house in the past year Nancy would never leave the house without matching outfits and accessories usually involving the timeless colors of beige Nancy’s 21-year-old granddaughter who is in her senior year at Virginia Tech University said that her grandmother “always cared about her appearance A graduate of the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City Nancy worked as a designer during World War II and was a talented singer and musician who sang in her church choir and played the piano Her love for music and singing ran through her life remembered how they sang together everywhere “She was obsessed with a Linda Ronstadt album,” Lisa said “And I knew the songs by heart because we played them to and from anywhere.” Nancy’s greatest pride and joy was her family Nancy grew accustomed to life in a big family there were still times when Nancy would get to see some of her loved ones Her granddaughters reminisced about the times they spent at her house in Florida “We used to take turns sleeping at Grandma’s house,” Lisa Agoglia said Trips to Nancy’s house were always memorable said her visits always featured cinnamon rolls and “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” although Nancy would always get upset by clips where babies might have gotten hurt Nancy surrounded herself with pictures of her loved ones and she always found little ways to show her love She couldn’t end a phone call without saying “I love you,” or walk down the street without linking her arm to her companion’s “She just always wanted you to know that she loved whoever she was talking to,” Kara said Nancy always said “I love you” because she didn’t know when she’d be able to say it again Nancy was predeceased by both of her husbands “You just really felt her love,” said Lisa Agoglia Nancy died from COVID-19 at Masconomet Healthcare in Topsfield She had a gentle way and warmth about her and spent her life spreading love “She just always tried to be happy,” Lisa said Francis Hammerbacher loved flying more than anything “That was his passion,” said his daughter and only child “Every time we were outside and an airplane flew over he would stop and put his hand up to his forehead so he could see the plane Francis became a certified pilot after serving in the Army in the 1950s and 1960s He earned his training and certification through the GI bill He had purchased and owned a Piper J-3 Cub propeller plane a model that was mass-produced in World War II favored by politicians and military leaders alike and used as the primary training aircraft of the Civilian Pilot Training Program Decades of flying ignited a desire to see more of the world He would tell Leigh about a trip he took to Africa describing how much fun he had on a train ride there and also talk about his frequent solo vacations to Florida “I guess he liked Florida because even once he went to the nursing home and he started getting confused died on May 14 from complications of COVID-19 at the Blaire House of Milford Assisted Living Community Some of Leigh’s best memories with her father were when he would take her along on his travels so she did not live with Francis but stayed at his house once a week without that I wouldn’t have gone anywhere,” she said Francis took her to California to visit Disneyland and on one of their trips to Martha’s Vineyard he told her to use the men’s restroom to avoid the line for the women’s He lived on a Maryland farm with his foster parents where “he was more like a farmhand than a son,” according to his daughter He graduated from Bel Air High School in Bel Air in 1953 and attended Hartford Junior College Francis then spent 35 years as an office manager for Air Products & Chemicals Inc … He did the best he could with what he knew.” three words can be read on the blackboard behind him: Fairness “He was definitely somebody that was very empathetic I would say he definitely treated me in ways like that spent the last 30 years of his professional life teaching criminal justice at Holyoke Community College He loved being a mentor and encouraged police officers to get a college education teaching and mentoring was his second,” Michael said George obtained two master’s degrees and a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst both for himself and for others,” Michael said George always had a messy desk full of newspaper clippings and assorted pieces of information — a symbol for his thirst for knowledge The family was able to visit him at the hospital before he passed “He was the epitome of the American man from the 1950s,” said Michael who learned from his father’s old high school yearbooks how well-liked he was George was voted class president twice and named “most popular.” After graduating from Michigan State University he served in the Army as a special agent to the assistant chief of staff for intelligence He was stationed in West Germany during the Berlin crisis of 1961 at the University of Connecticut and the two were inseparable George’s favorite vacation spot was Cape Cod which he referred to as his “second home.” The family always went to the beach and drive by the Kennedy family’s Hyannis Port compound George had the opportunity to drive the legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor from the compound to a small airport in Cape Cod George would later encourage his children to read Douglas’s book “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit.” George had a deep love for horses and dogs he rode in horseback competitions and had many dogs He was a loving father and took great pride in his passions and job who spent 37 years traveling across the country with the Andy Healy Band Leo would hold his guitar up in the air and play his heart out on the band’s signature Irish tunes only to climb back up and continue playing Moments like these are the ones that make Andy Healy he enjoyed spending time with both his own and Andy’s family and my family also was his family,” Andy said said that Leo preferred to keep his Armenian family and church life separate from his Irish band life She wishes she’d had the chance to see him perform because he became a recognizable figure in the Irish-American community thanks to his musical talent “When I was a toddler he used to play ‘The Twist’ on his guitar he was the junior yo-yo champion of New England He would show her how to “walk the dog” and go “around the planet” with his yo-yo It was Leo’s fun-loving spirit that made people around him smile He could always take a joke and was not afraid to give one back Andy recalls a time when Leo got them lost while driving back from a gig in Chicago Andy had fallen asleep in the back of the van They were supposed to be heading back to Boston but he could laugh off moments like that with his friends Leo wrote and recorded several songs under the name Leo Scott He was also the frontman for the bands Leo and the Thunderbirds and Leo and the Rhythm Rockers Leo documented every gig the Andy Healy Band played Dedication does not even begin to describe Leo he never missed a single rehearsal or gig since he joined the band in the 1970s “He always used to meet me here in my house If I told Leo to be here at six minutes past the hour Leo would arrive at six minutes past the hour,” Andy said Lillian “Lita” Siagel’s career was focused on floral design but she found beauty in everything she did “She painted her alpine boots pink 40 years ago,” said Errin Siagel “She painted the toilet seat in our house when I was 5 She was just one of these crazy artistic people.” five days shy of her 90th birthday from complications of COVID-19 she started a rehabilitation treatment at an assisted living facility in Cambridge’s Neville Center at Fresh Pond Lita had a sharp mind and was an avid reader she was a passionate learner and discussed everything from history to politics to music She had a love for meaningful conversations capturing memories in verse and giving them to her children “She was very concerned with style,” said her daughter “Her eye for beautiful things and wanting things perfect made her an amazing arranger.” when the Communist government forced them out Lita became a very “worldly type of person,” Stephanie said and she befriended people from all over the world She and her husband eventually settled in Brookline they raised three children and spent most of their lives in Newton Her culinary skills were limitless — she was famous among family and friends for making her own salad dressing food was an art and a way to show her compassion “Cooking was one of the ways she poured her love into family and friends,” and her creativity,” Stephanie said Lita would host elaborate dinner parties where she would invite 50 people into her one-bedroom apartment She would serve trays of hors d’oeuvres on her bed to accommodate the guests “She would invite every single person who didn’t have a place to go “It was about being together with people and friends that was the most important thing — her family and her friends.” Family was the most important part of Lucy Louise Davis’s life She was never happier than when she and her husband would gather everyone at their home on Martha’s Vineyard “We would all shove into that little TV room watching Red Sox games,” said Lucy’s granddaughter were married for 69 years before he died two years ago said her parents’ marriage was “something for the rest of us to try and follow in terms of commitment.” Lucy died on May 9 from complications with COVID-19 that she developed while at a nursing home They stayed in touch while he was stationed overseas in the Navy during World War II writing to each other for about three years After she graduated and Jack returned home She spent several years as an elementary school teacher — fifth grade was her favorite — before she went to work as the accountant at her husband’s floral shop in West Roxbury after the birth of their first daughter It was a job she loved just as much as teaching and she and her husband worked at the shop until they reached their 70s and retired They sold their house in Jamaica Plain and moved to Martha’s Vineyard Carolyn described the Vineyard as her mother’s special place “She loved having people come and visit,” said Carolyn Lucy saw her life as a blessing and enjoyed every aspect of it She loved spending time with her newest great-grandchild tight-knit group of friends whom she remained close with through her 90s “She had the opportunity to spread so much time with my dad and live her life the way she wanted to live it,” Carolyn said She was a master of crosswords and Scrabble and passed that love down to her grandchildren and now I’m really good at Scrabble as well.” there was one thing he shared with everyone in his life — his love of trains Ken found joy immersing himself in the world of locomotives As a member of the National Model Railroad Association and former president of the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts Ken was heavily involved in the train community “Kenny was my travel companion,” said his sister with a train trip through Europe and into the mountains of Switzerland being one of the most memorable Ken also had a group of friends with whom he would frequently travel at Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center in Natick He had Parkinson’s disease and had tested positive for COVID-19 Ken grew up in Newton and graduated from Harvard College in 1962 he took some graduate courses at Columbia University before moving back to Massachusetts including working at his father’s accounting firm as executive director at Temple Emanuel and as comptroller at Babson College he was a mentor with the Jewish Big Brother Association He resided in Framingham for several years before moving into the Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center “He had a lot of different talents for all the different jobs he had,” his sister said Owning the train shop was more than just a job to Ken — it was his way of sharing his passion with his community It was always about the customer,” said Ken’s longtime friend Gregg Lentoni “He did whatever he could in the best way he could to make sure the customer was always satisfied.” Though he was often quite reserved as an individual he was always supportive of his friends and family Ken cherished his golden retrievers just as much as trains “I remember he used to pick on me when we were younger,” said Dana with a laugh Ken’s personality showed in every one of his interactions from his close friendships to his relationships with his customers He always wanted to lend a helping hand by offering them advice Ken might tap someone on the shoulder and say ‘You might want to try it this way,’ ” he said Marie Clasby never missed a party or a Red Sox game So it was no surprise that when the proud matriarch’s grandsons Sean and Bryan planned a VIP Red Sox game experience for her last fall with her closest family members and a couple of family friends “she had the best day of her life,” said her daughter when the limo bus had pulled back to Marie’s residence at the Village at Willow Crossings in Mansfield “the boys all walked her in and she just thought she was the queen,” Ann said Marie was particularly proud of her seven grandchildren — Ann’s two sons whom she spent time with regularly each year she says to me: ‘Is Sean still going out with the new girl?’ ‘Yes he is.’ ‘And do you like her?’ ‘I love her she’s a nurse’ ‘I always wanted him to hook up with a nurse.’ ” Marie died at age 88 at her residence in Mansfield on April 24 of complications from COVID-19 one of four children growing up in Dorchester “They would be laughing on the phone,” said Phyliss’s daughter “and I’d always know that my mother was talking to her.” where Marie worked nights at Randy’s shoe factory Marie began working at Whitman-Hanson Regional High School at the snack bar “She always made the biggest ice creams,” said her son Bobby one of the many in the family to attend Whitman-Hanson during Marie’s tenure “She was a real people-pleaser.” In her later years Marie went on to work at Chadwicks clothing store Marie’s family made great memories in New Hampshire at Newfound Lake and at Sunset Lake in Braintree She also enjoyed visiting with her closest friend and Bobby’s godmother her sister Phyliss was also diagnosed with Alzheimer’s “It must have been heartbreaking,” said Luanne “because she was losing both of them at the same time.” Marie’s husband and sister died within six months of each other “From where she came from and everything that she’s had to go through,” said Ann Mary Casso could be found chatting away the afternoon at her local McDonald’s in Worcester and she’d be at somebody else’s table talking to them,” said her son and those who loved her never failed to be surprised by her exuberance and thoughtfulness Mary died April 19 in UMass Memorial Medical Center of COVID-19-related complications Mary worked as a cafeteria worker at Worcester Technical High School until she was 90 She enjoyed her job and would often finish her tasks early so she could help younger co-workers ‘You’re not supposed to do that,’ but she would say She drove to work each day in a little gray Mitsubishi Eclipse sports car a testament to the freedom and independence she strived for When dementia began chipping away at her active lifestyle Mary filled in the gaps by knitting pocketbooks and scarves for friends and family “If she got stopped by the police for speeding a little bit she’d always talk her way out of it,” Rob said She had a special attachment to animals and cherished her two dogs it was difficult for him to cope with being apart for so long “And every single day they told me she’s fine Then one day I called and they said she had a fever.” Their bond often resembled one of siblings rather than mother and son who taught him how to form true friendships and emphasized the importance of family Mary was the last one left of her siblings whom she had cared for throughout her life Her close-knit Italian family included her late brothers Joseph and Michael Casso When her youngest sister and the last of her siblings passed away There’s a vacant booth at the McDonald’s now and the conversation is quieter without Mary’s witty banter “My mother had quite a life,” her son said Joseph Leo Bernard found a calling in giving back to his community —He spent his last 30 years volunteering at food pantries and soup kitchens in Andover to feed the community that supported him when he was a child “I’ve got to pay it forward,” Bernard told his only child died April 6 from COVID-19 at Mary Immaculate nursing home in Lawrence where he spent the last year and a half of his life Growing up in the Great Depression with seven siblings Joseph and his family received food baskets and an outpouring of assistance from both the town and family members that surrounded them he served as an Army clerk in the Philippines for four years he pumped gas at the Gulf station in downtown Andover who was waitressing at nearby Verrette’s Restaurant Joseph then worked at the Andover Internal Revenue Service office in Andover He then began his second career as a volunteer alongside Marie preparing and serving meals with their church Joseph and Marie also served at the Neighbors in Need food pantry driving cross-county to pick up and distribute donations the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune recognized Joseph as a “Hometown Hero” for his volunteering efforts Feeding others was how Joseph found meaning in life His desire to serve circled back to his gratitude for those who impacted his life as a child Joseph’s selflessness also touched a second community — his own family His genuine interest in the lives of others was what set her father apart “He always saw the best side of people,” she said recalling only one time in her childhood her father got angry with her Betty recalled that when she was growing up her father filled the house Sunday nights with extended family — grandparents always taking the time to check up on each person and ask how they were doing “That was when he was happiest,” Betty said This tradition of hosting family and friends lasted his entire life Joseph’s sense of infectious joy was evident He was known for his remarkable ability to repeatedly do flips from the diving board into their backyard pool a skill he proudly taught his only grandson Joseph also found fulfillment in helping raise his grandchildren Joseph and Marie always ensured their grandchildren’s needs were taken care of Whether it was through directly giving back to those who had helped him or by spending time with those he loved most Joseph touched the lives of all he met with his constant smile and self-giving spirit More than 70 years ago at a displaced persons camp in Germany after World War II Hannah Rottenberg started a library and began to send letters She tirelessly tried to connect survivors with family members around the globe and responded to a flood of messages from people in desperate search for relatives It was a job meant for someone who put great care into everything she did It didn’t hurt that Hannah spoke seven languages: Yiddish “Who she was throughout every phase of her life was so consistent She sprinkled a dose of love into every interaction.” Hannah died April 26 from complications of COVID-19 only two weeks after receiving an official diagnosis Her memory loss issues did not allow her to fully grasp the severity of her illness She spent her final days keeping her family company in video chats from the Kaplan Estates Nazis swept through her home — the village of Tuczyn in current-day Ukraine — when she was out of town visiting an aunt Her Jewish parents and three younger sisters were killed she trekked through parts of Russia and Germany They traveled to the United States on a military ship while Hannah was pregnant with her eldest daughter they made their way through Ellis Island to Dorchester “What’s remarkable about her is that she had this heroic journey She just thought of it as survival,” Mathur said happy person who had a gift for connecting with other people You wouldn’t think of her as somebody who’s been burdened or who was bitter in any way.” She and her husband later ran a rooming house in Brookline and she was a consummate housewife with a taste for fantastic food featuring traditional Jewish recipes from stuffed cabbage and chopped liver “If anyone didn’t have somewhere to go for Shabbat dinner she would invite them to her house,” Mathur said particularly with a woman from Hannah’s village whom she happened to reconnect with at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center almost “like sisters after that one unlikely meeting,” Mathur said The Rottenbergs were known for their generosity They once saved money for months to send a distant family member in Argentina a working refrigerator It was a “big expense since they weren’t particularly well-to-do,” Mathur said Hannah had five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren Mathur fondly remembers her playing with her daughters and everything — and then ending up dancing to bhangra at her granddaughter’s wedding,” said Mathur Orlando wasn’t a big hugger or someone who wore his heart on his sleeve But if you mentioned you were craving fish stew He knew how everybody liked their steak cooked and would feed them samples with his fingers And he never sat down to eat until everybody’s plate was full “My dad was a man of few words,” said Layza Gonzaga “That’s where I saw and where I felt all his love and their daughters and grandchildren got together almost every Sunday afternoon at Layza’s house in Clinton — Orlando and Neide lived in the basement apartment — and it was usually Orlando doing the cooking He liked making dishes from his native Brazil: grilled chicken hearts and pork chops; feijoada a black bean and pork stew; or chicken made with pequi Orlando would pull out a piece of paper and ask each person to write down their name and rate the food "We would always put a higher number," Layza said He grew tomatoes and cucumbers and watermelon and squash and jilo “We didn’t used to buy vegetables in the summer because he had it all,” said Leticia Duarte who for many years did maintenance work at the Longfellow Tennis & Health Club in Wayland hadn’t returned to Brazil since they arrived in the United States 20 years ago They had originally planned to stay for just a few years until they had paid off their debts But this was finally going to be the year they moved back Orlando had bought some land; Neide had already purchased furniture "He loved the idea of having a farm," Leticia said one of Orlando's older daughters started feeling sick with what she thought was allergies Then other family members started falling ill who had been taking immunosuppressant drugs following a kidney transplant a decade ago He was put on a ventilator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center the hospital called to say nothing more could be done and the family gathered to watch an online Christian Congregation service in Brazil — a tradition they had started earlier in the pandemic Leticia said: “It was like it was God’s will that it was time for him to go.” He first spotted her one night nearly 50 years ago at the Braintree 5 Corners Chinese Restaurant where his band was playing for diners and drinkers The next thing he saw was another guy next to her trying to chat her up — and she looked completely uninterested or he might have simply cut in on the conversation Some of the details have faded over the years he cracked a joke — was her dad Henry Ford They were together every day for the rest of their lives,” said their daughter Jen Kenneally So inconceivable was it that the two could be separated that when both were hospitalized with the novel coronavirus this spring Jen asked a nurse if the two could share a room — “which they normally don’t do Cecilia died on May 27 due to complications from COVID-19 In the years since their meeting in the mid-70s Rich and CeCe did nearly everything together walked together on their beloved Wollaston Beach They pitched in for the all-out Christmas and St Patrick’s Day parties that would gather the entire Kenneally clan around the piano at his sister Ann Kenneally-Ryan’s house singing and playing anything and everything late into the night Just about the only thing they wouldn’t do together was root for the same team on Thanksgiving when their rival alma maters (Quincy High for her North Quincy for him) faced off in their annual crosstown football showdown Rich was all in for both Quincy public high schools K” was a beloved teacher and mentor who made his band rooms a haven for students and often stayed in touch with them even after they graduated Jess and Jen grew up with Friday night band council meetings taking place over pizza in their living room “That band room...everybody felt safe there and everybody felt comfortable,” said student turned family friend Andrew Mauriello “Everybody was able to be themselves and let down the guards that you grow in high school.” When Rich’s saxophone was stolen out of his car during Andrew’s high school years Andrew gathered some classmates to go door to door in downtown Quincy and sell ad space in a school concert program to raise funds to buy Rich a new instrument that same crew put on a benefit show at Great Scott in Allston to help the family with the medical bills But having the most popular teacher in town for a father wasn’t without its drawbacks — like the time Jen asked out a boy who was in band because he was worried that it might affect his relationship with my dad!” she said with a laugh CeCe was the kind of person who “shops for Christmas all year long,” according to her niece Julie Connolly and the door was nearly always open and ready to welcome company a full table of cousins was almost guaranteed the Patriots — until Drew Bledsoe was traded She later took a job at Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Agency and she recently had developed an interest in photography Rich closed out his formal teaching career at the end of the 2018-19 school year to great fanfare when the City of Quincy declared June 14th “Rich Kenneally Day”and his students threw him a surprise party CeCe took her last day at work in December The two were looking forward to an active retirement full of day trips “They didn’t get a chance to even enjoy that time.” Jess started to hear the same thing from a lot of people Kim Chi Ngo Nguyen was a constant presence in her parents’ lives Kim Chi took on the traditional Vietnamese role of family caretaker moving home to Worcester when her mother started exhibiting signs of dementia Kim Chi cooked and cleaned for her mother and father and accompanied them everywhere where they gave rice to poor families around the country including in the village they fled 40 years ago Kim Chi loved to take pictures — and to jump into the frame of any photo being taken — and nearly every recent photo in her phone was of the three of them developed a fever and went to the hospital in an ambulance Kim Chi checked herself into the same hospital and was able to briefly see her parents through a glass door Her mother and father died from COVID-19 complications later that day “I need to go with Grandma and Grandpa so I can be with them and take care of them,” Kim Chi Joseph and Bay grew up in a fishing village on the southeast coast of Vietnam and were arranged to be married in April 1960 and when Bay was pregnant with their 11th child they decided to escape the oppressive Communist regime and 40 family members crowded onto a handmade wooden boat — the women and children hidden in the bottom — and glided into the Gulf of Thailand then rescued by a Dutch drilling boat that took them to a refugee camp in Thailand They were soon sent to a camp in the Philippines The couple scrimped and saved and eventually opened a grocery store the first of several such Asian stores they operated in the area The entire family lived together — six sisters sharing a bedroom — and gathered every night to pray and eat dinner helped their grown children with their businesses “Whatever it is that all my brothers and sisters chose to do my parents were there to support,” said Kelly Lam they would go out there and help you count the cans they would drive all the way to Boston to pick up inventory for you If it’s a video shop where you needed to fix video machines they would be there to fix the video machines with you.” Bay and Joseph were devout Catholics and attended church at least twice a day they dedicated their lives to helping the less fortunate Kelly remembers asking for donations in lieu of gifts for her son’s first birthday and her father quickly calculated that the $400 she received would buy enough rice to feed 100 families for a month “They wouldn’t even spend a penny on themselves,” Anna said “Every time we give them money to buy something for themselves they would just save it and go back and give it away.” who runs the family’s Binh An Market cq on Green Street The children started a charitable foundation in their name to continue their legacy she would walk straight into the kitchen and start cooking before she unpacked or even looked at the view Kim Chi was also a caretaker for her siblings and had been planning to do so again in August The Ngo-Huynh family and their friends couldn’t gather because of the pandemic so they started holding prayer sessions over Zoom every day at 5:15 p.m. followed by a Mass said by Father Peter Tam Bui a Vietnamese priest in Worcester who was like part of the family And though the 21 days have long since passed Joseph and Bay were inseparable their whole lives — always hugging So it’s comforting that they died together “They wanted to take her with them because they go everywhere together," Kelly said "and they would want her to be taken care of as well.” The family has set up a GoFundMe charity page Robert Regan diligently watched “Jeopardy.” Nestled at home he would easily answer its questions about literature He even first bonded with his future wife over the show which they watched together at Johnny D’s Uptown Music Club in Somerville in the early 1990s Robert’s trivia prowess was elevated by his love for reading books and completing The New York Times crossword puzzles (always in pen) Yet he never acted on the suggestions of friends and family who urged him to audition for “Jeopardy,” said Gianna I haven’t been able to watch ‘Jeopardy’ since he passed.” The illness ended his 10-month battle with a rare bile duct cancer was able to visit her husband at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center The nurses there went “above and beyond,” said Gianna tending to his every need and relaying messages from extended family Robert was a Somerville man through and through he attended Matignon High School in Cambridge where he was a star basketball and football player “People wrote to me and told me ‘he had it all’ in high school,” his wife said “And that’s a lot of pressure for most people to handle at the age of 18 He moved only once — to attend Columbia University on a football scholarship But he quickly found New York City wasn’t for him Robert enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam war and later graduated from UMass Amherst he even took a swing at running for state representative he worked as the manager at a Verizon store until retirement Gianna said her husband’s generous heart and attentive spirit broke through each Christmas all 11 of Robert’s nieces and nephews hoped he would pull their name “He was so invested in getting the perfect present.” He introduced his wife to the world of opera He loved eating Bolognese from his favorite spot: Posto in Somerville Robert puffed away in the company of his wife and son “We talked for over an hour that night,” Gianna said “That’s how I want to remember him — doing alright Kimarlee Nguyen was a relentless agent of joy often drawing on her parents and grandparents’ experiences as refugees fleeing Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime “She once told me that she grew up really angry .. carrying a lot of trauma from that particular legacy,” said her friend Charmaine Chua who had lived through the Khmer Rouge and was still happy and cheerful ‘If my grandma can live through that and be happy died on April 5 in Everett from the novel coronavirus she grew up in a close-knit multigenerational family she often returned home for holidays and long weekends who described her as “the sister I never had,” described Kim’s love for late-night adventures — roaming the beach driving around listening to music with no destination in mind where she studied English and played rugby earning a master of fine arts in creative writing at Long Island University Brooklyn while teaching full-time at Brooklyn Latin School On the GoFundMe page set up to help Kim’s family cover funeral costs and related expenses her students — many of them also Asian or Asian-American — described her as “someone I could talk to during my darkest times,” “always full of life,” “more of a friend than a teacher.” She decorated her classroom with twinkling lights made herself available for students who needed a listening ear and centered writers of color in her curriculum “I think she was the kind of teacher who everyone craves – the person who sees you at one of the most pivotal times of your life,” her friend Charmaine said but she had been at work on a novel about a Cambodian-American family in Massachusetts when she died She sent chapters of the work in progress to friends “The way how she just carves words on the page is really something,” Cherry Lou said who was Kim’s classmate for a time in the MFA program described how their peers and even a mentor had tried to pit the two against each other “[They] would say things to her like ‘aren’t you jealous that there’s another Asian girl in the program?’ ” Cherry Lou left the program in frustration; undaunted and Kim encouraged Cherry (who had shifted her focus to play writing) not to give up on prose fiction she was never jealous,” Charmaine Chua said “She would come into a room and be like ‘Aahhh I love you!’” She would say ‘I love you’ to everyone around the room a teen victim of gun violence that left him paralyzed shared an apartment in a Roxbury neighborhood where everyone knew and loved David Drayton and Jacqueline made gumbo so delicious that her family insisted she should charge for it died of COVID-19 one day apart; Jacqueline on April 14 and David on the 15th “They were always tied to the hip,” said Drayton’s youngest son Soares and his brother had a heart-to-heart talk ‘I ain’t never leaving my mother,’ ” Soares said “He told a couple people that when she was in the hospital ‘I’m not leaving my baby; nobody can take care of my baby like I can.’ ” Jacqueline and David lived in an apartment at the corner of Centre and Gardner streets donning a pair of sneakers from his vast collection and heading out in an electric wheelchair he controlled with his mouth “He moved faster than a lot of people who can walk," Soares said Because he had such an optimistic spirit David used to give motivational talks regularly to newly paralyzed patients at Boston Medical Center His memory of the violence remains fuzzy; he knows David was unconscious for two months afterward he recalls a fleeting sight of his wounded brother and I can’t even describe seeing your brother on the ground with sirens all around," he said David’s energy and resilience never faltered He was the type to say: “If I could be in a wheelchair and move like I move He couldn’t be stopped — ”everyone know that about Squeaky,” Soares said Squeaky is a nickname David had since he was a newborn was for David and Soares to play Madden NFL 20 on PlayStation but he could play a PlayStation with his mouth," Soares said he would not have it; there would be no recordings She was a teen when she and her family relocated to Boston with her grandparents Jacqueline’s daughter died as an adolescent in the ’70s after she was hit by a car She leaves two children: Soares and his older brother Jacqueline worked as a housekeeper at a Boston hotel She used to truly enjoy a day of fishing and loved “her gospel music,” Soares said She also had a decent CD collection featuring Marvin Gaye and “all the old school talking about love [stuff]” he teased “She loved to cook for everybody,” her son said that “I used to tell her to charge for it." Jacqueline began feeling poorly around April 1 and went Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center David went to Boston Medical Center with respiratory issues she finds out David has COVID and she’s worried,” Soares recalled Soares made his daily morning call to his mother and he instantly knew something was not right “She thought I was somebody else," he said “He was stuck in the hospital passing alone by himself and it was so scary,” Soares said David had been intubated three times before and didn’t want to go through it again He was on the phone trying to talk David into it You know me; I beat everything," David told him “I don’t know about this one," Soares said Soares got a call from his mother’s nurse telling him it’s time to come say “goodbye.” Soares performed the heartbreaking duty of helping relatives say their farewells via FaceTime Soares and a niece put on protective suits and spent their final moments with her driving when the hospital called to tell him his mother had died “They wanted to let him go right then and there,” Soares said do anything you can to save my brother.‘ ” a few of David’s close friends had already gathered They took turns suiting up to say their farewells at David’s bedside “I was trying to prolong it,” Soares said Daniel Kemp was a Renaissance man in every sense of the term An award-winning scientist and organic chemistry professor at MIT sang chamber music and performed scenes from plays with a Back Bay performing arts club and once held a dinner party where he cooked a meal start to finish from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking," by Julia Child who was his companion for more than three decades and was bereft when Dan’s late-in-life battle with dementia disrupted their close bond who lived in the Back Bay for five decades He got his undergraduate degree at Reed College and came east to attend Harvard University where he earned a PhD in 1964 and went on to become a faculty member at MIT for 45 years He made a number of significant scientific contributions including developing the eponymous Kemp’s triacid and a reaction known as the Kemp elimination He was also the lead author on a successful organic chemistry textbook Christian Schubert was his final graduate student and the two of them could spend hours talking about science Dan’s interest in acting led him to craft a kind of stage persona that he employed during lectures and in his personal relationships “He was a world-renowned scientist and he had phenomenal success as a teacher at MIT and he had a great reputation But there was just something about him as a physical presence that instantly drew you to him.” “It was the person that I was fascinated by “and his ability to really show the human side of science which as you know sometimes in these world-renowned academic institutions isn’t always the case.” Dan became like a second father to Christian Dan even helped Christian cut the stone for his wife-to-be’s engagement ring spending more than 40 hours teaching him the craft Dan was also active in the fight to abolish capital punishment in Massachusetts and he started a fund at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center that allowed the oncologist who treated him to start his own lab “He was intellectually brilliant in so many things,” Christian said I think what stuck with him was really his deep empathy for the human condition Victoria Ann Wagger came to Philadelphia in the 1950s to attend Temple University intentionally dropped her handkerchief and he picked it up they lived on two continents and raised two children Vici discovered her hidden talent as a painter died of COVID-19 on April 8 while a resident of the NewBridge on the Charles nursing home in Dedham Vici received a bachelor’s degree in education and dental hygiene The couple married in 1956 and after a few years as a practicing dentist he enlisted in the Army and the couple cruised across the Atlantic to Germany They left the United States as a twosome and returned with a baby boy The family settled in New Jersey where Bernie had successful dental practices but returned to work as a dental hygienist when they left for college “She always wanted to be a mother,” said her daughter “She told us she was so thrilled to have a boy and then a girl.” She was a voracious reader — especially of historical novels — and a prolific letter writer insisting that if she took the time to write someone She wrote to Gerald Ford during the bicentennial celebration in 1976 and received a signed response Vici moved into an assisted living facility — first in New Jersey and then in Massachusetts she discovered her talent in painting and drawing; she also wrote a column each month for the Traditions bulletin visiting with her family and attending group outings and had photos of them placed around her room so she could see them when she fell asleep and when she woke up She continued painting and drawing and writing letters when the spirit moved her She was a such a huge fan of Skinny Pop popcorn When she received a huge box of Skinny Pop bags in return she gave them all away to the nursing home staff and residents The coronavirus hit the nursing home hard and fast Within just a few days of learning one resident had tested positive Vici’s children were able to visit her on FaceTime “I will miss sharing my life with her,'" said her son “I’ll miss visiting with her and telling her what’s going on But her sense of what is right and what is wrong will remain as a guide." Ruth and Robert Hanson were church- and family-oriented homebodies happiest when bringing relatives together for holiday meals and backyard cookouts They were together for more than three decades — a closeness that endured right to the end The couple died April 19 within hours of each other just before noon about 15 miles away at a medical center in Brockton “That was the saddest thing I ever had to deal with in my life,” said Ruth’s daughter ‘I’m so sad for your loss; but the most beautiful thing about it is that they died together.’ “And I guess that kind of gave me some peace,” Broadus said Ruth and Robert made their home in Brockton in a four-bedroom ranch house with a fenced-in yard In February 2019 they sold the house and moved to the newly built Bell Stoughton development in Stoughton a gated complex billed as “Apartment Living at its Best.” Ruth and Robert had barely been there a year when they died so she stayed in church a lot,” her daughter said “He wouldn’t go every Sunday like she would they would upend their lives for each other They were in their 40s and married to other people Ruth had a 2-year-old; her three other children were in their late teens or young adults “Sweet Hanson” is what they called Robert back in the day He grew up with three brothers in Virginia Beach and excelled in athletics at Union Kempsville High School he played semiprofessional baseball for the Virginia Beach Clowns in largely segregated leagues in Virginia Robert eventually tried out for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles Over the years Robert worked at Morris Shoes He retired in 2001 from Northeastern Scaffolding he was “a true friend to the end” who “touched the lives of so many." and graduated from Queens Girls High School She moved to Boston as a single mother with four young children She got a job as a machine operator at Gillette and stayed for 20 years until she retired in 1993 she won league championships with her Gillette women’s work team “Carol was the epitome of what a friend should be,” Sarah A and definitely a person I could confide in.” The Hansons used to enjoy frequent car trips to visit family in Virginia and New York the couple had been recovering from surgeries Ruth spent less than a week in rehab and was seeing a physical therapist “They were back to doing what they always did,” King said Ruth was hospitalized at Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton since April 6 An ambulance took Robert to Carney Hospital in Dorchester on Easter Sunday They hadn’t seen each other in nearly a week when they died — just eight hours apart signing up for the Merchant Marines after graduating from Malden High in 1942 Kenneth Shapleigh became a ship’s chief radio operator traveling the world to deliver supplies to the troops in World War II he worked on a classified project at MIT before starting a long career purchasing electronic parts for General Radio in Concord Kenneth followed his entrepreneurial instincts and started the first in a series of small businesses teaching himself computer programming and other key skills The first business was called “Instant Office,” which rented out desks and phones — much like co-working spaces that are popular now before starting a company called “Keeper of the List" that helped small businesses develop sales leads by targeting specific audiences “He loved software and taught himself,” said his daughter “He’d buy books and read online with the patience of a saint He moved into Wingate at Reading (now called Bear Mountain) But his curiosity didn’t wane at the nursing home But then his daughter remembered that when he was younger he had enjoyed building model ships and airplanes creating complex pieces — like a Volkswagen bus The nursing home staff and other residents became so amazed by his talent that he was given a special table in the lobby to display his work “He did it every day,” said his daughter “He did his first one then I bought him another “He was one of the most positive people I know,” said his son “I can’t ever recall him saying anything bad about anyone It would rankle him if someone yelled at a nurse he was always on the lookout for new adventures He had wanted to attend this year’s re-enactment of the battle at Concord’s Old North Bridge on Patriots Day as well as his high school reunion over the summer He also urged the nursing home to invest in a bus that could accommodate every resident on day trips to places like the North Shore Music Theatre or the George’s Island ferry in Boston But Kenneth became too ill to fulfill those dreams and died of COVID-19 at age 95 on April 27 where the staff made an exception and allowed his son and daughter to visit him for a few hours Nancy Lawton was a student at Emmanuel College in the 1950s when she attended a speech by Massachusetts Senator John F As she stood outside in the rain after the event the senator pulled up in a limo and offered her a ride The story of her brush with fame has been handed down to her children and grandchildren and never failed to bring good-natured ribbing You could have been one of the Kennedys,' ” said her son had an enthusiasm for life that never waned She was a voracious reader and engaging conversationalist who loved talking about politics and culture and took an avid interest in the lives of others She felt just as at ease working alongside “brainy people" at Harvard Law School as she did hanging out with her nine grandchildren and their friends “She was enormously welcoming to so many people in her life,” her daughter said Nancy died from the coronavirus May 1 at Maristhill Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Waltham following a long decline due to Alzheimer’s Nancy Breen Lawton was raised in a big house on Carruth Street in Dorchester She was one of six children of Eleanor and John Anthony Breen Her father was chairman of the Boston Housing Authority and briefly served as deputy to Mayor John B Nancy attended Notre Dame Academy and graduated from Emmanuel College where she was president of the Dramatic Society and “was known for being able to nap in class sitting upright,” according to an obituary written by her daughter Ellen a mathematician who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology The couple raised their family in Belmont and spent summers at a ramshackle cottage in Manomet She began working as a receptionist in the early 1970s starting as an iconic “Kelly Girl” for the temporary employment agency she spent 10 years as a receptionist at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation “She just loved being in the middle of this academic setting where there were lots of smart people,” her daughter said She reveled in the Harvard Square atmosphere Nancy found joy in the next chapter of her life She loved connecting with family and friends and going to the movies and the theater She was an unabashed critic who took pride in walking out if a show was awful She loved traveling with her sister and friends While crossing the Canadian Rockies by train in the early 1990s Nancy spent days hanging over the rail of the observation car sneaking cigarettes with "some old hippie,” her daughter said but the man was “taciturn,” she later recounted It wasn’t until after he disembarked that she learned from the conductor that he was music legend Neil Young she described her realization that it was time to stop driving after she “started side-swiping cars." She issued a blanket apology to the the town of Arlington Everyone was welcome at Hannah Laughlin’s rambling Victorian home in Jamaica Plain When her daughter’s friends needed a place to stay she took in Boston Language Institute students from around the world She relished her role as surrogate parent and tour guide driving them around the city to point out the best spots “Her whole being was about giving and receiving love," said her daughter “She would have been happy if that’s all she did in life.” She was living at Briarwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Needham where her sister-in-law died of the virus five days earlier Hannah had remained “unscathed by life,” calm and kind even in the face of hardship “She saw the beauty in everyone and everything.” Hannah was the oldest of four daughters of Daniel and Hedwig “Helen” O’Shea She worked as a restaurant hostess while helping care for her sisters often using her earnings to splurge on treats for the family After graduating from Most Precious Blood School in Hyde Park where she occasionally modeled at corporate events she later told her daughter she felt self-conscious when she emerged from behind a curtain dressed in a skit outfit and fur boots Hannah was much more at ease working with sandpaper She was nicknamed “Handy Hannah” for her ability to master home improvement projects from shingling a roof and restoring furniture to building a staircase a World War II veteran she met at Coca-Cola She worked full-time as a secretary and statistical typist while nursing her husband through a long illness She still found time to sew her children’s clothes Hannah could type more than 100 words per minute and made extra money by typing thesis papers for MIT and Harvard students recalled sitting in the car while her mother drove from college to college leaving business cards advertising her services She continued to work until she was 70 and was devoted to her six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren She loved to babysit and take the children mini-golfing and on trips to the library and toy stores Hannah wanted to give her a memorable gift She arranged for the two of them to ride on a small airplane “She’d take her shirt off her back to do anything for you,” said her daughter Meg Diane Marie Huggins’s life was filled with upheaval But a bad stretch could veer into the unthinkable died from COVID-19 on April 11 at MetroWest Medical Center after living for the past few years at Waterview Lodge in Ashland she spent her childhood bouncing from foster home to foster home By the time Huggins was a mother of three young children She would later be diagnosed with schizophrenia Huggins attacked strangers with a knife she carried in her purse Her victims were a 4-year-old boy and mothers with young children Huggins was acquitted of her violent acts by reason of insanity followed by a court-ordered stay at a state mental hospital Huggins’s course through the state’s splintered mental health care system was prominently featured in a 2016 article by the Globe’s Spotlight Team It documented how no one spoke up or stepped in when Huggins stopped visiting Boston Medical Center for the outpatient psychiatric care she had come to rely on but we never turned our backs on her,” said Huggins’ daughter “I think she just spent a lot of her life trying to be a normal person.” Neves said her mother was reserved but social and with her children she was quick to joke “You could always get a smile out of her,” Neves said She enjoyed crossword puzzles and Stephen King novels she was a sports fan with a passion for football and basketball The New England Patriots and the Boston Celtics were her teams Upon learning Tom Brady was leaving the Patriots she stuck to her antipsychotic medications and rented an apartment in Boston’s West End she earned a GED and then a college degree at Bunker Hill Community College But her mental illness would prompt three psychotic episodes that resulted in the violence and sent Huggins to psychiatric institutions for long stretches She relished her grandchildren and would regularly babysit Neves’s three children “My kids didn’t know the mother I knew,” Neves said They knew a grandmother who showed up at events and took them out on weekends Huggins was taken to the hospital with a 103-degree fever She tested positive for the virus and died April 11 When it was clear that Huggins would not survive Huggins had little energy and her oxygen mask couldn’t come off for long Lois Kendrew Caporal loved reminiscing about her childhood in the South there were more than 50 children living on the street in Brookline’s Washington Square where Lois and her husband was the place to go for homemade Popsicles and popcorn ‘Mom,’ ” said Lois’s daughter Cindy Tamkin She could walk into a room filled with strangers find something to talk about with everyone “She always had a smile on her face,” she said of complications related to the coronavirus She was living at Briarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Needham Her parents had been living in Boston when her father moved the family to Virginia as he worked on the Colonial Williamsburg restoration project Lois graduated from the College of William and Mary where she earned a liberal arts degree and joined Pi Beta Phi where she worked as a secretary at Liberty Mutual She rented a studio apartment on Beacon Hill with three of her sorority sisters an artist and a commissioned officer in the US Navy and the merchant marine The couple lived in Brookline for more than 35 years where she co-founded the Corner Co-op Nursery school Parents would donate their time to care for each other’s children Lois had a son with special needs and became a strong advocate for him the 1972 law that established the right of special-needs children to an education “She was lobbying; she was organizing meetings and making a lot of calls,” Geilen said which mainstreamed many special-needs students allowed her brother to attend the same public school that she did Lois was also an avid gardener and a member of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society She spent summers on Lake Winnipesaukee at a camp in Tuftonboro Her family had owned it since the late 1800s and it remained a beloved spot where generations gathered to swim It became a bit of a family joke that whenever they all gathered for a meal she’d say the same thing: “Isn’t it nice we are all together.” Joann Yee treated guests at her Brighton home to feasts of Hong Kong-style lobster and sauteed bitter melon with cured pork — followed by games of mahjong the payoff from years working in restaurants “She was incredibly generous,” said her daughter died April 28 at Carney Hospital in Dorchester after coming down with COVID-19 she had been a patient at Quincy Health & Rehabilitation Center where she was treated for dementia and lingering effects of a car crash She was born in 1943in a farming village in China and given the name Fei Yin Her father later remarried and had four more children The stepmother treated Joann like a nuisance “a pebble stuck in the woman’s shoe,” according to her daughter who described the fraught relationship in a May 1995 column she wrote for the Plain Dealer of Cleveland “My mother: A jewel who shines on all,” read the headline her father arranged a marriage for her in the United States and the union paved the way for her entire family to move to Boston Yee got a divorce and bought a two-family home in Brighton seating patrons as a hostess at Tahiti Restaurant in Dedham during the day stopping at home to eat dinner prepared by her daughter and then driving to Boston’s Theatre District where she served cocktails at the former 57 Restaurant on Stuart Street Joann’s daughter recalled some of the indignities her mother encountered as a waitress and singled out a bad tipper: The late Frank Perdue But wages and tips paid college tuition bills and allowed Joann to open a flower shop in Wellesley called Floral Designs by Joann Her mother selected flowers from the former Boston Flower Market in the South End and the painstaking work she devoted to removing the thorns they didn’t have thorns on them," Laura Yee said but she continued to sell flowers from home she held jobs at Filene’s in Downtown Crossing and on the custodial staff Edward W Her daughter’s 1995 column about her ends: “She is truly the reward a gem scratched by privation that continues to shine and inspire me and so many others.” Cynthia Lee Segal found herself in a rehabilitation facility in New York City notebook handy and surrounded by potential subjects to sketch The wreck on the Massachusetts Turnpike outside Worcester had put her in a coma for eight weeks and left her unable to walk whose Newton home is a showcase for Segal’s decades of oil and still life paintings died of COVID-19 on April 9 at Belmont Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center She was a college student when she nearly died in the car crash She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in art from Boston University and later worked in Boston-area nursing homes Cynthia moved to Evans Park at Newton Center One advantage of living at Evans Park was a new neighbor and now was sharing meals with him at the facility’s dining hall “She felt she was eating with the gods,” Fritz said Polonsky died last year of advanced dementia at 93 Cynthia enjoyed taking art classes for the camaraderie; she deeply enjoyed painting with others and in some ways the 52 years that followed felt like a bonus Even after Alzheimer’s began to steal Thomas Tarbell Russell’s memories he held onto the lyrics he learned as a high-school graduate newly enlisted in the Marine Corps “From the Halls of Montezuma/ To the shores of Tripoli/ We fight our country’s battles / In the air The lyrics were printed in a pamphlet about Camp Lejeune in North Carolina that Thomas saved from his military service When he moved in January to JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow the pamphlet came with him in a memory book died at the facility on April 7 after developing COVID-19 Thomas enlisted in the Marines after high school and served during peacetime His daughter said she doesn’t know whether the Marines gave her father his happiest days or maybe his most memorable ones But he recalled the experiences throughout the five years he lived with Alzheimer’s “That was kind of the memory that stuck with him the longest,” she said Thomas pursued a career as a computer programmer and was mentored at his first job by Grace Hopper the pioneering computer scientist and US Navy rear admiral who worked on the UNIVAC I Her subordinates nicknamed her “Amazing Grace.” Ellen Russell said her father also remembered Hopper as he coped with Alzheimer’s and expressed pride at having worked alongside her “He was just very impressed with her intellect her ability to get things done,” Ellen said Thomas completed a 29-year career at IBM in 1993 and then moved from Hyde Park a hobby he taught himself by reading books “He didn’t have any teachers,” his daughter said “He kind of just experimented on his own.” He sailed the Hudson River and Cape Cod Bay She was a beloved figure in the town of Westwood But Kay Gallagher had her own claims to fame helping collect and count the weekly donations died at the Charlwell House Health & Rehabilitation Center in Norwood on April 1 after developing COVID-19 "She was definitely NOT a helicopter mom," said the youngest child senior vice president of Boston Sand & Gravel “We had a very structured home life — breakfast You got home when the street lights came on.” Neither Kay nor her husband graduated from college but they instilled the value of education in their children Kay worked as a customer service representative for the New England Telephone company between 1942 and 1952 in various offices including one on Boylston Street in downtown Boston “God forbid if you called her an operator,” said her cousin Customer services reps sat at a desk and people came in with questions a longtime Westwood resident and former member of the town’s school committee called Kay "a great neighbor who made the world a better place with her kindness and welcoming nature.” she became the matriarch of the huge family — with 13 grandchildren who called her Nana “She just thrived on people and relationships,” Joe said “She got so much joy being around others.” She was often the bearer of candy — particularly M&M’s which she would dole out to the kids during family visits Kay Murphy and Joseph Gallagher met in Scituate in 1946 was president of the Scituate Beach Association a social club that hosted an annual July Fourth bash Gallagher still served as the clearinghouse for all family communications “Everyone would check in with her," Joe said “She knew what was going on with everybody.” She had just moved into Charlwell House seven months ago Her son believes she lived so long because she did everything in moderation but wouldn’t be a marathon runner," he said “She had a wonderful life — until the last 30 days.” Cornelius Murphy was not a diaper-changing kind of guy following his father and older brother to serve in the Boston Police Department He was a great listener and a devoted father attending all his son’s hockey and baseball games But after Connie’s wife died of a brain tumor in 2004 shortly after the birth of their first grandson He changed diapers and picked up his grandsons from school sometimes taking them to IHOP for dinner when their parents he took them sledding and laced up their skates at hockey practice “That was really a time of rebirth,” Michael said whom he had met as a teenager roller skating in Brighton "It was like a new light," his son Michael said died April 5 of complications from COVID-19 who is an emergency medicine physician at Tufts Medical Center and their two sons — was escorted to the cemetery by two police officers on motorcycles He served in World War II and the Korean War and was a dedicated handball player his father seemed to have a story about a car chase or an arrest that took place there I chased a guy down this alley,” Michael recalled him saying “He was going up the fire escape and he tried to throw a TV set at us.” from working as a detective on the Boston Strangler case to arresting a man who stabbed someone with a samurai sword at a party in the Back Bay used to call his father on his way to work and talk to him about his hospital job His father’s emotional support was invaluable he managed his law practice and vision loss donning baseball caps to shield his eyes and relying on large fonts and color contrast to read documents “He was really quite amazing," said Debbie Coogan His pragmatism and equanimity served him well in the last 14 months of his life spent at Briarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Needham where he was treated for esophageal dysmotility and but not before learning he had become a grandfather again; his daughter had just adopted a second son and given him her father’s middle name An early legal job with a Senate subcommittee put him to work on both the 26th Amendment which passed Congress in 1972 but failed to win ratification by the states He returned to Boston in 1973 and joined the law firm Foley Hoag where he would become a partner in less than two years “I just fell madly in love with him,” said Debbie “He was so interesting and fun and expanded me in so many ways.” whose early dates featured reruns of the Watergate hearings He introduced her to classical music and the bucolic life in Vermont where his extended family owned a 200-acre farm they raised their two children in the Newton home where Peter had grown up But they spent virtually every weekend and holiday at the farm Peter would ride down the hill in his snowmobile and pick them up for the next run He had at least 10 of them and woke early to mow the fields at the farm to drive a tractor before she could drive a car He taught her other skills by pretending he needed her help “I didn’t realize he was tricking me for maybe 20 years,” said Tracy but he was able to encourage me and give me confidence to find the answer on my own.” where they enjoyed classical music concerts “They had this calm togetherness that was just peaceful.” Margaret “Peg” Laughlin had just graduated college in 1949 and was looking for her first job as a physical therapist during a polio epidemic that was sweeping across the country no vaccine; people were quarantined in their homes in a desperate effort to protect their families didn’t hesitate when she heard Oklahoma was in dire need of health care workers She spent about four months working at a field hospital treating children who struggled to breathe and couldn’t move their limbs “I cannot imagine my life without doing Physical Therapy!” Peg wrote in a journal decades later as she reflected on her life “It was through that work I truly found myself by helping others My patients always gave me more than I could ever give to them Every morning starting out I would thank God for my good health and ask His help to get me through these difficult cases Margaret (Heffernan) Laughlin died April 11 of complications from the novel coronavirus She had been living at a Needham rehabilitation center for about a month while recuperating after a brief hospitalization The beloved matriarch of a large Irish clan “She lived life with such gratitude and open arms it was infectious,” said her son Her father was the Kennedy family doctor in Boston and influenced her academic pursuits She graduated from Bouvé-Boston School of Physical Education with a bachelor’s degree in science in 1949 She worked for the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston after returning from Oklahoma and was featured on a poster advertising the agency’s services in the 1950s She traveled from home to home in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods to treat patients She left that job after she married Robert Laughlin The couple had five children and lived in Medfield for many years before moving to Topsfield Peg returned to work as a physical therapist in 1969 after surviving breast cancer She began writing poetry to cope with the loss of patients she had treated She found solace by writing about them and sharing her words with their grieving families She retired as a physical therapist in 1986 She remained deeply spiritual and saw the beauty in every day “She loved socializing and was always full of smiles energy and love for people,” said her son,Tom Laughlin He recalled how proud he was when some of his mother’s poems were published in a local newspaper Her example inspired some of her children and 10 grandchildren to write poetry Peg’s four sons and daughter gathered at one of her favorite spots connected as they held a rope fashioned from their mother’s scarves As birds sang and the sun sparkled on the water Sometimes people who are helping others can be made to feel invisible Berton Sumner Fliegel once told his daughter Lisa As a resident of Belmont Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center he was intent on serving the people who served him — playing them music died on April 16 from complications related to the coronavirus where he and his brother frequently spent time helping the fishermen in the family haul in their catch from the pier Berton embarked on a life devoted to service — first as a soldier during the Korean War and later as a social worker it seems like hyperbole,” his daughter said He also had a fiery passion for stamping out injustice “He was unconditionally loving — but he was also filled with rage,” his daughter said A rage she believes was born on that fishing pier in Beverly where her father was often bullied for being Jewish Berton channeled that anger into decisive and loving action He spent his career fighting against poverty and injustice on a number of fronts In roles with Boston’s Model Cities Program and Columbia Point Community Health Center he helped expand affordable housing and establish community clinics Berton later taught at Tufts School of Medicine and the University of Massachusetts Boston where he advocated on behalf of low-income students He spent the rest of his career working in clinical practice and never gave up fighting for a kinder His family will remember Berton by two of his favorite verses of poetry which he recited often: “My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky,” and “My love is like a red was the first person in Massachusetts to be convicted of murder without a body helped persuade a jury to convict Romano of killing and dismembering his wife even though police never found Katherine Romano The case was but one headline-making crime that Scott solved over his long career including the attempted murder of Marianne Lewis in a Boston garage in 1989 the murder of Irene Kennedy in a Walpole park in 1998 and the 1992 corruption case against former state Representative John McNeil of Malden as a brilliant investigator whose easy way with people made them open up he was a big-hearted friend who drew people to him a retired State Police lieutenant colonel who is now head of security at Emmanuel College where Scott worked after retiring from the State Police in 2009 “I never heard so many tough grown men and women cry That’s the extent of feeling everyone has for Scott." recounted the family’s great adventures — the annual Memorial Day trip to Martha’s Vineyard; summers spent at the family cottage in Chatham; ski vacations and visits to Jack’s Abby Brewery in Framingham His daughters called their father “our hero.” It was fate that brought Maryellen and Scott together in 1974 She grew up in Milford; he was from Needham and their paths probably would not have crossed who had a job handing out samples of Tony’s Frozen Pizza at supermarkets asked her reluctant daughter to take her place one Saturday who was working the deli counter while going to school and studying for the police civil service exam He asked her to lunch at the Woolworth’s next door “We had a hot dog and talked and talked and talked,” she said and at the time the force accepted only recruits younger than 30 “I called him — you gotta get home!” she recalled The letter said he was to report to the Academy on December 6 saw that Jenning Scott looked older than the other recruits and gave him a nickname that stuck: “Gramps.” “Gramps was a very tall guy," said State Police Captain Mary Sennott "We still called him Gramps for 37 years,” she said David Coveney worked the controls at Boston’s WRKO-AM in the 1970s making sure the Top 40 songs at the city’s top AM music station hit the airwaves without a hitch who died April 4 from complications of the coronavirus until FM radio became more popular and he moved into television He did double duty as an engineer and cameraman at WSBK Channel 38 and WGBH Channel 2 when they sat on the opposite sides of the glass “I told him what to play and he played it — a record or a commercial on tape,” said Jordan who a few years later became the station’s program director David would try to break Jordan’s concentration while Jordan was working the overnight shift playing music and reading live commercials “He would take a wastebasket and light it on fire and hold it up,” Jordan said “Many times I’d laugh and stumble over words David was multi-talented — he could repair cars and wrote a book “Cypress Court,” that a WGBH colleague Steven Douglass wants to make into a movie The story follows the plight of a family crippled by booze and poverty during the Vietnam War era David saved two young men from drowning in Breakheart Reservation in Saugus a marketing executive and baseball aficionado who heads an adult baseball league in Boston said his father was a constant presence in his life and the lives of Jeff’s wife “My dad was an amazing father,” Jeff said he was there for every important moment in my life.” said his grandfather took an enormous interest in his life always asking the teen to play the guitar for him and offering encouragement about life I was going through a little depressed state,” Maxwell recalled There’s always light at the end of the tunnel And that’s exactly what David tried to do as he lay dying in his bed at Newton Wellesley Hospital — make his family feel better The hospital staff gave David an iPad so he could speak to his family “We talked for about a half hour about how much we loved him,” his son said Hope Dauwalter was always the first one to hit the dance floor she was the enthusiastic mom who traveled along on school ski trips and led the PTA She died of complications of COVID-19 on April 1 at Newton-Wellesley Hospital Hope’s crowning achievement was The Preschool Experience in Newton Centre She co-founded the school when she was 46 and directed it for 16 years until her 1996 retirement She never forgot a student’s name and maintained Facebook friendships with many of them The preschool was such a hit that parents would register their newborns to reserve a spot for three and four years down the road Hope was the magnet who drew everyone together for shared meals and outings — friends from kindergarten “You never knew anyone more social than our mom,” said her son “Relaxing is not really something she did,” said her daughter She was competitive and driven but playful softer version of aggressive or pushy,” her son said It was the place to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa after an afternoon of sledding Hope and her daughter planted a flower garden of gerbera daisies She was 19 and working a summer job as a waitress on Cape Cod when she met MIT undergraduate Charles Robert Dauwalter “she was at the beach hanging upside down from a tree and that’s how my dad met her,” her son said fell ill with COVID-19 three days after his wife’s death He pulled through after nine-plus days in the hospital Hope and Bob Dauwalter moved to One Wingate Way It wasn’t long until her son was calling his mother “the Mayor of Wingate.” “She knew everyone and everyone knew her,” he said She and Bob volunteered to make deliveries and drive the elderly to and from appointments “I’ve always remembered when she told me that her middle initial was 'I' and her maiden name was Duguid,” pronounced ‘do-good,’ a childhood friend of her children wrote in a tribute to their mother “Hope I do-good," Mary Moore Hurley wrote “Well she certainly always lived up to that name The Arlington house he shared with his wife and three children filled up fast the calm at the center of the chaos in a waft of garlic or smoke he’d make a silly face or pluck a treasure from his pocket — candy He knew just how to make them all smile Even as he slipped into the haze of Alzheimer’s he kept his gentle sense of humor and his quiet determination to take care of the people he loved He had just recently moved out of his home to a memory care facility members of his sprawling family spilled inside to visit — the party following James “He was a consummate family man,” said his daughter James worked days managing sports facilities and nights cleaning and stripping grocery store floors He could get by on four or five hours of sleep and he always had time to help with the laundry to coach his kids in hockey and little league He had a way of teaching lessons without saying much His kids could always hear him on the sidelines of their games — not yelling like other parents just whistling loud and fast when he saw a stick too high If they came off the field or the ice downcast He just asked questions — what do you think happened When his memory started to falter about eight years go and bright bulbs that Maura couldn’t even name he would collect the leaves that fell in the yard and arrange them carefully on the counter for her to find Daniel Dewey and Michael Bellotti were on opposite sides of the political divide — a Republican and a Democrat — but that didn’t stop them from having a beer together in their hometown “I’d meet him for a beer at the Irish Pub maybe once a week,” said Bellotti and we had the best eclectic group around the table — the butcher was a disabled Marine veteran who had survived cancer that he believed stemmed from his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam He spoke about his military service matter-of-factly and without self-pity He was a longtime probation officer in the Quincy District Court and a member of the state Parole Board during the 1990s He was also active in veteran’s affairs in Quincy and served as commandant of the William R “He took his Marine pedigree in helping veterans to another level,” said Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey who lived down the street from Daniel in Quincy’s Squantum neighborhood “He was always concerned about his fellow veterans The staunch Democrat called Daniel “my favorite Republican.” “He was a very practical person and knew how to compromise,” Morrissey said “When he was on the parole board … he would be reasonable and take chances on people I remember telling him to be careful — one mistake and they’ll hang you out to dry 'I have a job to do and I’m going to do it Perhaps it’s not surprising that one of Daniel’s Democratic friends — Bellotti — organized an outpouring of support for the ex-Marine after he succumbed to COVID-19 on April 3 friends and neighbors lined the streets to honor a man who knew nearly everyone in the tiny community on the Quincy shore They clutched American flags as Boston Police Officer Ed Boylan played “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes Daniel’s photo was placed on a stool in front of his house as his wife recovering from her own COVID-19 infection Both Daniel and Kathleen became ill the week of March 15 General on the 20th; his wife followed on the 21st Neither his wife nor his children were able to see him before he died said the outpouring from his friends “provided sort of closure." When she saw dozens of people outside her house her mother was "shocked and then she cried.” his daughter remembered him for his devotion to his wife He would hide a lot of information from me fleeing to the United States with his partner finally settling in Somerville where they had family He worked hard — in a curtain factory and as a part-time janitor — before attending broadcasting school in the 1990s Julio Quintanilla eventually realized his dream becoming both a DJ and a popular radio personality whose Spanish-language show “Impacto Centroamericano,” aired daily on WUNR including a five-minute segment from a reporter in El Salvador aired about 20 minutes after his death on March 31 “He was a voice for everybody who needed a voice,” said his son “Organizations that need fund-raising — he did everything for them everything for El Salvador and never charged anyone “My dad was an amazing human being,” he said “He is somebody I always looked up to and wanted to be just like." called Julio’s death “gut-wrenching and heart-breaking." Xavier He was in good health and he isolated himself as it ravaged him He was more worried about his family,” the mayor said The day he died at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center his family was able to spend an hour with him Xavier said his dad would have wanted the show to go on: "He was devoted to his audience A GoFundMe page called “The Life of My Father” has been created to help the family with funeral expenses Here is another way to measure the effects of a plague Richard Napoleon Ottaway would begin his days with a stack of important things to be read: Fresh copies of The New York Times and maybe some four-year-old edition of The New Yorker he might have lying around who treated the cultivation of friendships like a lifelong vocation He watched and eagerly fed the wild birds that came to his property in Brewster a perfect day would end in an Adirondack chair in quiet admiration of another Cape Cod sunset He died just after midnight on Monday in Cape Cod Hospital Test results that came back after his death were positive for COVID-19 according to his stepdaughter Rebecca Ashley and her husband It is a hard thing for his family that they could not be with him in the hospital due to illness and the risk of infection And they are keenly aware of the ironic tragedy that someone who had ministered to so many people near death died without family around him at the elements of beauty at the end of his life such as the nurse who offered her own family Bible so that Dick Ottaway could die with the Good Book in his hands Read more about Richard Napoleon Ottaway here he served in both Vietnam and the Gulf War As an officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency he oversaw operations at Ground Zero following 9/11 and later aided in the grisly aftermath of Hurricane Katrina It was a coronavirus infection at a nursing home for veterans Monette is one of at least six residents of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home to die from complications of COVID-19 and results of COVID-19 tests on several of the other victims are pending News of the facility’s outbreak rattled state and local officials this week casting a shadow over the facility and its now-suspended superintendent It has raised questions among families who have recently lost relatives at the home about which deaths can be traced back to the virus while adding a layer of grief for those whose loved ones are known to have succumbed to the virus “He is one of those people who shouldn’t be forgotten,” said Monette’s son “He’s one of thousands of unsung or quiet heroes who have been the fabric of this country for a long time and they’re the ones who have made the most and sacrificed the most for all of us Read more about Ted Monette here Larry Rasky helped guide the campaigns of several top Democratic candidates the former vice president and current front-runner for his party’s Democratic presidential nomination Last fall Rasky had helped launch Unite the Country a super PAC to support Biden’s White House bid “He was a real friend,” Biden told the Globe "He was also generous and sharp and he just had a spirit about him Read more about Larry Rasky here Fred Harris grew up in Amherst competing in whichever sport was in season — football he played shortstop with such skill that he attracted the notice of Red Sox scouts But Fred’s big-league dreams crumbled when he was drafted into the Army to serve in Vietnam died March 25 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital He was warm and lively with an exuberant laugh He nursed a daily lottery-ticket habit and waddled a bit when he walked “He was just a friendly sort of person,” Judy said Judy was 17 and Fred was 22 when they met at Tower Pizza in Amherst even though neither one of them really knew how to play The couple were married 49 years and had two children The University of Massachusetts was Fred Harris’ longtime employer — since two years before he was drafted and up until he retired in 2003 He was part of the grounds crew for a time delivering mail and packages across campus They’d take walks or sit on the porch while Fred waved at passersby Fred still was grieving when he passed away last month won a competition in the early 1960s to design Boston’s City Hall they predicted it might stand for a century The source of such longevity can be found in the building’s defining material “The characteristic of concrete that we enjoyed most was that one material could do so much McKinnell said in an interview for the book “Heroic,” in 2009 There’s a kind of all-through-ness about it.” He added: “I think if we could have done it we would have used concrete to make the light switches.” whose first building as an architect was City Hall and whose designs with Kallmann helped redefine Boston’s look as the city reinvigorated itself in the 1960s and ’70s He was 84 and had tested positive for COVID-19 McKinnell had moved full time to his Rockport vacation home a few years ago praised mightily and insulted dismissively celebrating its 50th anniversary last year Read more about Michael McKinnell here Frederick Schwab came home from basic training in 1950 and took his younger sister to see a movie at a RKO theater near their family’s home in the Bronx in his Army uniform that other cinema patrons refused to let him pay a decorated Korean War veteran for whom an American flag once flew over the US Capitol spent a few weeks at Charlwell House Health & Rehabilitation Center in Norwood which experienced a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 but the age difference had no bearing on their bond he moved into Francine’s home in Norwood after becoming a widower for the second time Francine said she realized he was easy-going almost to a fault It was sometimes hard to tell whether he needed help While he was deployed during the Korean War Fred asked her to keep him informed of the top songs featured on a radio show sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes he spent hours watching black-and-white movies and westerns starring John Wayne He loved the television drama “NCIS” and proudly wore a black baseball hat featuring the show’s logo that he bought from a sidewalk vendor during a trip to the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington Fred began collecting an unusual item: rubber ducks The first rubber duck in his collection sat atop a computer Another had a unicorn horn and a pink bill Rubber ducks wearing costumes for Santa Claus His sister said she has thought about what to do with the colorful toys veterans gather for a picnic in Dewey-Humboldt and Francine has a vision: a flotilla of rubber ducks racing through the water in Fred’s honor she was diagnosed multiple times with the disease each time the illness invading her body in a different form Barbara emerged with her health and future amazing her family and providers at Massachusetts General Hospital by beating the odds.Her daughter said Barbara endured by following her father’s advice But her decades-long battle against cancer came with a cost including the loss of a lung about two decades ago It put her on fragile footing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic She was 77 and had spent the last decade of her life as a resident of the Jack Satter House in Revere where eight residents have died from the coronavirus.Her apartment offered views of Revere Beach and the Boston skyline “She lived knowing that she was given a new lease on life after she came back from something one of her medical setbacks,” her son said “She was less and less concerned about the future and just thankful that she had more time that she could be around.” she flourished during her time as a travel agent helping families plan vacations and traveling herself Barbara’s taste buds must have been programmed with memory chips because she could recall details about long-ago lunches and dinners savored in the North End Barbara had received a clean bill of health from her doctor a milestone after she was treated for colon cancer last year she celebrated by planning a trip to France with her eldest granddaughters The itinerary started in Paris and would take the women south to Monaco and Cannes they would cross the Mediterranean Sea for another adventure and take in sights in Italy Retirement didn’t suit Lois Brettschneider Bored as soon as she stepped away from her longtime job in November 2016 as an ophthalmic technician in Fitchburg she found a new direction as a court-appointed special advocate The work brought her into the lives of children from homes scarred by abuse or neglect Lois traveled for miles in a blue Subaru sedan to meet with children in person and then prepare reports used by the courts to make custody decisions She really took each one seriously,” said her daughter died March 30 at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital in Leominster She grew up in Reading with her parents and brother their summers included trips to North Salem and a cottage owned by an aunt and uncle in nearby Derry they walked to school and passed the time by playing Scrabble and cribbage Lois married Thomas Walker and they settled in Ashby where the couple’s three children grew up amid “hundreds of acres that were our domain,” said her son Scott and Lois later married Alfred Brettschneider her traveling companion for destinations in Europe and beyond Another love in her life was her dog Katie Lois’s children said they planned to travel soon to Paris and then tour other parts of Europe They scheduled the now-cancelled trip to conclude in time for a family celebration on May 5 In the photograph his family loves the most his strong arms spread wide to hold as many of his daughters and granddaughters as he can reach His wife and mother smile in the foreground but he’s the center they’ve all gathered around Every time one of his three granddaughters walked into his house he would call out: “Come here my pretty girl He collected umbrellas so that none of his three daughters would ever get caught in the rain He was always searching for the “perfect” wheelchair to send to his mother back in his home country of El Salvador His family can’t imagine a world without him in it taking care of them in ways large and small Sergio and Yolanda Aguilar got married in 1986 Sergio worked hard to buy a home for his family in Waltham holding a collection of jobs at places like Dunkin’ Donuts or Polaroid before landing a custodial position at Brandeis University in 1995 He worked overtime and picked up side jobs He raised his three girls with warmth and discipline “Now it’s your turn to be a parent!” Then he called everyone he knew He was crazy for his granddaughters; he always had at least one little girl hanging off him He would take them for slushies and ice cream and watch movies with them curled up on the couch insisting that not all pupusas were the same Sergio never lost his love for his home country he’d bring clothes and phones and electronics — once even a microwave — to give to people in need and retiring to San Salvador in a cottage on the beach he would return to help with his granddaughters John Demastrie remembers the girl and the car and the kiss with the same jolt he felt more than 60 years ago Betty Demastrie: beautiful and funny and smart and classy a farmer’s daughter with strong arms and red lipstick but she had agreed to go for a ride with him And he thought he was doing a pretty good job impressing her until he pulled up to her house in Cheshire and saw the 1957 black and white Chevy with the red interior Elizabeth “Betty” Demastrie — who had two children and four grandchildren who wrote “roasts” for her three cherished sisters on their birthdays and who loved to dance the polka because it always made her smile — died March 30 at the age of 81 “We all thought she was invincible,” said her daughter shocking her doctors by walking herself into the emergency room to report a headache she spooked her father’s cows while practicing her cheerleading moves and Russian jumps as she waited for the milk pails to fill She pitched bales of hay faster than any of the local boys she always set aside some of her paycheck from her secretarial job at General Electric for clothes for her sisters She sewed costumes for school plays late at night converting curtains and doilies into George Washington’s pants and ruffled collar She saved buttons and trinkets to whip out when her grandkids had to make poster boards She tucked two generations of children into bed with the same Polish lullaby she and her husband took in his three children and built an addition onto their home “She just did what she had to do,” Tina said and how much she would want her family to know she loved them kindergarten through fifth grade students at the Vinson-Owen Elementary School filed in to take their seats on mats laid out in front of an unearthed hill while the student band played “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Parents teachers and town members watched at the groundbreaking ceremony for the rebuilding of Vinson-Owen Elementary School The ceremony consisted of songs sung by the student body and music teacher poems read by fifth grade students Kelly Hunter-Lynch Luke Gilgun and Emma Pruitt and speeches from Principal Grant Smith Superintendent of Schools William McAlduff Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Jim Johnson executive director of MA School Building Authority Speakers highlighted that the rebuilding project is being funded 40 percent by the state and 60 percent by the taxpayers who voted for the $28,170,307 project to update the Vinson-Owen School last January "This is a great day for Winchester," Selectman Jim Johnson said play plastic hard-hats blew off the children’s heads during strong gusts of wind as they sat patiently and cheered on the progress of their beloved elementary school Garo Saraydarian lead the children in singing “This Land is Your Land” and an original song entitled “VO Groundbreaking Song.” Then second grader Dylan Scharn dug the first shovel load of dirt to a roaring applause from his fellow students Garo Saraydarian struck up the student band for one more round of “When the Saints Go Marching In” to close out the ceremony the sounds of singing and cheering will be replaced by heavy construction machinery as the estimated year and a half long project gets underway Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. A woman who spent six years in a Kansas prison for killing three people in a drunken driving incident has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Oklahoma pleaded guilty in Sherman County to three counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2005 after she was involved in an accident on Interstate 70 that killed three Goodland women Adams was paroled from prison in July 2011 Terms of Adams’ parole prohibit her from drinking alcohol A representative from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections was unable to provide information about whether Adams faced further restrictions as part of her parole conditions such as being required to wear an alcohol-monitoring device The arrest and charges could also be grounds for Adams’ parole to be revoked A spokesman from the Kansas Department of Corrections did not respond to Journal-World inquiries about the case Thanks for visiting ! The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. 1987 83 Boston Globe 1987 ALL-SCHOLASTIC FIELD HOCKEY TEAM THE TEAM Goalie Lori Heywood Holliston Division 1 Coach of the Year Karen Olander Division 2 Coach of the Year Suzanne Ericson Sandwich THE SECOND TEAM Goalie Ritika Bowry HOW THE TEAM WAS SELECTED The All-Scholastic field hockey team was selected by league representatives GLOBE PHOTOS BY JIM BULMAN AND MARK PLAYERS OF THE YEAR COACHES OF THE YEAR KATHY O'ROURKE DIVISION 1 O'Rourke's clutch play was a key to Dennis-Yarmouth's 23-0 record and Division 1 state championship Although she didn't put up big offensive numbers (9 goals O'Rourke has career totals of 24 goals The senior and National Honor Society member plans to play field hockey at the college level and is considering Dartmouth named Cape Heywood Ann Sullivan put up some impressive scoring became the Jr goalie to League Play- numbers this year with 34 goals and 15 The junior now has career totals of 55 she recorded 12 shutouts in 15 games and had goals and assists Described by two-time Globe All-Scholastic and a Bay State coach Yvonne Van Goor as a team leader the League All-Star for two A member of the years "player-coach," National Honor Society Sullivan is ranked secsenior captain served as a often Sr She is the second in her will attend Boston Sr University and hopes to be- family to be named an All-Scholastic in field Jr Sister Maura was honored in 1983 and veterinarian Dennis-Yarmouth DEDE SCHARN LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN KRISTINE MARSHFIELD A first-team All-Scholastic last year Atwater is a two-time is the only returnee from last year's squad The league Al and a member of the gold medal senior recorded 13 goals and 6 assists this year team at the Bay State Games The senior capand is three-time league All-Star and two-time tain scored 2 goals and assisted on 2 others Her career totals are 62 goals and 26 as- National Honor Society member Scharn has also been a three-year league ceived a commendation for a National Merit Sr pated in Junior Olympics in field hockey this Stanford Scharn is considering scholarship offers William Mary four- league All-Star and led her team in assists year and 12 She was second leading scoring for three years Schaffer scorer in 1986 with 18 goals and 15 assists She fin- junior honor roll student all as hobbies basketball Campbell and ished with career totals of 44 goals and 41 as- softball sists Schaffer is the eighth Harwich player to be would like to play fieid hockey at the college levnamed a Globe All-Scholastic in field hockey a panel of member of the National Honor Society WILSON ALISON SANDWICH DIVISION 2 Only a junior Corradi scored 14 goals and assisted on 13 others to help unbeaten Sandwich (22-0) capture the Division 2 state championship Corradi set a school record for assists with 27 Her career totals stand at 26 goals and 43 assists Corradi was co-MVP and a league AllStar in each of the last two years and was a league All-Star in basketball in 1986 She also participated in the Bay State Games in 1986 and 1987 in basketball and she holds the school record in triple-jump (34 feet in 1985) DIVISION 1 Olander makes her second appearance as Globe coach of the year This year she coached her team to a 23-0-0 record and a Division 1 state title this was the best team I have ever coached," Olander said seven are academically ranked in the top 10 percent of their class They are achievement oriented." SUZANNE ERICSON SAND who has an impressive career record of 89-21-15 finally got her state championship this year when Sandwich went 22- 0 and took the Division 2 state titie Since coming to Sandwich (she formerly coached at Barnstable and Nauset) Ericson has led her teams to a 69-9-4 record HOCKEY SCHEDULES SOUGHT The Globe is seeking league master schedules in boys' and girls' basketball and hockey Athletic directors and league representatives are asked to mail the master schedules to: School Sports League schedules will begin appearing in the Globe on Sunday The winter league standings for all sports will first be published Tuesday The first standings calls should be made on Sunday The Globe coaches' polls in boys' and girls' basketball and hockey The Week That Was and the hockey and basketball reports will also be published starting Jan Daily scores should be called into 929-3235 or 929-2860-66 0 The All-Scholastic volleyball and ISL teams will be announced Dec ANDREA CAMPBELL HOLLISTON Campbell made the move from goalie (where THE LEAGUE ALL-STARS she recorded 16 shutouts as a freshman and sults sophomore) have been impressive as a junior This she (as selected by the coaches) to forward and the rescored 8 and assisted 6 others year to lead BAY STATE Tyngsboro; Amy Caruso Wilmington; Sue KilliHolliston to a 12-3-3 record Wilare 15 goals and 10 assists in two years Milton; Tara bell is also a member of the basketball and soft- O'Toole She has been on the National Honor ton; Kim Brookes Watertown; Lauren Society for three years and hopes to attend ei- Wellesley; Cindy Bevilaqua Lexington; Canning's 22 points led the Bay State CAPE ANN Tucker Lexington; Cathy League this season and earned her the league's Lori Heywood Triton; Diane But- Winchester; Ritika Bowry finishing with career to- Amesbury; Jill Camuso Lynfield; Megan Carbeen a league All-Star in field hockey for two gill years and was a Greater Boston League All-Star buryport; Julie Crawford Canning's hobbies include Amy Meringer A student representative to the State cott she is undecided about her college Georgetown; Leslie Fatalo The All-Scholastic selection is the culmina- wich; Tara Schaffer Gloucester; Inez tion of a very good year for West been named Hockomock League MVP and cap- Nantucket; Lorraine Marks Salem; tain of the league's All-Star team a member of the Junior Olympic bronze medal Martha's Vineyard; Rita Suarez team and a member of the gold medal team in tha's Vineyard; Stacey She finished the season tha's Vineyard; Joy Futch Bridgewater-Raynwith 8 goals and 6 assists Hingham; Karen totals are 20 goals and 16 assists Holy Cross or Providence Col- DUAL COUNTY ton; Marlene Lopes hon- Concord-Carlisle; Vicki Chantel Casey Dighton-Rehoenough to earn league Dighton-Reors She also was scoring ader in the Merri- coln-Sudbury; Deidre Vannon A three-year varsity coln-Sudbury; Stephanie Lind Lavina's interests education and sports SAUGUS 13-1 record and a 22 goals and 11 asConference Player-ofAll-Star in softball field hockey career Whyte who enjoys was a member of hockey championshe ranks sixth in about college She hopes Hampshire or include physical CHRISTINE DIGHTON-REH Monteiro led the South Coast Conference in scoring for the second straight year with 27 goals and 5 assists Monteiro also has been a member of the varsity basketball "Chris is a workhorse," said coach Susan Waletkus "She possesses excellent stick-handling skills along with good speed." Monteiro is ranked 19th in her class CATHY GUDEN WATERTOWN Although only a sophomore Guden was the Middlesex League MVP and leading scorer with 16 goals and 7 assists She also was a Middlesex League All-Star in softball and basketball last year and competed in the Bay State Games in field hockey She was a member of the National Junior Olympic Softball and AAU Junior Olympic Basketball teams last year is ranked second in her class of 220 students Somerset; Tracey SANDRA WHYTE Whyte led Saugus to a league championship with sists The Northeastern the-Year was also a league last year She finished her with 26 goals and 20 assists the US National Midget ice ship team last year is undecided hopes to attend an Ivy League Kerrigan Medway; Krissi' Manfredonia; Lynn Duffy