Obituaries 12-07-2017

Kathleen ‘Kathee’ Murray Woytaszek

Of New Hampshire, formerly of Winthrop

Kathleen “Kathee” Murray Woytaszek of Tuftonboro, NH, formerly of Winthrop, passed away suddenly on November 12 at her home. She was 53 years old.

Kathee was a Certified Nursing Assistant and enjoyed being a caregiver to many people throughout the years. She spent over 20 years volunteering at the American Veterans Society (AMVETS) auxiliary in Winthrop. She was president of the auxiliary numerous times over the years. Her devotion to veteran’s and children’s charities was second to none. Her favorite holiday was Halloween and one of her favorite projects was a haunted house that she built for all the children. In fact, she still has some of the Halloween props. Kathee’s life may seem short to many but those who were touched by her understand that the quality of existence far exceeds the quantity of the time in which one lives.

The sister of the late Marsha Hughes and daughter of the late John Murray, she is survived by her mother, Jean Murray of Winthrop. She was the dear sister of Jane Flaherty of Revere, Patricia Evans Nichols of Winthrop and John “Jackie” Murray of Lynn. Kathee was proud to be the mother to four beautiful children: Edward Jeffries, IV, Nicholas Woytaszek, Taylor Stallings, all of Winthrop and Mariena Murray of Tuftonboro, NH. She took great pleasure and pride in being a grandmother to Sienna and Sophia Jeffries of Somersworth, NH and was looking forward to the arrival of her new granddaughter in April of 2018. Kathee is also survived by many nieces and nephews and her longtime friend, Dale Woytaszek.

A funeral service was held from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop on Friday, November 17. Committal was private. To sign the online guestbook go to www.caggianofuenralhome.com.

Josephine Tanner

Retired executive secretary for the Metropolitan District Planning Commission

Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Friday, Dec. 8 from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Vertuccio & Smith Home for Funerals, 773 Broadway (Route 107) Revere, for Josephine C. (Camerlengo) Tanner who passed away following a brief illness on Thursday, Nov. 10 at her Prospect House residence in Revere. Her funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Saturday, December 9, at 10 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church (corner of Beach Street and Winthrop Avenue) Revere at 11 a.m.

A peculiar coincidence is that her passing came three days following the 75th anniversary (on November 27, 1942) of the infamous “Coconut Grove” fire in Boston’s Bay Village. Josephine was there and present –when her group arrived late for an evening at the club, they were seated in the small lounge at the front of the building and, it was most probably, the major reason why they survived the tragedy.

Born to humble Italian immigrants, Bernardino and Maria (Marone) Camerlengo in East Boston, the family settled in Revere when Josephine was a little girl. An outstanding student, she was a graduate of East Boston High School, Class of 1937. She went on to Boston Secretarial school and was a graduate of the Class of 1939.

Josephine joined the U.S. Navy (WAVES) in December of 1942 and served with the rank of Seaman 2nd Class until her discharge in January of 1946. She was a proud member of the military and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post 61 of Revere.

Josephine “Auntie Joe” began her career at Forbes Lithograph and remained there until 1952, when she began her tenure at the Metropolitan District Planning Commission, where she rose to the position of “executive secretary,” a position she held for 33 years until retiring in 1985. To her death, she still had several friends from her days at the MDPC.

In November of 1977, she was widowed by the untimely and unexpected demise of her dear husband, Louis A. Tanner, Jr. The couple was childless and Josephine soon became the “surrogate” mom, grandmother and great-grandmother to her many nieces and nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews and great grand nieces and great grand nephews, a position on which she thrived.

Her fraternal associations were several, The Daughters of Italy (Ladies Lodge) at the Giuseppe Mazzini Lodge of Revere, the Winthrop Improvement & Historical Association, the Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts and the Revere Society for Cultural & Historic Preservation, Inc.

However, keeping in mind that Josephine was an ardent and proud member of the “Greatest Generation,” she regaled in detail the responsibilities that one assumes when joining fraternal organizations, i.e., supporting the society physically and monetarily. Her days were filled with meetings, luncheons and planning activities that often occupied her schedule until late in the evening. Her lifestyle made a change about two years ago when she moved to Prospect House.

She was the dear sister of the late Mildred Gargiulo and her late husband, Gerald H., Ann A. Savoia and her late husband, Charles and William B. Camerlengo and his late wife, Claire; the devoted aunt to: Angela Howell of Cape Coral, Fla., Richard Giglio and his wife, Joanne of Raleigh, N.C., Beryl Segal of Wainae, Hawaii, Carl Savoia of Revere, Geralyn A. Gargiulo and her husband, Brian Parrell of Revere and North Conway, N.H., Meryl Sachs of Pacific Grove, Calif., Maria Camerlengo of Salem, N.H., Lawrence “Larry” Powers of Winthrop, Louis Powers of Southboro, MA and Joanne Grimes and her husband, Paul of Olney, Md.

She is also lovingly survived by her God-daughter, Patricia Hazzard and her husband, Robert of Worcester and by many faithful and respectful grand nieces and grand-nephews and great-grand-nieces and nephews.

For over 45 years, Josephine was a Winthrop resident before moving back to Revere at the Prospect House.

Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Legion Post 61 “Restoration Fund,” 249 Broadway, Revere, MA 02151.

For additional information, please visit: www.vertuccioandsmith.com.

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