Joseph Macchiavelli, Jr.
Accomplished Musician and U.S. Postal Service Emplyee
Joseph A. Macchiavelli, Jr. of Winthrop passed away unexpectedly on March 14. He was 54 years old.
Born in Boston he was the beloved son of Stella (Micciche) and Joseph A. Macchiavelli, Sr. A lifelong resident of Winthrop, he attended St. John the Evangelist Parochial School and went on to graduate from Winthrop High School in 1984. At the time of his passing, he worked as a mail handler at the South Postal Annex for over 30 years. He started playing the guitar at an early age and became an accomplished musician playing in several local bands.
He was the dear brother of Anthony Macchiavelli of Rowley and the loving uncle of Chloe, Anthony and Patrick.
Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the visitation from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop on Sunday, March 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. A funeral service will be held in the funeral home following the visitation at 8 p.m. Committal will be private.
Attendees must observe social distancing and wear face masks in the funeral home.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuenralhome.com.
John Messina
U.S. Postal Service Retiree
John J. Messina of Winthrop and formerly of East Boston passed away at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on March 7. He was 77 years old.
Born in Boston, the beloved son of the late Nancy (Carino) and John Messina, he has been a resident of Winthrop since 1978 and was employed as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. He was a Big 10 Football referee, a National Handball Champion, a member of the West End House Camp Club and a member of the Paris Street Gym in East Boston.
He was the loving father of Matthew J. Messina and his wife, Katie Cersale-Messina of Peabody and Christopher Messina of Winthrop, the dear brother of Rosemary Sammarco and her husband, Mike of Stoughton, cherished grandfather of Christopher, Logan and Paige and is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.
Services and committal were private.
Memorial donations may be made to the Salesian Boy’s and Girl’s Club 150 Byron St., East Boston MA 02128.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop.
Eleanor Pumphret
She Took Care of Her Family and Made It Look Effortless
Eleanor C. (Burns) Pumphret of Winthrop passed peacefully with her two sons at her side on March 11 at the Katzman Center in Chelsea. She was 86 years old.
Eleanor was the beloved wife of the late William F. Pumphret Jr. She was born in Winthrop on July 24, 1934, the cherished daughter of the late Carl and Mary (Londergan) Burns.
Eleanor was raised and went to school in the Beachmont section of Revere. She married in 1955, raised her family in Winthrop and lived here for the remainder of her life.
Eleanor owned and operated an antique store on Beacon Hill throughout the 80’s and early 90’s. She was an avid cook and homemaker who loved gardening as well as the many dogs she had over the years. She took care of her family and made it look effortless.
Eleanor is survived by her sons, William F. Pumphret III and Stephen Pumphret and his wife, Robby, all of Winthrop; the adored grandmother of Matthew Pumphret and his wife, Haley of Los Angeles, Andrew Pumphret of Cambridge, Erin Pumphret of Manchester, NH and Owen Pumphret of Winthrop; the dear sister of the late Virginia Kirk of Swampscott and the late Carl Burns Jr. of Chelmsford and the loving mother-in-law of the late Maureen McConnon of Vista, California.
She is also survived by many nieces and nephews who she loved and cherished throughout her life.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated in St. John the Evangelist Church,
Winthrop on Monday, March 15 and interment followed in Winthrop
Cemetery (Belle Isle Section). Donations in her memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Assn. 309 Waverly Oaks Rd. Waltham, MA 02452 or to the Breast
Cancer Research Foundation 28 West 44th St. Suite 609, New York, NY. 10036.
Funeral arrangements were by the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210
Winthrop St., Winthrop. To sign Eleanor’s guestbook, please visit:
www.mauricekirbyfh.com
Richard Greene
Spending Time with Family Brought Him the Most Enjoyment
Richard J. “Dick†Greene, 89, died on Monday, March 8, amongst his loved ones.
He was the husband of the late Mary Louise (Graham) Greene with whom he celebrated more than 50 years of marriage.
Dick was born on February 19, 1932 in Winthrop and graduated from Winthrop High School and Boston College.
His early life was shared with his twin brother, Robert, late brother Arthur, late sister Joan and sisters Carol and Ann.
One of Dick’s earliest and fondest memories was the family farm in Derry, NH. He and his siblings would work on the farm every summer to grow and can food.
His favorite crop was strawberries and this carried over to his adult life where his favorite dessert was strawberry ice cream and strawberry shortcake
He was a veteran of the Korean war and was a Diesel Mechanic for the US Air Force while stationed in Alaska and the Mohave Desert.
He would often joke about how he wondered what he did to be transferred from one of the coldest places in the U.S. to the hottest area in the U.S.
In 1958, Dick met and married his soul-mate, Mary Louise and raised four children in Duxbury. He was a loving and supportive husband and their love was apparent to all.
As a devout Catholic, his faith guided him throughout his life.
He spent his career as a self-employed masonry contractor and the handyman of the family.
He could fix or build just about anything and put his mechanical skills to the test keeping the fleet of family cars on the road.
In his semi-retirement, he was known as “J†from J’s Ice Cream truck on Duxbury Beach. He always said it was his favorite job ever.
Spending time with family brought Dick the most enjoyment.
One of his favorite pastimes with his children was camping on Cape Cod during summers and playing with them in the ocean or lake.
His grandchildren will forever know him as “Safety Man†because he would watch over them like a hawk when playing in the water and not once did they leave the house without his reminder to put on a jacket.
Dick will be deeply missed and never forgotten by his four children, Robert, James, Julie and Karen; in-laws, Karen, Mary and Bill and his five grandchildren: Michael, Thomas, Tess, Maggie and Will.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated in St. John the Evangelist Church-Winthrop on March 16 and interment followed in the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Donations in his memory can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601, act.alz.org ​
Funeral arrangements were by the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home 210 Winthrop St. Winthrop. To sign Richard’s guestbook, please visit: www.mauricekirbyfh.com
Joseph Curto
Auto Mechanic
Joseph Curto of Chelsea passed away at the Chestnut Woods Nursing Home in Saugus on March 8. He was 63 years old.
Born in Boston, he was the beloved son of the late Loretta (Clerico) and Vincent Curto. A resident of Winthrop and Revere, the highlight of his life was working as an automobile mechanic and he was very proud of how he excelled at his chosen trade.
He was the loving father of Brianna Rich of Derry, NH and Joseph C. Curto of Revere, dear brother of Maureen L. Curto, Vincent Curto and Wayne Curto, cherished grandfather of Jordan, Leila and Ella and he is also survived by his son’s dog, Viko.
Services and committal were private.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop. To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.
Cecelia Cataldo Latorella
June 26, 1920 — March 10, 2021
Cecelia Cataldo Latorella of Peabody, formerly of Winthrop, died peacefully in her sleep on March 10. She lived a long, nearly 101 year creative life. Cecelia was a gifted artist, poet, and author.
She was predeceased by her husband, Henry, her mother, Frances Bolino Cataldo, her father, Joseph Cataldo, and her nephew, Donald Simonini (Beverly). She is survived by her sister, Dorothy Simonini (George), and two sons, A. Henry Latorella (Cathy) and Jon Latorella (Caroline and Megan). She leaves 11 grandchildren: Kara, Marc, Kassie (Ogles), Jon, Jr. (Noelle), Alycia, David, Steven, Henry, Rylan, Maddie and Emmett as well as three great-grandchildren: Elissa, Owen and Ethan. She is also survived by her nephew, Paul Simonini (Donna).
A celebration of her life will be held post-COVID, and her remains will be buried in the Winthrop Cemetery next to her husband. Donations in her name may be made to the Peter A. Torigian Community Life Center – Senior Center in Peabody. Arrangements are under the direction of Paul Buonfiglio & Sons ~ Bruno Funeral Home.
Rodney William Beck II
An Owner of Belle Isle Connection
Rodney William Beck II of Winthrop, an owner of Belle Isle Connection, died recently.
He had a love for his Boston teams, poker and pool.
The beloved son of Susan Montuori Beck and the late Rodney Beck, he was the cherished brother of Tiffany Beck and Brittany Martinez, loving uncle of Jackson Martinez and loving brother in law of Nicholas Martinez. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Barbara Hilton Montuori and John Montuori. He was the cherished nephew of Robert Montuori of Duxbury, Nancy Montuori and Dave Stein of Glendale, Ca., and John “Skipper†Montuori and Claire Montuori of Meredith, NH and the stepson of Carol Beck of Lakeland, FL. He also leaves his beloved cats Morales, Jetta, Tiger and Mickey. He was the beloved friend to many, his childhood friends, the late Josh Pepi of Winthrop and Fred Hagstrom, Shawn “Smitty†Smith, Chad Oliver, Adam and Barry Robertson. Art King, Owen Sliter, Joe Lombay, Jim Graber, Harry Tiburcio, Greg Bryant and all of the DirtyJacks poker community, and all his pool leagues. Ok his box beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend.
A Memorial Service will be held 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 24 at Osceola Memory Gardens, 3175 Pleasant Hill Rd., Poinciana, FL 34746.