Robert “Bob†DeCicco
October 29, 1951 – May 21, 2023
Robert “Bobby D†DiCicco passed away suddenly at his childhood home in Winthrop where he was a lifelong resident.
Bob enjoyed living on the ocean and, as a youth, he was athletic, loving gymnastics and surfing and skiing all the way from the north shore to the south shore.
Bob was an accomplished artist and musician and a real “Renaissance man.†His bands, The Lost Souls and Cliff Rock and the Clam Diggers were an inspiration for a lifelong enjoyment of playing music. He was mainly self-taught and a left-handed guitar player.
His love of painting ranged from painting a scene of Winthrop Harbor to a colorful abstract to running his own painting business, Atlantic Coastline Decorators that painted the walls and ceiling of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Bob will be remembered by his friends from Suffolk Downs and Wonderland Dog Park in Revere where he especially loved Kentucky Derby day.
Bob was an “everything from scratch†cook and an attentive host. His visitors would always be offered a beverage in his best chilled glass, eclectic conversation, and a piece of whatever he was cooking at the time. Depending on the time of year, it may be something homegrown from his backyard garden.
Bob is survived by his sisters, Pauline Wallace of Oswego, NY and Gail Defeo of Plymouth and nieces and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Robert L. “Chick†and Elizabeth P. (Nesbitt), “Bessie†DeCicco, his sister, Libby and brother-in-law, Bobby Darling.
Farewell, Bob. We hope you’re sailing off with your special St. Pauli girl in the sky, making homemade pizza and brownies, playing guitar and painting pictures of trees all day long in your cozy L.L. Bean slippers. You were loved and will be missed and never forgotten.
Donations to the Veterans Art Project https://www.vetart.org/
Services will be private.
Karen Jean Meldrum
She Loved Her Family More Than Anything
Karen Jean Meldrum of Winthrop, born February 7, 1958, passed away on June 7, 2023, after a long battle with dementia.
Known at various points in her life as “Miss Karen†and “KK,†Karen’s mischievous sense of humor and her penchant for flirting was legendary. She would regularly introduce herself and anyone she was with to strangers in elevators, grocery stores and other random places, followed by the all-important question, “You married?â€
She loved dancing, bowling, doing her “paperwork,†spending time at her day program at TILL in Chelsea and participating in activities with the Revere League for Special Needs. More than anything, she loved her family.
She was predeceased by her parents, John and Barbara (Chisholm) Meldrum; her siblings: Elizabeth “Dee†Haley, Judith Grasso, Joyce Turner, and John “Jackie†Meldrum Jr. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, extended family and roommates.
After the loss of her parents, Karen was blessed by numerous caregivers who helped her live a full life. These included her brother, Jackie Meldrum and family, sister and brother-in-law, Judy and Charlie Grasso, her niece, Nancy Lima and family and the staff of the Bay Cove group homes of Revere and Mattapan.
Visiting hours were held in the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Monday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 12 noon. Interment was in Winthrop Cemetery.
Donations in her memory can be made to Toward Independent Living and Learning (TILL) or Bay Cove Human Services. Donate — Bay Cove Human Services Donations | Toward Independent Living and Learning (tillinc.org)
To sign Karen’s guestbook, please visit: ​www.mauricekirbyfh.com​.
Donald Sullivan
Decorated Vietnam Veteran Who Will Be Missed for Warm Generosity of Spirit and a Willingness To Help Out at a Moment’s Notice
Donald L. Sullivan, a longtime resident of Winthrop and beloved husband of Lois (Polsonetti) Sullivan, passed away at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on June 6, 2023. He was 79 years old.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 18, 1943, Donald was the youngest son of the late Daniel Sullivan and Helen Napier Sullivan. Raised in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, Donald graduated from Archbishop Williams High School in 1961. After initially studying at the Jesuit Seminary Shadowbrook in Lenox, Massachusetts with the intention of joining the priesthood, Donald instead graduated from Boston College. He served in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during the Vietnam War reaching the rank of Captain. Donald’s deployment during the Vietnam War included The Battle of Hamburger Hill in 1969. His many awards include the Silver Star and Purple Heart.
In later years, Donald was an active supporter of veterans’ causes. Having personally suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following his service in Vietnam, Donald acted as an advocate for local veterans with PTSD. Donald’s interviews with Dartmouth Professor & President James Wright were extensively referenced in Wright’s 2017 book Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War, a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Donald also had a distinguished career as a business executive, serving as CEO of multiple software companies, where he specialized in leading restructuring to return organizations to profitability.
In addition to his wife Lois, Donald is survived by his daughter Kathleen (Kate) Sullivan and son-in-law Evan Koch of Philadelphia, PA. He is also survived by his brother Paul Sullivan and his wife Ulla Sullivan of Dartmouth MA, as well as his sisters-in-law Linda Sullivan and Charlene Tyler. He is predeceased by his brother Daniel Sullivan of Marblehead. He also leaves behind a broad extended family united by marriage and years of shared laughter. Among those who knew him best, Donald will be missed for his warm generosity of spirit – a willingness to help out at a moment’s notice. He will also be missed for his ability to dispense life-changing practical advice and his quirky sense of humor that he shared with almost everyone he met, whether they wanted him to or not. That sense of humor was usually the source of delight for family members and friends, and occasionally a source of confusion for unsuspecting strangers.
Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the visitation from the Caggiano-O’maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop on Saturday, June 17, 2023 from 10 am – 12 pm with a brief memorial service to follow at 12 pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to local veteran service providers, like the New England Center and Home for Veterans (https://nechv.org/)
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.
Barbara Kelly
Retired CNA Who Was Generous, Caring and Compassionate
Barbara J. (Shell) Kelly, 85, passed away Thursday, April 6, 2023 at Cornerstone Hospice House in The Villages, FL and was reunited with her high school sweetheart and late husband, John (Jack) T. Kelly.
Barbara was born in Lawrence on May 31, 1937, the only daughter of the late Harry R. and Gertrude J. (Campbell) Shell. For 40 years, Barbara resided in Lynnfield before moving to the Villages with her late husband for the next phase of their lives.
Barbara worked as a CNA at multiple locations in Wakefield and Winchester including at the rest home owned by her mother. Throughout her career, she was generous, caring and compassionate about her residents. Upon retirement to the Villages, she continued her work caring for people as a volunteer at the Villages Regional Hospital in the oncology department.
Upon the death of her late husband, Barbara moved to an assisted living home where, in her spare time, she held a seat on the resident counsel where she advocated for residents and helped resolve issues with the management. While there, she loved socializing, playing UNO and Bingo with friends, heading out for lunches and participating in other group activities.
Barbara was deeply involved in her faith, conducting many Bible studies in her earlier years and sharing her faith with her friends and family in her later years.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Gertrude, her grandson, Phillip and her four brothers: Donald, Paul, Robert and Richard. Barbara is survived by her son, Brian and his wife, Beth Kelly of Billerica, her daughter, Dina and her husband, Richard Page of Haslet, TX; daughter, Jacqueline and her husband, Gary Cieszynski of Windham, NH and daughter, Barbara Kelly of Maynard; brother, William Shell of Winthrop, sister-in-Law, Margaret Laliberte of Chelmsford, brother-in-law, Robert Kelly of Coventry, RI and many nieces and nephews. Barbara is survived by eight grandchildren and spouses: Gillian and her husband, Drew Harrison; Tyler and his wife, Lauren; Joshua and his wife, Lauren; Alexa, Eric, Johnny and Lindsay as well as two great-granddaughters: Ellie and Everly.
Cremation has taken place at Banks/Page-Theus Funeral Home 410 Webster St. ,Wildwood, FL. Barbara’s Graveside Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 28 at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, 185 Lake St., Peabody. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Cornerstone Hospice – The Villages Hospice House, 601 Mariposa Way, The Villages, FL 32162 in memory of Barbara J Kelly.
Karen Boyken
Determined And Selfless Retired Nurse, of Brewster, Formerly of Winthrop
Karen Boyken, beloved daughter, mother and grandmother, passed away unexpectedly at her home in Brewster, MA on June 5.
Born on January 20, 1947 in Winthrop, Karen was the oldest of seven children born to Elliott and Florence Smith. She attended Winthrop High School.
Karen had her first child, James, at age 16 and had her son, Eric two years later. Despite her young age, being a good mother became the single most important focus of her life. She spent nearly 20 years in Florida raising Jimmy and Eric. In 1980, shortly after her daughter, Stephanie was born, Karen decided to return to Winthrop to be closer to family and to the Perkins School for the Blind, which was an incredible resource for her and for Jimmy for years to come.
Karen was determined and selfless – though she was a single mother most of her life, she made sure her children had every opportunity possible, from a world-class education at Perkins to figure skating lessons to a loving ear to listen and help sort out all of your problems.
She worked for years as a Nurse’s Aide at the Governor Winthrop Nursing Home and then returned to school while working full time, receiving her nursing degree from Soldier’s Home School of Nursing. Karen went on to work as a Nurse at Woodlawn Nursing Home and Partners Rehab in the North End, making wonderful lifelong friends along the way.
Karen retired to Cape Cod in 2020. While the pandemic kept her from developing a close-knit community there like the one she had in Winthrop, she found a lot of peace and joy in Brewster’s salty air.
As much as Karen loved being a mother, she cherished being a grandmother even more.
Though she didn’t get to see all of her grandchildren -– Nicole, Damian, Raven and Emmett – frequently, she adored them all. In recent years, she found special joy in playing trains with Emmett and spoiling him with sweets.
Karen is survived by her children, James Reynolds of Chelsea, Eric Reynolds of Georgia and Stephanie Sellers and her husband, Brian Sellers of Brooklyn, NY; four grandchildren: Nicole Reynolds of Massachusetts, Damian Reynolds and Raven Reynolds, both of Florida and Emmett Sellers of Brooklyn; five great-grandchildren; her brother,s Elliott and Richard Smith;and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her brothers: Alan and Stephen Smith and her sisters Deborah and Patricia Smith.
Visiting hours will be held in the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Saturday, June 17 from 9 to11 a.m. followed by a short memorial service in the funeral home beginning at 11 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Perkins School for the Blind or a charity of your choice.
To sign Karen’s guestbook, please visit: ​
www.mauricekirbyfh.com​