Obituaries 08-04-2016

Sumner (Sonny) Monroe Brenner

Educator, businessman and fitness enthusiast

Sumner (Sonny) Monroe Brenner of Winthrop passed away at the Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home in Chelsea on July 21. He was 90 years old.

Sumner graduated from Roxbury Memorial High School in 1944. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the US Army Air Force and served during World War II.

He worked for the US Postal Service for a few years after the war and then enrolled at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut to prepare for college. He then attended Boston University, graduating in 1953 with a degree in education. Sumner taught public school for about 10 years before changing course and going into sales for a number of different industries. In 1970 he founded his own business, 7A Advertising Specialties which he operated successfully until his retirement in 2001.

Sumner was passionate about fitness and was a 50+ year member of the Boston YMCA. He ran the Boston Marathon multiple times in the 1950’s and continued to run for fitness and pleasure into his late 70’s when his health began failing. He also enjoyed reading, watching and following Boston sports teams and traveling and took great pleasure and pride in following the academic and professional success of his children and grandchildren.

He was the loving father of Lawrence Brenner of Winthrop, Linda Brenner and her husband, Herbert Wong of Rockville, MD and Lisa Brenner of Scarborough, Maine; the dear brother of Annette Schaffman of New Hampshire and the late Florence and Ruth Brenner. He was the cherished grandfather of Sophie, Sam, Emily, Tessa and Jeffrey.

A funeral service was followed by burial in Winthrop. Memorial donations may be made to the Fisher Center Foundation for Alzheimer’s Research (www.alzinfo.org.)

Kristine Gaddis

Of Kentucky, formerly of Winthrop

Kristine Gaddis of Bardstown, KY, formerly of Winthrop, passed away on July 31 at the age of 51.

Kristine attended Winthrop Public Schools thru eigth grade and then went on to graduate from St. Rose Catholic High School in Chelsea, Class of 1982. She was presently employed for Sykes Enterprises as a customer service manager.

Born in Winthrop, she was the beloved daughter of William J. Jr. and Dorothy J. (Welch) Gaddis, of Naples, FL; dear sister of Scott Gaddis and his wife, Nicole of Wayland; loving aunt of Katrina, James and Jack Gaddis; cousin of Dyan and Larry Bell, Bill and Cindy Bailey and Lucy Bell, all of Kentucky.

Her Funeral will be held from the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Friday, August 5, at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church, Winthrop at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited. Burial will follow in Winthrop Cemetery (Belle Isle Section). Visiting hours will be held in the funeral home today, Thursday, from 4 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name can be made to the Viking Pride Foundation P.O. Box 57 Winthrop, MA, 02152. For guestbook, please visit, www.mauricekirbyfh.com.

 Robert ‘Doug’ Donahue

Retired Boston Police Detective

Robert J. “Doug” Donahue, a 62 year resident of Winthrop. formerly of Charlestown, entered into eternal life on Friday, July 29 surrounded by his loving family at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston following an extended illness. He was 84 years old.
Doug was born in Boston on March 29, 1932, a son of the late John J. Donahue and Helen (Savage) Donahue. He grew up in Charlestown where he was educated in the Boston Public School system and graduated from Commerce High School.

Doug joined the Boston Police Department in 1960 and was assigned as a Patrolmen to District 4 in the South End of Boston before being transferred to District 7 in East Boston and District 15 in Charlestown which is now considered Area A. He was promoted to Detective and served in Area A before becoming the Boston Police Department Police Prosecutor for Charlestown District Court where his portrait still hangs in the hall of the court house. He received the William Taylor Award for most arrests and retired in 1997 following 37 years of faithful service to the City of Boston.

Doug never turned down a detail in his career so that he could provide for his beloved wife and nine children. He was the former Night Representative of the Boston Police Patrolman’s Association for District 7 in East Boston and was also the former Commissioner of Winthrop Cemetery in Winthrop.
Doug was the beloved husband of the late Anne L. (Carr) Donahue; the devoted father of Linda Donahue, Robert J. Donahue Jr. and his fiancé, Debra Lombardo, Thomas and Diane Donahue, Ann Barker, Sean and Tina Donahue, Carol and Harry Benson, Maureen and John DelSolio, Mary and Chris Page and the late Paul J. Donahue;  the loving Papa to 20 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren and the dear companion of Josephine Donahue; the brother of Donald Donahue and the late John J. Donahue Jr. He is also lovingly survived by many nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements are by the Ernest P. Caggiano and Son-O’Maley Funeral Home, 147 Winthrop St. Winthrop. His Funeral will be conducted from the funeral home today, Thursday, August 4 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church, 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop at 10 a.m. Interment to follow the mass will be in Winthrop Cemetery.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.