Maureen Bailey
Of Winthrop
Maureen A. Bailey of Lincoln St., Winthrop passed away at the Kaplan Family Hospice in Danvers on July 8. She was 82 years old.
Born in Winthrop, the beloved daughter of the late Agnes (Carlton) and Thomas Farley, she was the devoted wife of the late William G. Bailey and the loving mother of William Bailey of Arlington, Kevin Bailey of Boston, Kerry Reddy and her husband, Chris of California and Thomas Bailey and his wife, Beth of Winthrop; dear sister of the late Agnes, Bernard, Thomas and John Farley and cherished grandmother of Julia, Connor, John, Owen, Shannon, Nick, Thomas and Teddy.
The Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church and interment in the Riverview Cemetery, Groveland were private. o sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.
Ernest ‘Ernie’ Deeb
World War II Combat Veteran and Retired Boston Firefighter/ Inspector
Mr. Ernest “Ernie†Deeb, age 97, of Winthrop, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Sunday afternoon, July 5, 2020.
He was the son of Shaheen and Zahee Deeb, who immigrated from Lebanon, through Ellis Island in early 1900, and was the brother to Jim, Nat, and Alice.
Shortly after returning home from the war, he married Rose Nassif, of the South End, and joined the Boston Fire Department.
Mr. Deeb is survived by his devoted sons, Ernie, Billy, Bobby, and Sammy, daughters-in-law Debbie, Terry, and Lisa. He also leaves grandchildren Jason, Jordan, Peter, Billy, Jenna, Bianca, Christina, Robert, Zachary, Sam, Nick, and Joe; great-grandchildren Elias, Zacki, Cyrus, Soraya, Maddison, Pete, Milo, Lena, and Alex, all of Winthrop. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, friends and relatives.
He loved his family and people in general.​
As the last surviving member of the Army’s 150th Combat Engineer Battalion, and all-New England outfit, Mr. Deeb fought through six major European campaigns, including “The Invasion of Normandy†and “The Battle of the Bulge.â€
He and his fellow soldiers served under the command of General George S. Patton, and along with surviving members of his Battalion, later received “The Presidential Unit Citation†from President Harry Truman for their contributions to the war effort and many outstanding achievements.
As a combat engineer, attached to the 4th Armor Division, he and the men of the 150th built numerous roads and bridges under heavy fire that allowed General Patton’s 3rd Army to advance across Europe and complete their mission.
A decorated Boston firefighter and inspector, Mr. Deeb served with distinction for 31 years in a number of firehouses throughout Boston. In 1959, while assigned to Ladder 22 in Charlestown, firefighters responded to alarm, where he rushed into a burning building, wrapped a three-year-old toddler in a blanket and carried her out to safety. They had an emotional meeting 50 years later.
In early 1970, Mr. Deeb was promoted to fire inspector and special hazards investigator. Assigned to the Boston City Hospital, he assisted them in obtaining their accreditation. He also performed inspection at the Christian Science Center during construction, as well as many other city establishments. As special hazards investigator, he along with a photographer reported on vacant and abandoned buildings in the city that did not meet fire safety regulations and required codes.
Mr. Deeb was honored in 2007 by the Boston City Council for his heroism and devotion to duty for the six campaigns of World War II and his 31 years of service as a Boston firefighter and inspector. On June 6, the anniversary of D-Day, he was presented with a proclamation by the City Council, declaring June 6 as “Ernie Deeb Day†in the City of Boston.
He was further honored with a designation of a corner in Boston’s South End, with a sign that reads.“Deeb Corner,†where he was born and raised along with his family.
A private service was held on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, with U.S. Military and Boston Firefighter ​Honor Guards present. He was very proud of his distinguished service.Interment was at Mount Benedict Cemetery in West Roxbury where his wife Rose is buried.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Thomas Funeral Home in Hyde Park. Donations can be made in his name to Disabled American Veterans of Boston Firefighters Death and Welfare Foundation.
Barbara Craig
Of Missouri, formerly of Winthrop and Revere
Barbara Craig of Kansas City, MO passed away peacefully at her home on July 12. She was 81 years old.
Barbara was born on June 25, 1939 in Winthrop to Alfred and Dorothy (Kelly) Silva. She grew up in Winthrop and graduated from Winthrop High School in 1956. She lived in Revere for 49 years.
On May 30, 1968 she married the love of her life, John E. Craig. From this marriage they had two children. While in Revere, Barbara was a member
of the Revere Society for Cultural and Historic Preservation (RSCHP) and the Immaculate Guild.
In 2017, she and John moved from the East Coast to Kansas City to be closer to her beloved grandchildren.
Barbara loved Elvis Presley; one of the family’s favorite memories is taking her to visit Graceland.
In her later years, Barbara found enjoyment going out to eat with her family and catching the latest episode of Days of Our Lives.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, John, who passed away in October of 2017; and sister, Elaine Cleary. She will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her children: William (Charlene) Craig and James (Kathleen) Craig; grandchildren, Meadow,
Danica, Cory, Kyle, Leah, and Ailsa; her sister, Geraldine Crombie and many nieces and nephews.
Services will be held privately in Massachusetts.