Edward Cardoza
The winner of many Special Olympics Medals, had many friends and touched many lives
Edward M. “Eddie†(Ned) Cardoza, 69, of Winthrop passed suddenly on November 15 at Advocate Rehab, East Boston as a result of many post- Covid-19 recovery complications. He recently enjoyed in-house social activities and outdoor visits with his devoted sister, Ann Cultrera of Medford and her husband, Steve.
The son of the late Manuel and Anna (Riley) Cardoza, Ned was also the beloved brother of Tom and Sandy Cardoza of Parrish, FL, Maureen and Bob Saffi and Bobby and Alicia Cardoza of Waterbury, VT and the late Richard Cardoza and his wife, Lorraine of N. Andover. He is also survived by many loving nieces and cousins as well as the DDS/MRS family who cared for and about him for so many years.
Ned went through the Winthrop public school system, special needs, graduating with the class of 1970. He loved being on the high school cross-country and track teams, excelling in longer-distance events. He would go on to win many Special Olympic medals, including during the 1991 International games in Minneapolis.
After his father’s death in 1972, Ned lived at home for over five years with his caring brother Bobby followed by Dept. of Developmental Services group home placements and many years with the Fernald in Waltham.
Eddie, as his DDS family knew him, was lovingly called the “Walking Man.†He would roam the Fernald grounds, popping in to visit many patient and supportive staff members on his way to the activity center. Eddie loved chatting about sports and recent events as well as family and the latest Sunday matinee movie seen with his sister.
When the Fernald closed, Eddie moved to a group home in South Boston where he will be sadly missed by his loving staff and roommates as well as so many others within the DDS system who served his many needs and appreciated his sweet soul, quirky sense of humor, and caring nature.
Eddie also attended weekday social programs at Work, Inc. in Dorchester where he was known for doing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game†at weekly karaoke.​
Services are being arranged by the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop with a celebration of Ned’s life to be planned there at a future time. Contributions in his name may be made to the Special Olympics or any other favorite charity.
“Eddie†(Ned) had many friends and touched many lives. We encourage you to share your memories by visiting www.mauricekirbyfh.com.
Thomas Donovan
Vice Commander of Orient Heights Yacht Club
Thomas J. Donovan of Winthrop passed away on November 18.
Thomas loved dogs. He was a past member of the VFW and the Vice Commander of the Orient Heights Yacht Club. Thomas was also a veteran of the United States Navy.
He was the devoted husband of Mary P. Donovan (Cohan), loving father of Ian Donovan, Christine Noel, Kara Kelley and Erin Kehoe; cherished grandfather of Mark, Emily, Julia, Nora, Spencer, Kylie and Dannika.
Family and friends will honor Thomas’s life by gathering at the Ruggiero Family Memorial Home, 971 Saratoga Street, Orient Heights East Boston on Friday, November 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a memorial service celebrating his life. All services will be held in accordance with Phase-3 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts phased reopening plan due to COVID-19. Face coverings are required to be worn and social distancing measures are encouraged. For more information, please visit www.ruggieromh.com.
Edward ‘Jim’ Soper III
Director of Everett Inspectional Services and Former Winthrop Building Inspector
Edward “Jim†Soper III of Winthrop passed away unexpectedly at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on November 21. He was 60 years old. Born in Winthrop, he was the beloved son of the late Marilyn “Cookie†(Ciampa) and Edward J. Soper, Jr. A lifelong Winthrop resident, he was a 1978 graduate of Winthrop High School. He went on to attend Norwich University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. He worked in the roofing industry for many years before becoming the building inspector for the Town of Winthrop. At the time of his passing, he was the Director of Inspectional Services for the City of Everett. He also taught at the Wentworth Institute in Boston.
He had a lifelong love of Hockey and would still skate two nights a week at the Winthrop Rink. He was a member of the Winthrop Lodge of Elks and the Barn Boys, Inc. He loved fishing but most of all loved his kids and cherished his grandchildren. He also enjoyed working on his daughter’s farm.
He was the devoted husband since 1982 to Diane (Ricupero) and the loving father of Jennifer Hernandez and her husband, Rob and James Soper and his wife, Sara Soper Stevens; dear brother of Michael Soper and his wife, Debbie and the late Lisa Zagarella; cherished grandfather of Elian Hernandez, Janelise Hernandez and Scarlett Soper Stevens.
Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the Funeral Mass in the St. John the Evangelist Church 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Saturday, November 28 at 10 a.m. Committal will be private.
*Attendees must observe social distancing and wear masks in the Church*
Arrangements under the direction of the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop. To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.
Stella Anastos Rodis
AÂ mother with quick wit and loving nature
On Thursday, November 19, Stella Anastos Rodis, loving mother of three children, passed away at age 95.
Stella was born on March 18, 1925 in Winthrop. She graduated from Winthrop High School and went on to attend the Massachusetts School of Art in Boston and majored in advertising. She created ads that were published in the Boston Globe before she married.
She had a quick wit and a loving nature. She inspired her children to go to college and to be all they could be.
Stella was preceded in death by her husband, Eleptherios, her mother, Elizabeth, her father, Christi, her brothers, Harry and Theodore. She is survived by her three children: Elizabeth and her husband, Richard, Deborah and her husband, Charles and Jonathan and his wife, Kathy. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Erin and her husband, Robert, Shaun and his, wife Bidisha, and Harrison and his girlfriend, Jenna. She also leaves three great grandchildren: Stella, Isabelle and Oliver.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of Stella can be made to Rosie’s Place, 889 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118.
Services and interment 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.
Patricia Austin Jones
Touched many and will be missed by all who knew her
Patricia Jones Austin of South Yarmouth and Naples, FL, formerly of Winthrop and Melrose, passed away on November 18. Patricia was the beloved wife of Robert C. Austin and devoted mother of Joanne Austin of Malden. Born in Winthrop, she was the cherished daughter of the late Thomas A. and Margaret M. (Flannery) Jones, dear sister of Thomas Jones and his wife, Martha of Virginia Beach, VA. and Margaret “Peggy†Herbert and her late husband Daniel of Winthrop. Chachee (as she was affectionately known) had many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends who loved her dearly.
Patricia worked for many years at the United Airlines Red Carpet Club at Logan Airport, a job she truly loved and a treasure trove of wonderful friends and memories.
She touched the lives of many people and will be missed by all who knew her.
Keep howling at the moon!!
Her Funeral Mass was celebrated in St. John the Evangelist Church, 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Monday, November 23. Interment was private. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory can be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute 450 Brookline Ave. Boston, MA. 02215 or to a charity of your choice.
Funeral arrangements were by the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop. To sign her guestbook, please visit our website at www.mauricekirbyfh.com.
Judge Joseph Vincent Ferrino, Sr.
Retired Justice of East Boston District Court
Judge Joseph Vincent Ferrino, Sr. passed away peacefully in Boston on November 22.
Born in 1926 in Boston, he was a child of Sicilian parents who immigrated to the Boston area via Ellis Island around 1910. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife of over 60 years, Marie A. (“Jeanetteâ€) Ferrino, his brother, Peter J. Ferrino, MD, and his sister, Annette M. Nazzaro. He is survived by his four children: Joseph V. Ferrino, Jr. of Winthrop, Joanne F. Zahrobsky and her husband, Colonel Joseph R. Zahrobsky, USAF (Ret.), of Tampa, FL, Paula J. Fosa of Winthrop and Richard H. Ferrino and his wife, Rhonda K. Ferrino of Winthrop. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, several great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Judge Ferrino was a World War II veteran, a Boston area attorney, a district court justice, a veterans organization leader, a patriotic organization founder, a beacon in the Italian American community, and a volunteer for hundreds of community causes and organizations.
A graduate of Boston University Law in 1951, Judge Ferrino returned to his roots to open a one-man practice in a brownstone law office in East Boston. There he served clients and became involved in several national causes until, in 1971, the Governor of Massachusetts appointed him a judge in the East Boston District Court. In 1976, he was promoted to presiding justice of that court. Over the ensuing 25 years, Judge Ferrino stewarded his court into a unique community asset–a multi-dimensional community court complete with a totally unique in-court community medical clinic and a Boy Scout coeducational Explorer Post. In addition, he also initiated Law Day in the Massachusetts courts. In 1989 the president of the Massachusetts Bar Association presented him their Public Service Award, calling his court “unparalleled in the state.†In addition to his court responsibilities, Judge Ferrino was a member of the Massachusetts, North Suffolk, and Boston Bar Associations. He sat on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Jurists, the Governor’s Task Force on Juvenile Justice, and the Judicial Committee on Courthouses and Facilities. He also served as President of the Justinian Law Society and was recently named “Honorary Deanâ€. His academic lecture and two advising resumes included Harvard University, the National Judicial College, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the University of Massachusetts, Brandeis University, Salem State University and numerous others. Many of these activities resulted in published scholarly work.
Beyond his legal career, however, Judge Ferrino lived a remarkable life in many other diverse fields. He entered the Merchant Marines and then later, enlisted in the U. S. Navy for the last 24 months of World War II. After the war ended, he attended college at the University of Alabama, and Boston University for law school. But he never lost his connection with veterans. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans, the Italian American War Veterans, the East Boston Veterans Council, and most notably, the American Veterans–commonly known as the AMVETS. There, he commanded its local post, served as its Massachusetts Judge Advocate, co-wrote the national constitution and by-laws, and commanded its Northeast District. He went on to serve as its National Judge Advocate and its representative to international veterans councils in The Hague and Geneva. Finally, in 1968, he was elected its 25th National Commander and served in Washington, DC for a year.
He was also fiercely patriotic. Judge Ferrino founded the Bay State Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. It became a major focus of his energies, particularly after retirement from the bench in 1991, and he served in multiple offices, including president. His work in building the group from scratch ultimately provided hundreds of young people an immersive U. S. policy and education experience at the Freedoms Foundation national education center in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania even as his local chapter served Massachusetts as a cornerstone organization in public affairs and traditions.
Judge Ferrino’s role in the Italian American community was legendary. Over the decades he served in every leadership role in the Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts. He was instrumental in building the cultural center in Cambridge. In 1998, working closely with the governor, he was instrumental in establishing the annual October Italian Heritage Month in Massachusetts. He maintained active membership in a plethora of Italian American organizations his entire life. He also worked closely with the Italian 3 Consulate in Boston, hosting and supporting a number of consuls general and their work in Massachusetts and New England.
Judge Ferrino also served in numerous other leadership and advisory capacities. At various times he co-chaired the 1987/1988 East Boston and Winthrop Bicentennial Committee, the Trinity Neighborhood House, the Boston Bicentennial and the Boston Jubilee. He incorporated and advised the East Boston and North Suffolk Mental Health Clinics. He served as president of the East Boston Chamber of Commerce, the East Boston Kiwanis Club, and the East Boston Social Centers, Inc. He sat on the Boards of the YMCA Armed Services, Huntington General Hospital, Trinity House Camps, Inc., and the Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library. He served as Scoutmaster of Troop 15, and sat on the Executive Board of the Boston Council of the Boy Scouts. And he co-published the East Boston Leader.
Judge Ferrino’s U.S. and International awards and decorations were myriad. He was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic as Commendatore dell’Ordine della Stella della solidarietà italiana (A Commander of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity). In May 2016, Freedoms Foundation presented him its highest national award, the “Spirit of ‘76†medal and, in 2018, the Massachusetts State House of Representatives honored him for his “collective body of work†on the Italian Heritage Month Committee. In 1989 he was honored with a Grand Knighthood in the Order of Saint Michael the Archangel of the Massachusetts Italian American Police Officers Association. He held awards and recognition from every level of the Massachusetts Bar and countless other organizations.
In view of the national health emergency, memorial and interment services will be held privately for the immediate family only. A retrospective public celebration of life is contemplated for some later date when safety can be assured. Friends wishing to make a memorial gesture are encouraged to donate to the American Diabetes Association.
Arrangements under the direction of the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop.
To sign the online guestbook go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.