Phyllis Palermo
Federal Reserve retiree
Phyllis F. (Geraci) Palermo of Revere, formerly of Winthrop, died on March 24.
She worked for many years at the Federal Reserve in Boston and after retirement, Phyllis enjoyed traveling, bus trips to Foxwoods and walking the neighborhood and Square One Mall. She took great pride in her home, spending many hours gardening and planting flowers.
The beloved daughter of the late Stephen and Torille (DeMaso), she was the sister of Mary Geraci Tassinari and the late Jenny Anderson and is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass celebrating Phyllis’s life will be held in St. Anthony’s Church, Revere on Friday, April 9 at 12 noon. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Phyllis’s name to the charity of one’s choice. Interment will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park. Arrangements are by the Buonfiglio Funeral Home, Revere.
Eric Leach
Of Winthrop
Eric M. (Zona) Leach of Winthrop passed away on March 26.
The cherished son of Marie Zona and the late Michael and Eugene Leach and the late Kathy Hughes, he was the beloved father of Ella and Amelia Leach, loving fiance of Jillian Passaro, dear brother of Rhonda Areniello and her husband, Tizziano, Mario Zona and his wife, Tara, Vanessa D’Amelio and her husband, David, Joseph Leach, Katelyn Pumphret-Leach, Amy Hughes, Trinity Hughes and the late Kristy Hughes. He is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends as well as his best friend and beloved dog, Rocco.
Family and friends honored Eric’s life by gathering at the Ruggiero Family Memorial Home, 971 Saratoga St., East Boston on Tuesday, April 6 and again on Wednesday morning, April 7 at St. John the Evangelist Church, Winthrop for a Funeral Mass in celebration of Eric’s life. Services concluded with Eric being laid to rest at Winthrop Cemetery (Belle Isle Section). All services were held in accordance with the Commonwealth of MA COVID-19 reopening regulations. For more information please visit www.ruggieromh.com.
Carl ‘Sandy’ Bettano
Retired proprietor of Bostonian Business Forms and member of Winthrop Yacht Club
Carl W. “Sandy†Bettano of Winthrop passed away at the Salem Hospital on April 2. He was 74 years old.
Born in Boston, the beloved son of the late Helen (Hancharyk) and Roy Bettano, he grew up in the West End of Boston before moving to Winthrop. Prior to his retirement, he was the proprietor of Bostonian Business Forms for many years. He was also a member of the Winthrop Yacht Club.
He was the devoted husband of Juliet (Buonagurio) and the loving father of Matthew Bettano and his wife, Marianne of Stoneham, Mark Bettano and his wife, Staci, Luke Bettano and Peter Bettano and his wife, Jonilee, all of Winthrop; dear brother of Carla Bettano and her wife, Laurie of Jamaica Plain and the late Ann Bettano and cherished grandfather of Salvatore, Anthony, Juliet, Anabel and Robert.
The funeral will be conducted from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, 147 Winthrop St., Winthrop today, Thursday, April 8 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church, 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with interment in the Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery.
*Attendees must observe social distancing and wear masks in the funeral home, church and at the cemetery* For directions or to sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuenralhome.com.
Joseph Mercier
Draper Laboratory retiree
Joseph W. Mercier of Winthrop passed away on March 26. He was 89 years old.
Joseph was a U.S. Air Force veteran serving from 1951 to 1955 and worked as a technician for Draper Laboratory in Cambridge. He spent most of his life in Winthrop before retiring to Sarasota, Fla.
The beloved husband of the late Kathleen C. (Farrissey) Mercier, he was born in Boston, the cherished son of the late Wilfred L. and Mary Josephine (Murphy) Mercier. He was the devoted father of Kathleen J. Houseweart and her partner, Paul Page of Sarasota, FL, Carol A. Mercier, Michelle M. Bernard and her husband, Robert and Mary T. Prentice and her husband, James, all of Winthrop; adored grandfather of Sandra and James Houseweart, Colleen and Thomas Bernard and Max and Allison Prentice and proud great-grandfather to Cooper Prentice. He was the dear brother of the late Josephine Smith and loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated on Wednesday, April 7 in St. John the Evangelist Church, Winthrop and Interment followed in Winthrop Cemetery (Belle Isle Section). Funeral arrangements were by the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop. To sign Joseph’s guestbook, please visit: www.mauricekirbyfh.com.