Obituaries 03-12-2026

Ellen Marie Fife

Retired VP of Operations for Winthrop Federal Credit Union

Ellen Marie (Gustavson) Fife, 85, of Winthrop, passed away peacefully while surrounded by her family on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, after a brief illness. She was the daughter of the late Grace (Hinckley) and Alfred Gustavson, also of Winthrop.

A graduate of Winthrop High School, Ellen worked various part time jobs while raising her four children before beginning a 30-year career with the Winthrop Federal Credit Union. There, she rose to Vice President of Operations, a role she held until her retirement. Through the years, she enjoyed traveling with her husband, friends, and family. Ellen loved spending holidays with her family, listening to music, and watching sports—especially the Red Sox. Always fond of animals, she was known to feed and adopt neighborhood stray cats. She had a green thumb and took excellent care of her house plants and flower garden. Her favorite pastime in recent years involved catching up with friends on the phone while lovingly bragging about her seven grandchildren.

Ellen is survived by her beloved husband of 62 years, John E. Fife Jr., and her children, Julie Klumpenaar and her husband, Peter; Timothy Fife and his wife, Heather (Rizzo); and Heather (Fife) Adamson and her husband, James. She was predeceased by her son, Patrick Fife. Ellen was the proud grandmother of Grace and Evan Smotrich; Chantal, Brandt, and Jillian Klumpenaar; and Hunter and Dylan Fife.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a local animal shelter or charity close to your heart in Ellen’s memory.

Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the visitation from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop on Saturday, March 14, 2026 from 9 to 11 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church. 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop at 11:30 a.m. Services will conclude with the interment in the Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery.

To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.

Ronald Merryman

He leaves behind a legacy of hard work, loyalty and countless everyday acts of kindness.

 Ronald Merryman, 79, passed away peacefully on March 1, 2026. Born on October 31, 1946, Ron lived a life defined by devotion to family, quiet generosity, and a steady pride in doing things right the first time.

A proud U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, Ron carried himself with strength and reliability throughout his life. He was hardworking, deeply devoted to his family, and happiest when he was taking care of the people around him.

Ron is survived by his beloved wife, Paula; his three children, Jenn, Ronnie and Kim; and three cherished grandchildren. He was a constant presence in his children’s lives, especially during their youth sports years, rarely missing a game or opportunity to support them.

An accomplished racquetball player in his younger years and a lifelong Boston sports fan, Ron also loved golf. One of his proudest personal achievements came this past November when he hit his first and only hole in one on the 6th hole at Winthrop Golf Club — a moment he celebrated with well-earned joy.

Ron will be remembered for his reliability, his steady presence, his sense of humor, and the deep love he had for his family. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work, loyalty, and countless everyday acts of kindness.

Family and friends will gather for a casual celebration of life at the Winthrop Golf Club at a later date.

To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.

Arrangements under the direction of the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop.

Nicholas Murphy

He was known for his hard work, dedication, and commitment to his community.

Nicholas P. Murphy of Winthrop, born January 18, 1960 passed away suddenly on March 7, 2026.

He was the beloved husband of Andrea (Fioretti) Murphy of Winthrop and the proud father of Daniel Murphy of Winthrop and his wife, Kristina, and Kaitlin Hensley of Peabody and her husband ,Jeff. Nicholas was a cherished grandfather to Dominic and Giuliana Pizzicannella-Murphy, who brought him great joy.

He was predeceased by his parents, Kathleen and George Murphy, and his sister, Zoe Galvin of Franklin. He is survived by his siblings: Louise of Weymouth, Geoffrey of New York, Amy of Alabama, George of Dorchester, and Thomas of Bellingham. He also leaves many loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Nicholas is survived by his beloved dogs, Tucker and Ramona, and was predeceased by his dog, Libby.

He spent his early years in Dorchester and cherished time in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine. He attended Boston College High School, where he excelled in track and developed a lifelong love of sports. A proud member of Local 25 Teamsters, Nicholas was known for his hard work, dedication, and commitment to his community.

Nicholas’s kindness, laughter, and spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. Family and friends are invited to gather to celebrate his life and share their memories at a memorial service.

Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the visitation from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop on Thursday, March 12, 2026 from 9 to 11 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. John the Evangelist Church, 320 Winthrop St., Winthrop at 11:30 a.m.

For directions, memorial donations or to sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.

Emilian “Vali” Ilie

He was loved very much and will be greatly missed by his family

Emilian “Vali” Ilie, 75, of Winthrop, Mass., passed away after a devastating stroke on March 7, 2026. He is survived by his wife Jana, son Dragos, daughter-in-law Jill, grandchildren and loves of his life, Gaby and Alex, and his two sisters in Romania, Catina and Valentina.

Vali’s story starts in S??cioara, Romania, where he was born on July 21, 1950 to Dumitru and Vergilia Ilie. Following his early Romanian education, he completed his 2-year mandatory service in the military. Vali and wife Jana then immigrated in 1989 with their 8 year old child, Dragos, fleeing communist rule for Manchester, N.H., where they bonded with a beautiful community of Romanian refugees who became lifelong friends. Once in the U.S., Vali continued to study chemical engineering, and ultimately spent most of his career working at R.P.P. Manufacturing in Lawrence, Mass.

He dedicated the last years of his life to being Papa chauffeur, handling every school drop-off and pick-up, always warming up the cold winter car 20 min. in advance for a cozy 5-min. ride to school. He never missed Gaby’s high-school gymnastics meets or Alex’s soccer games (with Coach Dragos). He was an avid tennis fan and in 2023 the boys, Vali, Dragos, and Alex, went to the U.S. Open in New York City.

Vali was many things—a devoted husband of 48 years, a loving father, and the best Papa to his grandchildren. He was loved very much by his family and will be greatly missed.

Family and friends are cordially invited to attend the visitation from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home, Winthrop on Friday, March 13, 2026 from 9 to 11   a.m.followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 11 a.m. Services will conclude with the interment in the Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery.

Join us in a celebration of his life afterwards, at the Ilie household.

To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.

Mathew Paul Palange

He found joy in life’s little things, a gift for making people smile and laugh and a love of life, animals and the town of Winthrop

Mathew Paul Palange, 83, affectionately known to many as “Matty P,” passed away on February 28th at Parkland Hospital in Derry, New Hampshire.

Born on May 3, 1942, in East Boston to proud Italian immigrants, Teresa and Matteo, Matt carried his heritage with pride throughout his life. As a teenager, he worked on Revere Beach operating rides. He later joined the United States Army in 1964, stationed in Fort Campbell, KY. He was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion Airborne 327th Infantry, Third US Army. During his time in the Army, he earned badges as a Parachutist and a Sharpshooter.

Matt went on to work as a machinist, often jokingly reminding everyone that he “used to make hot dogs and sausages.” He later dedicated many years to Avis until his retirement. He would enthusiastically yell “Hey guys!” out the window every time his family drove past. He was a longtime and proud resident of Winthrop, Massachusetts, a town he truly loved.

Matt had a deep love for life that stayed with him until the very end. He spent his final day with his granddaughter Aaliya, getting a haircut, taking a passport photo, visiting his son, Robert at work and walking through the mall. He found joy in life’s little things: word search books, playing solitaire on his phone, sitting in the sun, enjoying a cigar, and sipping a cold beer.

In his later years, he loved traveling with his daughter. Jodi and granddaughter, Aaliya, even though he insisted he “wasn’t a sightseer.” Matt had a gift for making people smile and laugh. There wasn’t a woman he met who he didn’t warmly call “sweetheart.” He loved to sing, was very knowledgeable about pop culture, and had a special love for animals — especially his beloved grand-pets Willow (“Princess”), Harper (“Queenie”), Charlie (“Chuck”), and Penny Lane (his “100 pound girlfriend”).

Matt was predeceased by his wife of 53 years, Roberta “Bobbie”, whom he would lovingly joke “only married him for his good looks.” He also joins his five siblings, Elisa, Albert, Esther, Gloria, and Elena in Heaven.

He is survived by his loving children: Rob of Lynn and his wife, Alicia and grandson, Owen; Jodi of Salem, New Hampshire, and granddaughter, Aaliya and Marc of Londonderry, New Hampshire, his wife, Liz and grandchildren, Lorelai and Lucas.

His family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the doctors and nurses at Dr. Spiegelman’s office in Salem, New Hampshire, for their exceptional and compassionate care.

Family and friends honored Mathew’s life by gathering at the Ruggiero Family Memorial Home, 971 Saratoga St., East Boston on Thursday, March 5th from 9 to 11 a.m. followed by a funeral service in celebration of Mathew’s life in the chapel of the memorial home at 11 a.m. Services concluded with Mathew being laid to rest beside his beloved wife, Roberta with full military honors at Winthrop Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to WBUR, which Matt faithfully listened to every day.