Obituaries 04-11-2012

Stephen Mandracchia

Everett Resident

Stephen C. Mandracchia of Everett died on April 8. He was the beloved husband of Judith (Boudreau); loving father of Stephen A. Mandracchia and his wife, Alessandra of Revere and Lori Mancaniello and her husband, Bruno of Malden; beloved son of the late Onofrio and Mary Mandracchia. He is also survived by his three loving grandchildren, Gianna, Thomas, and Alexa, his brother, John T. Mandracchia, Diana Sanborn, and Charlotte Romano and many loving nephews and nieces and the late John S. Mandracchia.

A Funeral Mass will be held today, Wednesday, April 11 at St. Anthony’s Church, Oak St., Everett, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Burial will be at Glenwood Cemetery in Everett. roccofuneralhomes.com

Paul Davis

Of Dedham, formerly of Everett

Paul R. Davis of Dedham, formerly of Everett, died on April 2.

He was the beloved husband of Lorraine (Turgeon) Davis and devoted father of Nicole Turgeon of Cambridge; loving son of Gertrude and the late Joseph Hinton, brother of Marilyn Hinton and Charlene Davis, all of Everett, Cheryl Hinton of Lynn, and the late Alan Hinton. He is also survived by a host of relatives and friends.

His Funeral Service was at the Imani Temple Ministries, Malden with arrangements by Murphy O’Hara Funeral Home Everett 617-387-0506

Natalia Massa

Charlestown Resident

Natalia R. (Fernandez) Massa of Charlestown died recently at the Sancta Maria Nursing Facility, Cambridge. She was 88 years old.

Born in  S. Miguel, Azores, Portugal, she was the beloved wife of the late Joao B. Massa, the dear and devoted mother of Manuel Massa and his wife, Augusta of Somerville, Alcino Massa and his wife, Dulcineia of Westford, Maria Dutra and her husband, Edward of Arlington, Donaria Theroux and her husband, Daniel of Tewksbury and Isabel Chetty of Charlestown.  She is also survived by eight loving grandchildren and seven loving great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were by the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett. Burial was at Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.  Contributions in her memory to St. Anthony’s Church, 400 Cardinal Medeiros Ave. Cambridge, 02141, would be sincerely appreciated.

Robert Poldoian

Everett Resident

Robert C. “Bobby” Poldoian of Everett died on April 1. He was 65 years old.

The son of the late Gabe and Ethel (Lynn), he was the brother of Anne of Everett and Marion Tierney of Tampa, Florida and is also survived by many nieces, nephews and close family members, Diane and Pauline.
Memorial donations may be made to Mystic Valley Elder Services, 300 Commercial Street, #19, Malden, MA 02148. Funeral arrangements were by Rocco-Carr-Henderson Funeral Homes

Eleanor Louise Shepherd

Retired Nurse

Eleanor L. (Small) Shepherd of Florida died suddenly on April 1. She was 72 years old.

Born and raised in East Boston, she moved to Florida many years ago. She was the daughter of the late Samuel and Eleanor (Carlson) Small.

Louise (as she was called) was educated in East Boston, graduated from East Boston High School, went on to nursing school and held Associates, BSN and Masters Degrees in Nursing. She retired in 2006 after a 53 year nursing career.

She was the loving mother of Donna Kenlin, Jack Kenlin and Sandy Smith, all of Florida; the devoted grandmother of Christine Lopez and great grandmother of Joey Lopez,  the loving sister of Carol Kilbreth of Florida, Catherine Clapp of Maryland, Patricia Brown of Winthrop, Charles Small, Lillian Nesbit, Ronaele Polito and Samuel Small, all of East Boston and Suzanne Small of Everett and the late Marion Cheffro, Barbara McCormick and William Small. She also leaves many nieces, nephews and cousins.

A public memorial service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery on August 10 where she will rest with her mother and father.

Marie Judith Moore

Stoneham Resident

Marie Judith (Luti) Moore of Stoneham died on April 4, She was the wife of the late Larry Moore; mother of Mary, Catherine, Joe, Eileen Perry and Phyllis Van and sister of William, Doris Weglarz, Vincent, Phyllis Merrill and Elizabeth “Chick” Cote.

Funeral arrangements were by Anderson-Bryant Funeral Home 781-438-0135

Victoria Peters

Everett Resident

Victoria B. (Nelson) Peters of Everett, formerly of Billerica, died recently.

She was the mother of Cindy L. Peters, Kenneth Upton and Stephanie Upton, all of Everett; daughter of Robert Nelson and his companion, Julie Coutermarsh of Billerica and Beatrice Bettincourt and her companion, Charles Trainito of Everett; grandmother of David Malonson and is also survived by the father of her children, Kenneth Upton. She was also the sister of the late Robert Nelson, Jr.

Funeral arrangements were by the Sweeney Memorial Funeral Home, Billerica. Burial was at the Fox Hill Cemetery, Billerica. www.sweeneymemorialfh.com

Carletta Graf

Member of Ruth Chapter, Eastern Star

Carletta T. (Ryan) Graf of Everett died unexpectedly on April 5 at the Lighthouse Nursing Care Center in Revere.  She was 91 years old.

Born in Chelsea, she was a homemaker and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Ruth Chapter.

She was the beloved wife of the late Paul H. Graf; dear and devoted mother of Paul H. Graf and his wife, Barbara of Everett and Jean E. Ruotolo and her husband, Louis of Lynnfield; sister of Arthur Ryan of Saugus and the late Wallace Ryan, Vera Gesner and Thelma Lewis.  She is also survived by six loving grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were by the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory to Tufts Medical Center “Pediatric Hematology” 800 Washington St., P.O. Box 14, Boston, MA 02111 would be sincerely appreciated.

Peter Govostes

Decorated Veteran, Long Active in the Community

Peter N. Govostes, a longtime resident of Everett, died at Winchester Hospital on April 1. He was 88 years old.

Born in Boston on April 10, 1923, he was one of three children of the late Nicolas Govostes and Anastasia (Caracassis) Govostes.  He was raised in Everett, graduated from Everett High School, and proudly and honorably served his country in the US Army during World War II.  Like so many other American youths in 1942, Peter entered the US Army upon graduation from Everett High School.  He first went to Fort Devens then on to Camp Hood in Texas.  Basic training consisted of several other camps that brought him to many locations throughout the United States.

He left for Europe from Boston Harbor in early 1944 and landed in England.  He was assigned to the 66th division, then later transferred to the 80th division under General Patton’s 3rd Army.  Peter soon left there for the Normandy invasion of Omaha Beach in France.  After D-Day he faced two more battles before confronting the last of four major battles that later earned him a medal.  His last battle was in Bastone, at the Battle of the Bulge.  Wounded, he returned to Paris then on to England for a five month recovery before returning home in June of 1945. He also received a unit citation from FDR and was given the Purple Heart.

A man with his priorities in order, he put his family, friends, and community first.   His unselfish approach to life led him to become an active and well known member in the community.  He served on the Tri City Board of Directors, the Medford Housing Board of Directors, and as Director of the Vision Center for the Project Triangle.  He was also a member and past president, or “King Lion” of the Everett Lions Club, and volunteered at the Woodlawn Nursing Home in Everett.

He was married to Mildred (Johnson) Govostes until her passing in 1975.  He had many obstacles in his life to overcome.  He always faced them with the same subtle determination, never complaining but resolving.

Peter worked in graphic arts for the Melrose Free Press and for Woodward & Miller Printing Co. in Melrose.  He was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Malden, and the Arthur J. DeFranzo VFW Post 2346 in Saugus.  He loved all music but had an appreciation for big bands, disco, and Frank Sinatra.

He enjoyed travelling, especially to California and Europe.  He was an avid sports fan of the Celtics and Red Sox and enjoyed photography, and gardening.  One of his absolute favorite activities was eating out and he was known as a frequent diner at his preferred establishments, Nick’s Deli in Revere, Liberty Bell in Melrose, and Jimmy’s Steer House on Rte. 1 in Saugus.

Life taught him to smile first, make peace, and to take one day at a time.  He was a remarkable human being.

He was the beloved husband of the late Mildred (Johnson) Govostes with whom he shared 29 years of marriage; devoted father of Deborah Liebl and her husband, Tony of Ellington, CT, and Glenn P. Govostes and his wife, Tina of Georgetown; dear brother of Nicoletta Govostes of Malden and the late Gus Govostes; cherished grandfather of Sandra E. Liebl and Peter Liebl.

Funeral arrangements were by the Robinson Funeral Home, Melrose. Burial with military honors presented by the US Army was at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody.  Gifts in his honor may be made to Mass Lions Eye Research, PO Box 6050, New Bedford, MA 02742.  For online tribute or to share a memory visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.

Abraham Saul Ginsberg

World War II POW and  Founder of IGS Store Fixtures

Abraham Saul Ginsberg, a long time resident of Winthrop and later of Coconut Creek, Florida, died on April 3. He was 94 years old.

Born in Chelsea, Mr. Ginsberg graduated from Everett High School and later attended Northeastern University, leaving after two years to help support the family during the Great Depression.

In 1942, he left to serve his country during World War II and rose to the rank of staff sergeant of the 421st Squadron of the 504 Bomb Group stationed in Tinian. He was the left blister gunner on a B29 bomber named “Sitting Pretty” and flew 16 missions before being shot down by anti-aircraft fire over the target on his 17th mission – a low altitude daylight incendiary bombing mission against Yokohama.

Many of Abe’s missions included  long grueling raids on the Japanese mainland lasting 13 hours or more and included incendiary raids on Japanese cities, including Tokyo, as part of General Curtis LeMay’s strategic bombing strategy in 1945 to bring Japan to its’ knees and avoid a U.S. invasion.

The Yokohama raid was a complete success, destroying 8.9 square miles of the city and the 504th earned one of two Presidential Citations for heroism and extraordinary devotion to duty demonstrated during this difficult mission.  Abe and the entire crew were able to bail out of the B29 and all survived the war.  This was very unusual for a B29 crew as many were killed upon capture or during POW captivity.

He was interned at a secret interrogation facility called Ofuna where the prisoners were not considered POW’s but rather “unarmed combatants” and not given the rights and protections normally afforded prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.  The incredible cruelty and inhumanity of Ofuna’s guards and internment at Ofuna  is outlined  in  the current New York Times Bestseller  “Unbroken.”

His life and those of other POW’s interned in  Japan were saved by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima by the B29 Enola Gay, flying out of Tinian, as it is widely believed that the order had been given to kill all POW’s in the event of an Allied invasion.

Abe was liberated, along with 134 other prisoners ( primarily U.S and British airmen) from Ofuna after the war ended and he returned to Winthrop and his family extremely thin and a shadow of his former self. He was honorably discharged and awarded the Purple Heart.

In 1950 , Abe began a company with his two younger brothers, William “Billy” Ginsberg and Benjamin “Benny” Ginsberg. The company, I. Ginsberg & Sons (“IGS”) was a store fixture manufacturing and supply company and exists today under different ownership and the name of IGS Store Fixtures.   The company was the principal store fixture supplier to Marshall’s during its very early years and grew as Marshalls expanded throughout the country.  Other clients included Bed, Bath and Beyond, Staples and T.J.Max.

He married the late Doris Gertrude (Stone) Ginsberg in 1950 and the couple was married for 59 years before her death in July of 2009. He was the devoted father of Boston Red Sox Vice Chairman, David  Ginsberg of Boston  and Joy Rothberger and her husband, Richard of San Diego, CA; the loving son of the late Isadore Ginsberg and Edna (Copans) Ginsberg; dear brother of Selma Chankin of Westwood California, the late Irene Brother, Gertrude Eisenberg, William “Billy” Ginsberg, and Benjamin “Benny” Ginsberg and loving grandfather of Eric and Brett Rothberger.

Funeral services were held at the Torf Funeral Chapel, Chelsea. Burial was in Liberty Progressive

Cemetery, Fuller Street, Everett. In lieu of flowers, memorial remembrances may be made to the “Home Base Program” to help veterans with deployment related post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury; visit www.homebaseprogram.org or send directly to Mass General Hospital/Home Base program 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114. For on-line guest book, please visit www.torffuneral service.com

Huguette Toce

US Postal Service Retiree

Huguette M. (Mondon) Toce of Dighton, formerly of Paris, France and Everett, died on April 5.

She worked for many years for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail handler. In her spare time, she enjoyed photography and was a member of the Greater Lynn Camera Club. She also was an animal lover and enjoyed travel.

She was the beloved wife of the late David Toce; loving mother of Huguette McHugh and her husband, Paul of Quincy, and the late Ronald Toce and loving aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements were by the Keohane Funeral Home, Quincy. Burial was in Glenwood Cemetery, Everett. Memorial donations can be made to the MSPCA, 350 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130. For more information, see www.Keohane.com or call 1-800-Keohane.

Joseph Habeeb

Everett Resident

Joseph R. Habeeb of Everett died on April 7.

He was the beloved husband of Pauline (Moscaritolo); father of Kathleen of Melrose, Maureen of Methuen and Joseph and Richard, both of Revere; brother of Freddie of Peabody, Priscilla Paone of Tewksbury, Marilyn Palermo of Everett, and he was predeceased by three other siblings. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

His Funeral will be held from the Salvatore Rocco & Sons Funeral Home, 331 Main St., Everett on Thursday, April 12 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church, Everett at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited. Visiting hours are today, Wednesday, from 5 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. www.roccofuneralhomes.com

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