Obituaries 02-27-2019

Letty Russo

Past Chairman of the Everett School Committee and retired principal of Holmes School in Malden

Letty P. Russo of Malden, formerly of Everett, died on Feb. 24 at the age of 90.

Letty spent her early years in Malden before moving to “the Village” in Everett where she lived for many years before eventually moving back to Malden.  She graduated from Salem State College and Boston University, becoming an elementary school teacher and subsequently the principal of the Holmes School in Malden until her retirement.  She was also involved in local and state educational politics as a member and chairman of the Everett school committee, the Mass Teachers Association and other organizations and lent her voice to causes that were helpful in moving forward better working conditions for teachers. 

One of her many interests included music, which was a constant throughout her life.  She played the clarinet, and until recently was an active member of the Everett High alumni band, as well as an active participant in the New Horizon’s Band of Yarmouth and the Barnstable Band.  Her love of music was evident in most things she did, whether directing variety shows in her early days, playing in bands, enjoying a local or broadway musical, or watching her family participate in different musical events.  

She was also an avid golfer for many years and belonged to The Woman’s Golf Association of Mass., the Cape Cod Woman’s Golf League (past president), as well as her local clubs on Cape Cod.  She enjoyed travelling and over the years was able to visit much of the US. 

She was very proud of her Italian heritage and was able to visit Italy and see the town where her family came from and meet some of her relatives.  She also took many members of her family on trips to different places around the country and enjoyed the educational experience and fun of travel through the eyes of her nieces and nephews.  

Letty’s family was her pride and joy.  She always loved seeing them and hearing about the latest events in their lives.  Nothing pleased her more than getting together with her family, playing music with them and enjoying some good Italian food.  

She was the daughter of the late Philip and Edith (Long) Russo, sister of Phillip Russo and the late Anthony P. Russo Sr., sister-in-law to Brenda Russo and the late Shirley Russo, loving aunt to Anthony P. Russo Jr and Kari Norton, Kathy Long and her husband, Richard and Corey Russo and her husband, Jim Eaton. She was the cherished great aunt of Jessica Long Bradley and her husband, Justin, Kristen Long, Jason Long and his wife, Julie, AJ Russo and Callie Bolduc and the beloved great-great aunt of Abigail Bradley, Benjamin Bradley, Madelaine Long, Aiden Long and Mikaela Long.

Her Funeral will be from the Salvatore Rocco & Sons Funeral Home, 331 Main Street, Everett on Friday, March 1 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Anthony Church (Everett) at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Visiting hours are Thursday only from 4 to 7 p.m. Interment will be at Forestdale Cemetery, Malden. Complimentary valet parking Thursday at Main Street entrance. In lieu of flowers, donations in Letty’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN  38105.

For more information: www.RoccoFuneralHomes.com or 1-877-71-ROCCO.

Monsignor Roger Brady

Invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher and appointed a “prelate of honor” by Pope John Paul II

Monsignor Roger J. Brady of Bedford, formerly of Everett, entered into eternal rest on Monday, Feb. 25 at his home in Bedford.  He was 86 years old.

Monsignor grew up in the Immaculate Conception Parish, Everett, along with his three brothers and four sisters.  After attending the parish grammar school and Christopher Columbus High School, he prepared for priesthood at St. Clement’s Hall, Brighton, Cardinal O’Connell Preparatory Seminary, Jamaica Plain, and St. John Seminary, Brighton.  He was ordained on February 3, 1958 by the late Cardinal Cushing at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Monsignor Brady’s previous assignments were at: St. Margaret, Burlington; St. Jerome Parish, Arlington; and Holy Name, West Roxbury. In 1970 he became chaplain to three area hospitals: Malden, Melrose-Wakefield and the Lawrence Memorial in Medford.  After completing a year of Clinical Pastoral Training at the V.A. Medical Center in Bedford, he was appointed staff chaplain at the V.A. Medical Center, Canandaigua, New York.  In 1976 he returned to Bedford as chief of Chaplain Service where he served for 14 years.

Monsignor Brady was elected the first president of the National Conference of V.A. Catholic Chaplains. He also was a member of the Presbyteral Council, Archdiocese for the Military Services.  He was appointed to the Board of Consultors, Archdiocese for the Military Services and a member of the U. S. Catholic Conference Commission on Certification and Accreditation.

In 1992, he was named National Director of Chaplain Service with responsibility for 1,100 chaplains of all faiths serving in 172 V.A. Medical Centers nationwide.

“Hospital ministry is unique and not everyone is called to it,” Monsignor Brady pointed out. “For me, it opened up a whole new world.  I found that the Lord is close to the sick and brokenhearted.  There are also many ethical issues today where a priest can be a tremendous help to families who have to make difficult decisions especially at the end of life.”

Invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher and appointed a “prelate of honor” by Pope John Paul II, Monsignor retired in 1995 after 22 years of priestly service to veterans nationwide.

After a three-month sabbatical program at the North American College, Rome, Monsignor Brady returned in January 1996, to serve as temporary parochial vicar at St. Christine Parish, Marshfield. He was appointed Pastor of St. Luke’s on June 11, 1996 and retired on June 10, 2002.

He was the beloved son of the late Roger and Delia (Costello) Brady; dear and devoted brother of Sr. Alice Mary Brady, CSJ of Milton, Alice Brady Cianci of New Britain, CT, Barbara A. Brady of Everett, and the late Mary Griffin, Francis J., Robert M., and John Brady. Msgr. Brady is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.

Msgr. Brady will lie in state in the Immaculate Conception Church, 487 Broadway, Everett, on Saturday, March 2 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. with a Concelabrated Funeral Mass at 11:30 a.m.  Interment in the Woodlawn Cemetery will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, contributions in Msgr. Roger J. Brady’s memory to Bethany Health Care Center, 97 Bethany Road, Framingham, MA 01702 would be sincerely appreciated.   

Arrangements by the Cafasso & Sons Funeral Home, Everett.

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