Joseph Anthony Laurenza
He Will Forever Be Lovingly Remembered for His Strength, Character, Kindness and Sparkling Blue Eyes
Joseph “Joe†Anthony Laurenza of Revere, formerly of Everett, passed peacefully at home on October 18 after a valiant battle with cancer. Joe was 58 years old.
Joe is lovingly survived by his parents, Joseph F. Laurenza and Veronica N. (Manchur) Laurenza of Revere. He also leaves behind his beloved “Sweet Pea†Viola (Leone) Giangregorio, the love of his life, with whom he shared a home and 14 wonderful years of happiness. He is also survived by his brothers: Anthony Laurenza of Florida and Michael Laurenza, Sr. of Revere; nephews: Michael Laurenza, Jr. and Joseph Laurenza; niece, Faith (Laurenza) Smith as well as many treasured extended family members and dear friends.
Joe graduated from Everett Vocational High School in 1980. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps and valued the comradery of his United States Marine Corps brotherhood and respectfully celebrated its values, “Honor, Courage and Commitment†every year on the Marine Corps birthday, November 10.
Joe held a Construction Supervisor License and worked with Gloucester Builders as a Supervisor for the past 15 years. He loved carpentry and was a dedicated skilled craftsman, working up until the final days of his life.
Joe had a big heart and filled his life with so many loving friends and family. He was a trusted person and great conversationalist. Friends would often seek out Joe’s advice or opinion on just about any topic. He was an avid golfer, loved to travel and barbecue. You could always find Joe hanging with any number of friends and family sharing a few good drinks and a delicious meal.
Joe will forever be lovingly remembered for his strength, character, kindness, and sparkling blue eyes.
Services were held privately under the direction of the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons ~ Bruno Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s memory to the American Cancer Society at https://www.cancer.org
Eugene Peter Guinasso Jr.
Retired Revere Fire Department Captain
Eugene Peter Guinasso Jr., 62, of Intervale, NH, passed away on October 13 after a three-year courageous battle with cancer.
Gene was born in Winthrop to Eugene Peter Guinasso Sr. and Carol Dvara Rossman and lived most of his life full-time in Revere. After graduating from Revere High School in 1978, Gene enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served as a Security Specialist in Korea and at the Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, NH. Following his time in the service, Gene worked security at the Boston Federal Court while attending Northeastern University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He then worked security at General Electric in Lynn, also serving as a union rep while taking every test he could to secure his future.
Gene passed the required exams for the Police Department, U.S. Marshals Department and Fire Department. After learning that a job with the U.S. Marshals would likely land him in the Midwest compared to a high-action area like New York or Washington, D.C., Gene opted for a career with the Revere Fire Department. Gene retired as a Revere Fire Department Captain 2010 and moved permanently into his home in Intervale, NH.
Gene loved to ski in the winter and ride his Harley the rest of the year with his friends from Revere and the “gang†from New Hampshire. He also enjoyed traveling, especially to warm tropical destinations; Aruba being his recent favorite.
Gene will be dearly missed by his daughters: Julianne and Kristi Skane, his partner, Megan, her two children, Christina and Will and by his pitbull pup, Kona, as well as by a long line of cousins and family members.
A graveside service was held at the cemetery on Route 16A in Intervale, NH on Tuesday, October 18 with a celebration of life following at Tuckerman’s Restaurant and Tavern.
In lieu of flowers, Gene requested donations be made to Jen’s Friends Cancer Foundation in Conway.
Victoria “Vicky†Wilshusen
Longtime Employee of the Home for Little Wanderers and Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.
Victoria “Vicky†(Laezza) Wilshusen of Revere, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 19 at 80 years of age.
Vicky loved the beach. She also loved crocheting, reading and cooking in her spare time.
She was the devoted mother of Eric Wilshusen and his wife, Kelly, Krista Santiago and her husband, Antonio, Kathryn Somme and her husband, Michael, Michele Wilshusen, Lauren Wilshusen and her husband, Matthew Lindblom; the loving daughter of the late Giovanni and Vittoria (DiMarino) Laezza; dear sister of Nicholas Laezza and the late Peter Leizza, John Laezza, Josephine Kennedy, Rose Piazza and Antonette Laezza; cherished grandmother of twins, Brian and Mark Wilshusen and triplets Carter, Julia and Tyler Somme and is also survived by family in Italy, many cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Family and friends honored Vicky’s life by gathering at the Ruggiero Family Memorial Home, 971 Saratoga Street, (Orient Heights) East Boston, on Saturday, October 22 followed by a prayer service in our chapel. Services concluded with Vicky being laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
Victoria was a past employee for over 20 years for The Home for Little Wanderers and Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. In giving back to the program, she cherished so much and in lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation in Victoria’s name to The Home for Little Wanderers, c/o Development Department, 10 Guest St. Fl 3, Boston, MA 02135.
May she rest in peace.
Dorothy Simonini
Administrative Assistant to the Principal at Dom Savio Preparatory School in East Boston for 31 Years
Dorothy (Cataldo) Simonini of Peabody, formerly of Revere, passed away peacefully on October 11.
The beloved mother of Paul Simonini and his wife, Donna and daughter-in-law, Beverley, all of Peabody, Dorothy is also survived by her sister-in-law, Dorothea Simonini of East Boston and two nephews, A. Henry Latorella (Cathy) and Jon Latorella (Caroline and Megan.) Dorothy was predeceased by her beloved husband, George, son, Donald, sister, Cecelia Latorella, her mother, Francis Bolino Cataldo and her father, Joseph Cataldo.
In addition to raising two boys with her husband, George, she enjoyed a career that spanned 31 years during which time she was the Administrative Assistant to the Principal at Dom Savio Preparatory School in East Boston. She was affectionately known simply as “Mrs. Sim†to many of the students she encountered over the years.
After retiring, Dorothy moved to an Independent Living community in Danvers, where she rekindled her interest in painting, much to the joy of the many people with whom she shared her paintings. At the age of 94, her re-found talent culminated in her winning a state-wide contest to redesign the logo for the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association (Mass-ALA).
Dorothy certainly lived a full life and she will be missed by all those she touched for nearly a century.
Visiting hours were held in the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop St., Winthrop on Friday, October 14 followed by a funeral service in the funeral home beginning at 12 Noon. Interment followed in Winthrop Cemetery.
Donations in her memory can be made to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Danvers, MA. 01923. To sign Dorothy’s guestbook, please visit: www.mauricekirbyfh.com.
Donald J. Melnik
Family Man and US Postal Service Retiree
Donald J. Melnik passed away on Saturday, October 22 at the age of 75 after a valiant effort to recover from complications of Covid.
Born in Boston, raised in Everett and a graduate of Everett High School, he was a longtime resident family man of Revere, and more recently, for the past seven years, Conway, NH. Don served his country as a Radar Technician for the United States Air Force from 1967 to 1971 and retired from the United States Postal Service in 2012 from the position of Transportation Manager.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, June Marie (Helbling), formerly of Pittsburgh, PA, Revere, and Conway, NH; his daughter, Ashley E. Melnik of Revere, his son, Michael G. Melnik, Michael’s fiancé, Deana Vitale and Don’s pride
and joy, his two grandchildren, grandson, Caden A. and granddaughter, Lyla M. all of Conway, NH; his sister, Lana B. Melnik, formerly of Everett and Reading and now of Bridgton, ME. Donald was pre-deceased by his parents, his father, Jack A. Melnik, and his mother, Helen (Boris) Melnik of Chelsea, Everett, Revere and Reading.
Don had been a member of the Order of the DeMolay. His Slavic lineage includes Ukrainian, Russian, Polish and Austrian ancestry. He attended the Newman School, both Mass Bay and North Shore Community Colleges and was a graduate of Coyne Electrical School. Don was a passionate New England sports fan who loved the Red Sox and Patriots. He was a car enthusiast who would take June on rides in his Camaro back in the 70’s before the kids came along and his driving of his Dodge Grand Caravans over the years was often inspired by his favorite IndyCar and NASCAR drivers, especially Mario Andretti. Due to his experience in the USAF, Don enjoyed observing planes arriving and departing from Logan Airport when he lived in Revere and later on at Brownfield Airport just outside of Fryeburg, ME. Any time the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels would fly was a performance that he enjoyed viewing with immense pride.
Donald had a particular affinity for his daughter, Ashley’s first dog, Rudy, her longtime hiking companion. Rudy and Don shared a unique bond that not even words canexpress. He loved Rudy as his own. They will both be missed leaving behind a trail of loving memories.
His grandkids will miss his “Mr. Fix-it skills†– “Papa†repaired many broken toys
trying to restore them to working order – he had a special knack for these tasks.
Don enjoyed trips he and June made to casinos in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine. Their Sunday Drives, exploring back roads, quaint restaurants and vistas could have made a great travel blog.
At Don’s request, no wake or funeral arrangements will be held. For those wishing to do so, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Donald’s memory to a charity of one’s choosing.
Ronald K. Olson
Of Marblehead, formerly of Salem and Revere
Ronald K. Olson of Marblehead, formerly of Salem and Revere, died peacefully and surrounded by family Oct. 20 due to complications from heart surgery. He was 79.
He is survived by his “partner in crime†of 57 years, wife Joanne (Angrisano); his two sons and their wives, Kris and Wendy of Beverly, and Scott and Bridget of Goshen, New York; his treasured grandsons, Max and Parker; his mother-in-law; two sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law and their spouses, and many nieces and nephews.
Born in Everett to Harry and Mildred Olson, he was raised in Revere, where he met Joanne, his high school sweetheart. They got engaged before he left Tufts University to enlist in the U.S. Air Force in 1964.
While stationed in Germany, Ron kept getting bumped from flights back to the U.S. for airmen with families and nearly missed his wedding ceremony. But he made it, and the newly married couple was serenaded on the church steps by members of the 27th Lancers, a drum-and-bugle corps with which Ron had marched.
Ron then brought Joanne to Germany, where they lived together for two years before coming back stateside, the first of many adventures, large and small. Life with Ron was “never boring,†Joanne says, which she means in a good way (we think).
Drawing upon his Air Force training, Ron embarked on a career as a software engineer, along the way earning his bachelor’s degree by taking night classes at Boston University to fulfill a promise to his mother.
In addition to working with early industry leaders like Digital Equipment Corporation and Prime Computer, Ron relished the opportunity to share his expertise with students in Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies for 35 years.
A devoted father and grandfather, Ron was the Ted Lasso of Salem Youth Soccer’s early days. Equipped initially with little more than a whistle and what he could glean about rules and strategy from library books, he took to the sidelines to coach his sons’ teams. Those teams — the Force, the Teamen, Snoopy’s Gang — may not have topped the standings but always led the league in fun.
He remained his sons’ biggest cheerleader throughout his life, becoming president of the Fathers’ Club at St. John’s Prep, which both sons — and later grandson Max — attended.
He showed the same devotion with his grandsons, attending countless theater performances and baseball games.
Ron initiated some of the family’s adventures, like the day he pulled up to a Little League game and released from the back of the family minivan a bounding 85-pound Old English sheepdog, “Duffy,†an unexpected addition to the family.
“I had to — he leaned on me,†he explained.
That soft spot for animals continued throughout the rest of his life, as he became a devoted volunteer of the Marblehead Animal Shelter. Most Friday nights, you could find him cleaning cages and giving their occupants some TLC until they found homes. He also volunteered with the Friends of the Marblehead Council on Aging.
Other times, Joanne was the instigator, like when she read in a local newspaper of the Salem Trolley’s need for drivers and tour guides. Joanne decided this would be a great gig for the empty-nesters — he would drive, she would give tours. They could do it on the weekends initially and expand their schedule once they retired.
Over the next 30 years, Ron held up his end of the bargain, delighting in sharing his love of Salem’s history — along with an occasional culinary tip, like “try the Lobster Shanty’s tater tots†— with visitors from across the U.S. and beyond.
Music — of all kinds — was one of Ron’s great loves, from drum-and-bugle corps and big bands like the one his father-in-law had played in to recently becoming an unlikely “groupie†and evangelist for the Chicago rock band The Empty Pockets.
Ron was also a “car guy.†He was fiercely loyal to Datsun and Nissan — from his 240-Z with the Beach Boys ever-present in the eight-track player to his modern-day Juke NISMO. But he occasionally made an exception to honor his heritage by driving Volvos.
In recent years, he also took great joy in a spirited fantasy football rivalry with his sons and their friends, getting the last laugh in 2019 when his team, the Marblehead Mafia, won the league championship.
Funeral services will be private. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, in Ron’s honor, please enjoy a scoop of pistachio ice cream, raise a glass of hazelnut iced coffee, adopt an adult shelter pet, make a bad pun, and/or consider a gift in his memory to either the Marblehead Animal Shelter, 44 Village St., Marblehead, MA 01945; or to St. John’s Prep, Attn: Advancement Office, 72 Spring St., Danvers, MA 01923.
Stephen Pazyra
Graduate of RHS, Class of 1973; Co-Owner of Award Winning Winchester Bakery “La Patisserieâ€
Stephen Pazyra, 66, of Revere, Massachusetts, died on October 21, 2022, (after a brief battle with cancer. His beloved wife, Danette (Gerry) Pazyra, originally of Wakefield, Massachusetts, his loving sister MaryAnn Stasio of Danville, New Hampshire, and beloved niece Marylin Stasio were at his side.
Stephen was born in Revere in 1955, the son of the late Francis Pazyra and Marie (Russo) Pazyra. In addition to his wife, Danette, and sister, MaryAnn, he is survived by Dennis Stasio of Danville, New Hampshire, husband to MaryAnn; brother Francis Pazyra of Revere; sister Barbara Labbe of Revere; sister Rosemarie Thornton and her husband Gordon Thornton of North Reading, and three generations of loving nieces and nephews. He was a graduate of Revere High School, Class of 1973.
“Chef Steve†dedicated his life to local business as the co-owner of award-winning Winchester bakery La Patisserie and as an advocate for community businesses through his work for the Winchester Chamber of Commerce. From the time he purchased La Patisserie with his wife up to his final days, he treasured the role his bakery played in holidays and family celebrations. He was a reliable supporter of Winchester’s Winton Club and local food banks, and made countless of donations to Winchester schools, groups and clubs during the 38 years he operated the business, part of his commitment to preserving the character of local community built by local business owners.
In 2004, Steve brought his entrepreneurial skill and love of neighborhood bakeries to the Internet, launching 1-800-Bakery.com, a pioneering website that provided nationwide sales to local bakeries around the United States. His company was among the first to tackle the logistical problems of shipping fresh cakes and perishables and provided bakery owners the chance to expand their businesses and reputation through ecommerce.
In his private life, Stephen loved to travel, exploring fine food across the great cities of the United States and his favorite retreats in Quebec City and along the Maine coastline. At home, he could be found tending flowers in his garden in the company of his beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Coco.
Stephen treasured the connections he made with customers and fellow business owners and the joy that his business brought to holidays and personal celebrations. Steve summed up the love of his life and work by always saying, “Have fun,†and he did.
Relatives and friends will gather in remembrance of Stephen’s life during visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main Street, Melrose, on Sunday, October 30 from 2 to 5 PM. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30am on Monday, October 31, at Immaculate Conception Church, 133 Beach Street, Revere, with internment to follow at Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield. Contributions in Stephen’s memory may be made to Voices of Hope Boston, 171 Park St., Stoneham, MA. 02180.
For online tribute, please visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.
