Eileen Merullo
Revere’s 1991 Woman of the Year
Eileen HaydockMerullo died peacefully at home on June 17. She was 95 years old.
Born and raised on Olive Street in Revere to loving parents, James and Catherine Haydock, among a close family of five sisters and one brother, she excelled in sports from an early age, playing ice hockey with the boys, winning the city tennis championship in 1939 at age 16 and, as a high school senior, starring at third base on the Olympets softball team alongside several women who went on to play in the famous League of Their Own.
She graduated from Revere High School in 1940 and received her B.S. from Boston University’s Sargent College in 1944. Immediately upon graduation, she enlisted in the United States Army and served as a registered physical therapist in the Army Medical Corps, working with wounded soldiers in the Amputation Center at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. Always proud of her military service, she was a lifetime member of the Revere chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, and a charter member of Women in Military Service of America, as well as other veterans’ organizations.
In 2013, she initiated the effort to place a stone memorial honoring Revere’s 145 women World War II veterans. She helped design the memorial, raised funds, and presided over the ceremony, which was held the day after her 91st birthday. That same year she was voted Revere’s Woman of the Year and honored in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House.
During the post-World War II polio epidemic, Eileen courageously volunteered for a year in a polio clinic in Illinois, then returned home to work as a physical therapist at the Chelsea Naval Hospital, where she was head of the rehabilitation clinic and where she donated her invention of a pronation device.
In 1951 she wed the late attorney and City Councilman Roland A. Merullo, and they were blessed with 31 happy years of marriage and three sons, Roland, Jr., Steven and Kenneth. After raising her children with love and attention, Eileen went back to work as a science teacher in the Revere Public Schools and proudly held that position for 25 years. While teaching, she earned two master’s degrees, one from Salem State in administration, and one from Fitchburg State in computer science.
She also studied Braille, learned to hook rugs and make stained glass, took a course on the Holocaust, loved to read, and repair small appliances, and, until age 84, was an avid and skilled golfer at Bellevue Golf Club in Melrose.​
Upon her retirement from Lincoln School, Eileen volunteered as a teacher’s aide at McKinley School in a first grade classroom where she, herself, had been a student 70 years earlier. She also worked part-time for another 25 years at the Lighthouse Nursing Home as receptionist.
Eileen Merullo selflessly loved and served her family, her country, and her city and was constantly looking for ways to help others. She will be deeply missed by her surviving sons, Roland and Steven, her devoted daughters-in-law, Amanda and Theresa, her loving grandchildren, Nicole, Steve, Alexandra, and Juliana, by her great-grandchildren, Skyla and Joseph, by her sister, Cynthia Goodyear of Indianapolis and by numerous relatives in both the Merullo and Haydock families.
At her request, services will be private. But all are welcome at the burial at
Woodlawn Cemetery, 302 Elm St. Everett, at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 21. Those wishing to honor her memory can make a donation in her name to a charity set up by her granddaughter, ZannyMerullo that provides materials for a school in Cambodia at the following link to the GoFundMe page:
https://www.gofundme.com/my-school-my-education?teamInvite=pRzkZPXU6khY8kvSthty9JnOUFlSR7ZKueZakUlKUsH9wPP8qdex9wzGVlmSC0rg
For more information, please visit www.vertuccioandsmith.com.
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James Perry
Active member of ‘Mom’s Cancer Fighting Angels’ of Lynn
James W. Perry a 13 year resident of Melrose and an Everett native, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, June 13 at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital. He was 46 years old.
Born on May 6, 1972, he was raised in Everett and was a graduate of Everett High School, Class of 1990. James worked for several auto repair garages as an auto mechanic and lastly in his working career, as a truck driver.
In 2005, the family moved from Everett and settled in Melrose. For over 10 years, he was a Scout Master for the Everett troop of Boy Scouts and held membership in the troop for over 20 years. For the last two years, he was an active member for the organization known as “Mom’s Cancer Fighting Angels†of Lynn. This organization was founded about the same time as Jimmy was diagnosed with metastatic lung disease.
The beloved husband of 23 years to Marion M. (Martin) Perry, he was the devoted father of Alex J. Perry and Diane M. Perry, both at home in Melrose, the cherished son of Marie E. (Ragucci) Perry of Melrose and the late Henry L. Perry, who passed on May 27, 2017, the dear brother to Rosemarie Romboli and her husband, Edward of Malden, Susan M. Connors and her husband, Peter of Wilmington, Henry S. Perry and his wife, Eileen T. of Wakefield, Anthony S. Perry and his husband, Eric Adelman of Stoneham and George W. Perry and his wife, Brenda of Saugus. He is also lovingly survived by many nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were by the Vertuccio& Smith Home for Funerals, Revere. Interment was at Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St. Framingham, MA 01701. For additional information, please visit: www.vertuccioandsmith.com.
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Michael Coppola
Of Revere
Michael Coppola of Revere passed away on June 10 at the age of 84.
He was the beloved husband of 23 years to Lorraine (Bunnell) Coppola, devoted father of Cheryl Williamson of Revere, Stephen Coppola and his wife Jackie of Revere, Matthew Coppola of Somerville, and the late Michael Coppola; adoring stepfather to Laurie Baker and her husband, Richard of Methuen, Bernie Gregoire and his wife, Jeanette of New Hampshire, Nicole Stefanou and her late husband, Peter of Medford, Stephen Bunnell and his wife, Heather of Stoneham and MikeyBunnell of Everett, cherished grandfather of 14 and the dear brother of Amelia Clucas and her late husband, Vincent of Florida and the late Anthony and Luke Coppola. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
A memorial visitation will be held at the Paul Buonfiglio& Sons-Bruno Funeral Home, 128 Revere St., Revere on Sunday, June 24 from noon to 2 p.m. followed by a Memorial Service at 2 p.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Care Dimensions, Ste. B-102, 75 Sylvan St, Danvers, MA 01923. For guest book, please visit www.Buonfiglio.com.
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CarmelindaRosato
Homemaker
Carmelinda (DeSisto) Rosato of Saugus formerly of Revere and East Boston, died on June 15 at Beth Israel Hospital. She was 78 years old.
Carmelinda came to the United States in 1961 first settling in East Boston.
A homemaker, she was the daughter of the late Michele DiSisto and Vincenza (Rosato) DeSisto, beloved wife of the late Modestino “Morris†Rosato, devoted mother of Luigi Fiore and his wife, Annette of Medford, Michael Fiore and his wife, Carmelina of Wakefield, and Maria Fiore and her husband, Carmine Tammaro of Italy and dear sister of DilettaGrieco and her husband, Nunzio of Revere and the late Giuseppe DeSisto and his wife, Maria. She is also survived by 11 loving grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Her Funeral will be held from the Paul Buonfiglio& Sons – Bruno Funeral Home, 128 Revere St, Revere on Friday, June 22, at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. Interment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 300 5th Ave Suite 6, Waltham, MA 02451. For guest book please visit www.Buonfiglio.com.
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James Casey
Cabots Paint Company retiree
James Casey of Revere passed away Monday morning, June 18, at his Revere home surrounded by his loving family. He was 100 years old.
Born and raised in Chelsea, the son of the late James J. and Mary (Strassel) Casey, James attended school at St. Rose in Chelsea. He enlisted in the US Army on March 12, 1941. As a World War II veteran, James was honorably discharged as a Cpl Tec 5 on Aug. 13, 1945.
A carpenter by trade, James built his own home in Revere.  He dedicated 40 years of service at Cabots Paint Company as a carpenter in the building maintenance department. He enjoyed his retirement by playing golf.
James has resided in the city of Revere for 73 years.  He will be greatly missed by all who loved him.
The husband of the late Ada (Moore) Casey, he was the devoted father of Marc J. Casey and his wife, Susan of Revere; dear brother of Lilly Haskell of Andover and the late Joseph Casey, Marie Carrol and Rose Ryan.  He is also lovingly survived by two grandchildren, Steven Casey of Malden, Laura Payack of Cambridge and two great grandchildren, Rowan and Natalie Payack, both of Cambridge.
Funeral services will be conducted in the Carafa Family Funeral Home, 389 Washington Ave., Chelsea, on Friday, June 22, at 11:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend.  Visitation will precede the service from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.  Interment with military honors will follow the service at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett.
