James Arthur Edward Buckley
Incredible Chef and Baker and Longtime Member of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus
James Arthur Edward Buckley of Revere passed away at home on August 29 at the age of 68.
Born in Revere on March 21, 1952 to the late Marcus G. Buckley and Lucy (Movsesian, he was the dear brother of Marcus F. and his wife, Sue of Yarmouth Port, Scott and his wife, Kay of Plymouth, and Bruce and his wife, Debbie of North Falmouth; cherished uncle of Sarah Rudolph and her husband, Michael, Marcus C. Buckley and his wife, Steffi, Adam Buckley and his wife , Meghan and Audra Reynoso and her husband, Tyson and adored great uncle to Jacob, Charley, Aubree, Billy, Joe and James. He is also survived by many loving cousins and friends.
For the past 10 years, Jim worked for Sotheby’s in the South End of Boston. Prior to that, he operated the family restaurant, Buckley’s in the Boston Flower Exchange which he took over after working many years alongside his father. He was an incredible chef and baker and was known for making beautiful birthday cakes to those lucky enough to receive them, ornate gingerbread houses to decorate with family, and baking to excess for every holiday. He had a true passion for music and was a gifted pianist. Jim was a proud member of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus for 16 years. He loved spending time with family and the sarcastic banter that always ensued. Uncle Jimmy found great joy in watching his nieces and nephews grow up and especially loved seeing their children. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
A visitation will be held at the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons-Bruno Funeral Home, 128 Revere St, Revere on Friday, September 4 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon followed by a private Prayer Service in the Funeral Home. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Due to the current spike in Covid-19, the guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and local officials, we are limited to 25 people at a time and social distancing and masks are required. Interment will be at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, 539 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02116 payable to “BGMC†or at www.bgmc.org or to the American Kidney Foundation, 85 Astor Ave Suite 2, Norwood, MA 02062 or at www.kidneyhealth.org. For guest book please visit www.buonfiglio.com.
Marlene Furginson
Of Chelsea, formerly of Revere
Marlene F. Furginson, of Chelsea, formerly of Revere, suddenly passed away at home after a long illness on November 25, 2019. Marlene was the beloved daughter of the late Cmdr. Dennis and Barbara Garrett. Loving mother of Kelly Camacho, her husband William and five beautiful grandchildren, of Vero Beach, Fla. She was loving sister of Mary Zullo and late husband, Jerry, of Revere, loving sister, Margaret Gannon and husband, Shannon, of Santa Cruz, Calif., loving sister, Barbara Amato and husband, James, of Revere, loving predeceased brother, Dennis Garrett, of Revere. She is survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Marlene had a passion for decorating and worked as a hairstylist before becoming ill. A private graveside service was held on Aug. 14 at Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children and Research Hospital.
Camille Sacco
Strong Faith and Love of Family Were the Hallmarks of Her Life
Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Thursday, September 3 from at 9 a.m. through 11:15 a.m. in the Vertuccio & Smith, Home for Funerals, 773 Broadway (Rte. 107) Revere for Camille R. Sacco, 84, who passed following a long illness and struggle with the complications of metastatic brain cancer on Sunday, August 30 at her beloved Revere residence. A brief funeral service will be held in the funeral home following the visitation at 11:30 a.m. and a graveside service at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett will be at 12 (Noon) with interment to follow. In accordance with the ongoing pandemic protocol, masks must be worn at all times and social distancing observed.
Born in East Boston on December 6, 1936, she was raised in East Boston, attended East Boston schools and was a graduate of East Boston High School, Class of 1954. In 1970, she moved to Saugus before coming to Revere, 50 years ago.
After high school, she began a career with Boston Mutual Insurance Co. of Boston as clerk-stenographer for about 15 years. She worked most briefly with her late husband, Peter J. Sacco, Jr., as a bookbinder at the former “Seaboard Bindery†of Boston. Soon, she began her family and became a stay-at-home mom, taking care of Peter, her two children and later in life, her grandson. “TJ†(Anthony J. Godino, Jr.)
Strong faith and love of family were the hallmarks of her life. However, her goodness and outstanding humanity did not confine her passion for humanity at that point. She was a genuine “Fred Rogers neighbor and friend, always extending a helping hand to those who suddenly found themselves in need of assistance of any kind.
Not only did Camille thrive on the excitement of the holidays, she had her own repertoire of traditional observances. At Halloween, not only would the children receive their goodies, the accompanying parents would be the recipient of their own “Lollipop.†Christmas was “full-throttle†ahead and all the neighbors would receive candy canes personally delivered to their homes and she took great pride in maintaining her home with decorations for all seasons.
Camille was the beloved wife of the late Peter J. Sacco, Jr., who passed on August 23, 1999; the cherished mother to Peter Sacco, Advertising Sales Rep for the Revere Journal & Independent Newspaper Group and Stephanie J. Sacco-Godino and her husband, Anthony J. “Tony†of Revere and the devoted grandmother to Anthony J. “TJ†Godino, Jr. of Revere; the dear sister of Violet Vernacchio of Florida, Edmund J. Vargus, Jr. and his wife, Arlene of New Hampshire and the late Dorothy Merriman. She was the adoring daughter of the late Edmund J. Vargus, Sr. and Rose J. (Volpini) Vargus and also the surrogate Mom to her late canine companion, “Bandit†and her late morning dove, “Birdy.â€
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the MSPCA-Angell, 350 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130
In conclusion, soon after Peter’s passing, Camille came across these words of inspiration: “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.â€â€” Norman Cousins.
To send online condolences or for more information, please visit www.vertuccioandsmith.com.
John Harkins
Retired Revere Policeman
John J. Harkins, (Ret. Revere Police). a lifelong resident of Revere, passed away at the age of 83.
The beloved husband of 64 years to Elaine (Colella), he was the devoted father of John M. Harkins and his wife, Michelle of Andover and Michael J. Harkins and his wife, Mary of Saugus; cherished grandfather of Jareth Harkins and his wife, Melissa of Georgia, Sean Renaud-Harkins of Lowell, Theresa Harkins of Revere, Mia Harkins of Saugus and Christopher Harkins of Andover and adored great grandfather of Jaiden, Kye and Vivien Elaine Harkins of Georgia; dear brother of the late Mary Heslin. He is also survived by his sister in law, Gloria (Colella) Thomas of Revere.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Anthony’s Church, 250 Revere St, Revere today, Wednesday, September 2 at 12 Noon. (Everyone to meet directly at church). Due to the current spike in Covid-19, the guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Archdiocese of Boston and local officials, masks and social distancing are required. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s name to New England Home for Little Wanderers, 10 Guest St, Boston, MA 02135 or at www.thehome.org. For guest book please visit: www.buonfiglio.com.
William O’Connell, Jr.
Founded and Built Two Successful Companies: Financial Insurance Services and Om Financial Group
William “Bill†H. O’Connell, Jr., 84, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 17.
The beloved husband of Cynthia A. (Mancini) O’Connell for 33 years he was born in Winthrop, the son of the late William H. O’Connell, Sr. and Margaret (O’Hara) O’Connell.
Bill grew up in Revere, went to Revere High School and graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, ME in 1958. While at Bates, he excelled in academics and athletics and was an active member of the Bates community. He was a talented football player and worked on the school newspaper and radio station. Following graduation, Bill served his country honorably as a member of the United States Marine Corps.
Bill achieved great success in his professional career. He was elected president of Providence Washington Insurance Company at the age of 37 and later became Chairman of the Board for NN Corporation. After leaving NN, Bill founded and built two successful companies: Financial Insurance Services and OM Financial Group. Bill finished his professional career with OM Financial in 2018.
When he wasn’t working, Bill loved spending time with his family, particularly on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. He was also an avid sports fan who held season tickets for the New England Patriots since the team moved to Foxborough in 1971.
Bill was extremely generous and always eager to reach out and support others, whether they were a family member, friend, or someone he just met who he thought could use his help. He was also a tremendous mentor for many young professionals and he enjoyed helping others learn and succeed.
In addition to his wife, Cindy, Bill is survived by four children: William H. O’Connell, III (wife, Sharon), Kelly A. O’Connell (husband, Michael), Darci M. Detorie (husband, Frank), and Christopher R. Colapietro (wife, Jennifer); eight grandchildren: Sarah, Andrew, Jake, Madeline, Tyler, Erin, Samantha and Julia and a sister, Margaret “Peggy†Coates. Bill also leaves behind many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his two sisters, Maureen Scanlon and Patricia Anderson.
A visitation was held on Monday, August 24 in the Fagan-Quinn Funeral Home, 825 Boston Neck Road, North Kingstown, RI and a Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on August 25 St. Thomas More Church, 53 Rockland Street, Narragansett, RI. A private burial for the immediate family was held after the mass where military honors were rendered.
A live streaming of the mass may be found at https://livestream.com/stm
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005 Boston, MA 02241 or American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 15829 Arlington, VA 22215, will be appreciated.
For additional information, please visit www.FaganQuinnFuneralHome.com for information and online condolences.
