Emanuel Russo
Longtime Local 22 Laborer
Emanuel “Manny†Russo of Lynnfield, formerly of Revere, passed away on April 13 at the age of 91.
Born on April 10, 1932 to the late Salvatore and Maria Russo, he was the beloved husband for over 60 years to Marie (Vozzella); cherished father of Salvatore Russo and his girlfriend, Karen Diliegro of Revere and Jamie Russo and his wife, Dawn of Lynnfield; loving grandfather of Lorenzo, Dominic and Jamie; dear brother of Richard Russo and his wife, Mary of Boston and the late Joseph, Salvatore, John and Mario Russo, Rose Catina, Madeline Pepe, Josephine Parker and Angela Anderson.
Manny was born and raised in Boston’s North End. He later moved to Revere where he and Marie raised their family. Before retiring, Manny was a long time Local 22 laborer. In his later years, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He will truly be missed.
A Visitation was held at the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons-Bruno Funeral Home, 128 Revere Street, Revere on Sunday, April 16 followed by a Prayer Service in the Funeral Home. For guestbook, please visit www.buonfiglio.com.
Mary MacKenzie LaSala
Lifelong Revere Residents
Mary MacKenzie LaSala a lifelong resident of Revere and for the last several years Derry NH, passed away at the age of 92 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers, Ma on April 5, 2023 after a brief illness with family by her side.
Mary MacKenzie LaSala was born in Revere on December 9, 1930. Mary dedicated her life to her husband, and to raising her family whom she cherished. Loving wife of Armando J LaSala a retired Police Lieutenant of The Revere Police Department.
Devoted daughter of the late Walter & Irene (Hurley) MacKenzie. Mary was the granddaughter of Frederick T. Hurley and Mary E. Donahue pioneers of Revere Beach’s Amusements in the late 1800’s early 1900’s. One of her favorite stories of growing up would be of her selling tickets to the rides on the Tilt a Whirl and Dodgem for her family’s business. She would always laugh as she told the story that her friends could ride the amusements for free if they went to the beach with her.
She graduated from Fitton Catholic High School in East Boston in the late 1940’s. Mary would fondly reminisce of driving the nuns around on whatever errands they had in her high school years after staying late after class to study Latin. Upon graduation from Fitton High she was awarded an Art Scholarship, and also worked at Schrafft’s Candy Factory in Charlestown, MA.
Mary worked for many years as a function waitress with Marty’s Caterers from Stoneham. In later years she took a position as the Head Function Waitress at The Continental Restaurant. She loved her job and always had a kind word for the staff, and waitress’s that worked for her whom she loved also.
Mary MacKenzie LaSala was loving mother of Michael LaSala & his wife Kathleen of NH, Gail LaSala, Linda LaSala McLean Piersall & her late husband Randall of FL, and Paul LaSala of NH. Mother in Law of Matthew Lucas of Melrose and Heidi LaSala of NH. Mary was the cherished grandmother of Kristine, Jessica, Alexa Rae, Emily, Kimberly, Max, and Trevor. Great grandmother of Allister, and Tony. Caring sister of the late Walter MacKenzie & his late wife Bobby, and the late Rita O’Brien & her late husband Jim. Also survived by nieces, nephews, relative & friends.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s/Dementia Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter, 309 Waverly Oaks, Rd, Waltham, Ma 02452.
Burial Services are Private.
Public Memorial Mass St. Anthony’s Church Revere, MA. April 20 at 11 a.m.
James Donnelly
He Will Be Remembered With Love by His Entire Family and Many Friends
James F. Donnelly of Saugus passed away peacefully on April 13.
He will be remembered with love by his entire family and his many friends and for his incredible sense of humor and how he could always be counted on to have a joke for every occasion.
He retired from Petro Oil Company after 35 years as a dispatch supervisor to stay home and help raise his only granddaughter. He had a strong love of Irish music and Boston sports and could often be found at Irish festivals or sitting in Fenway Park or the Boston Garden.
The beloved husband of 57 years of Camille E. (Ciampi) Donnelly, whom he absolutely adored, he was the loving father of Camille Kirrane and Cynthia Donnelly and his granddaughter, Madison Elise Kirrane, all of Saugus and who were everything to him. He is also survived by his loving sister, Ellen Morel and his brothers in law: Dr. George Port, Jr., Fred F. Ciampi and Robert Ciampi. He was predeceased by his dear siblings: Daniel Donnelly, Jr., Mary Davison, Ann Port, Stephen Donnelly, Frances Zand, Edmund Donnelly, Elizabeth Sim, Kathleen Manz and Thomas Donnelly and he is also survived by several generations of many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. He was the cherished son of the late Daniel Donnelly and Ann (Barker) Donnelly.
Visitation for relatives and friends was held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Tuesday and his Funeral Mass will be held today, Wednesday, at 10:30 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, Saugus. At the request of the family, masks are optional but encouraged. Please go directly to the church, funeral home staff will be available to assist with parking. Burial to follow in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in James’ name to: The Carroll Center for the Blind, 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA, 02458 or St. Anthony Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston, MA Attn: Father Tom Conway.
Anthony Bova
Retired Graphic Artist
Funeral Services were held in the Vertuccio Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals on Tuesday, April 18 for Anthony Bova, 86, of Beverly, who passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 12 surrounded by his loving family. Interment was in Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
Tony served his country in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to1961. He was a proud Marine who embodied Semper Fidelis, always faithful. In his younger days, he was dubbed “Tony the Great†by his sister, Anna, and it stuck. Tony was an avid boater and his passion was sailing Nefertiti, their 36-foot Catalina with family and friends. He was a member of Palmer Cove Yacht Club in Salem.
After attending St. Joseph’s High School and serving as a Marine for seven years, Tony graduated from Butera Art School and worked as a graphic artist at Itek Corporation for the duration of his career. Tony was a skilled artist having painted over 150 unique landscapes, still lives, boats, and his two favorite subjects: family portraits and pets. Tony will be deeply missed.
Born May 25, 1936 to Anthony and Angelina Bova. Anthony “Tony†leaves his wife Connie of 61 years, and three children, Robert Bova and his wife, Sally Maijenski of Danvers, Michael Bova and his wife, Robin of Arlington and Michelle Bova Silvano of Boxford and her companion, David Lombard. Tony’s grandchildren include Michael Maijenski, Akiko Bova, Ian and Andrew Bova, Brooke, Ethan and Evan Silvano, along with several nieces and nephews.
Tony was predeceased by his brother, Joseph Bova and his sister, Anna Ternullo.
Donations in his memory can be sent to MSPCA-Angell, Attn: Donations, 350 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130. To send online condolences, please visit www.vertucciosmithvazza.com​
Funeral Arrangements entrusted to the care & direction of the Vertuccio Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals.
Joseph Albano
U.S. Postal Service Retiree
A Funeral Mass was celebrated on Friday, April 14​in St. Anthony of Padua Church for Joseph A. Albano, 92, who died at the Leonard Florence Center for the Living in Chelsea on Monday, April 10 following a brief illness. Entombment was in Holy Cross Community Mausoleum, Malden.
Joe was born in Somerville on March 27, 1931 and raised and educated in Revere. He enlisted in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. After he faithfully served his country, he was honorably discharged as a Corporal and became an Army Reservist in the U.S. Army National Guard for an additional two years.
On October 11, 1958, Joe married the love of his life, Ann A. (Ricci). The couple remained in Revere and lived a very happy and full life together. Joe was a longtime “Letter Carrier†for the United States Postal Service for over 35 years in Malden.
Following his retirement, Joe enjoyed gardening, watching baseball, especially his beloved Red Sox, as well as reading about baseball and its history. He also enjoyed horse racing at Suffolk Downs and trips to Atlantic City. He was a member of the East Boston Social Center in Central Square in East Boston and was an active participant at the Bremen Street Community Garden. Joe lived a quiet, humble life and enjoyed doing the things he loved most.
He was the beloved husband of 65 years to the late Ann A. (Ricci) Albano; the cherished son of the late Americo “Ricky†Albano and his wife, Ida, and Mary (Navarro) Albano; dear brother of the late Camille A. Albano. He is also lovingly survived by several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Remembrances may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. ​
The staff at Vertuccio Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals is most honored to have assisted the family in completing funeral arrangements. For online guest book, please visit www.vertucciosmithvazza.com​.
Ann Marie French
Retired Bank Teller
Ann Marie (Saunier) French, a lifelong resident of Revere, passed away after a long illness on April 12 at 76 years old.
Ann Marie was a longtime bank teller for Winter Hill Bank in Chelsea prior to retiring.
She leaves behind many loved ones and her loving husband of 54 years, John James French of Revere. She was the loving mother of Kenneth James and her daughter in-law, Mary Rita French of Lynn, Andrea French of Revere and Christine and son in law, Joseph Azera of Revere; cherished grandmother of Daniel E. French, Suzanne M. French, Kathleen A. French, Rosemary French, Karissa A. Azera, Courtney R. Azera, Joseph M. Azera Jr, and David J. Jordan. She is also survived by four loving great grandkids.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a visitation at the JF Ward Funeral Home, 772 Broadway, Everett, on Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a service in the funeral home at 12:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St, Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or @ www.stjude.org.
Michael DiGregorio Sr.
He Will Be Extraordinarily Missed and Eternally Loved
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Michael DiGregorio Sr., 71, on April 15th due to complications from cancer. His devastated family was at his bedside. Michael bravely fought early onset Alzheimer’s disease, an abdominal aortic aneurysm and multiple myeloma hematological cancer for several years. Against all odds, he rallied forward, never losing his faith or his exuberant, joyful love of life. The center of Michael’s world was always his endless devotion to his family. Michael was born and raised in Chelsea before moving to Revere. He was the son of the late Mario DiGregorio Jr. and Angelina (Spellino). Michael cherished and selflessly devoted his time to caring for his mother and visiting her almost daily in her nursing home for many years until she passed in 2017, one month short of her 91st birthday. He was very close with his two siblings: his older brother, Anthony and his wife Judith (Sherriff), and his younger sister, Josephine and her late husband Kenneth Sacco. Michael also grew up very close to numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins, especially the Loycanos, the LaMonicas, and, of course, the DiGregorios. He was especially fond of his last remaining aunt, Phyllis (DiGregorio) Falzone, who is currently in her 90’s.
Over 50 years ago, Michael met Patricia (Colarusso), who would become his loving wife of almost 43 years. They would go on to have his beloved only child, Michael Jr., whom he always called his greatest joy in life. In addition to being father and son, Michael and Michael Jr. also considered each other best friends, and they shared all the same interests and hobbies. Michael was never happier than when he was with his son — and vice versa. Michael was also very close to his brother-in-law, Frederick Colarusso and his wife, Rosanne (Pallotta). He always adored and took great pride in his six nieces and nephews: Craig, David, Cheryl, Gina, Alison and Lauren. He cherished his four beautiful grandnieces: Luciana, Cleo, Hazel, and Eloise and he loved his precious grandnephew, Vincent.
A proud Roman Catholic, Michael was educated by the Sisters of Providence at St. Rose School in Chelsea for primary school and then by the Salesians of Don Bosco at St. Dominic Savio High School in East Boston. He received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a major in history from Salem State College. He later continued his post-graduate education, attending business school at Northeastern University.
Michael worked extremely hard his entire life, from summer jobs packaging hazardous materials at Howe & French chemical factory, to helping his father run his furniture upholstery business. It was while working at Almys Department Store in Revere, during college, that he met his future wife and fellow employee, Patti, and a large group of friends with whom he kept in touch and maintained close friendships for decades. After taking over as store manager at another Almys location in Salem, Michael was hired to work as a corporate buyer and regional purchasing manager at Bradlees Department Store chain. It was during this time that he solidified many more lifelong friendships and was given the opportunity to travel extensively across the country to dozens of states, and, very often, to New York City.
After leaving Bradlees, Michael was hired as an executive vice-president of one of the last remaining textile manufacturers in the city of Boston. Subsequently, he started a small business as a retail store owner, and eventually, he expanded to two stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
When his wife, Patti was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, Michael made the decision to close his business and re educated himself as a real estate agent, so that he could have a more flexible schedule and be able to care for her. When she recovered — in part due to his devoted caretaking — he expanded his credentials to include joining the National Association of Realtors. He then took and passed the difficult MA real estate broker’s licensure examination on his first attempt. He remained a real estate broker until illness forced him to retire.
Just as he had done for her during her illness, Michael’s beloved wife Patti lovingly set all else aside to care for him in his time of great need. Despite being repeatedly told that caring for someone with as many medical complications as Michael would be nearly impossible to do, Patti and Michael Jr. made the decision to be responsible for all of his full-time care at home, while still bringing him themselves for all his medical appointments, including weekly chemotherapy. This enabled Michael to be comfortable and happy living at his home and it ensured that he was constantly surrounded by the love he so greatly deserved. Michael will be extraordinarily missed and eternally loved.
Funeral from the Buonfiglio Funeral Home, 128 Revere Street, Revere on Thursday, April 20, at 9 a.m. followed by af Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Church in Revere at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. A Visitation will be held today, Wednesday, April 19 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery. Donations in Michael’s memory can be made to the National Multiple Myeloma Foundation at www.myeloma.org or the Alzheimer’s Foundation at www.alz.org. For guest book please visit www.buonfiglio.com.
James D’Olimpio
Former Owner of Premier Limo Service
James M. D’Olimpio, a lifelong resident of Revere, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 15 at 55 years of age.
James was the former owner of Premier Limo Service. He graduated from Revere High School in 1985.
The loving son of the late Rocco and Virginia (Dayson) D’Olimpio, he was the devoted husband of Denise (Polito) D’Olimpio, beloved father of Victoria D’Olimpio of Revere, dear brother of John D’Olimpio and the late Paul F. D’Olimpio and cherished son-in-law of Anthony and Mary Ann (Giordano) Polito. He is also survived by his extended family: Emily Zaccaria and her son, Michael and his wife, Danielle, Gregory Simone, and Victoria Thompson and by his loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephew and cousins.
Family and friends will honor James’s life by gathering at the Ruggiero Family Memorial Home, 971 Saratoga Street, (Orient Heights) East Boston, on Sunday, April 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. and again Monday morning at 8:30 before leaving in procession to Saint Anthony of Padua Parish for a Funeral Mass celebrating James’s life at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with James being laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden.
May he rest in peace.
Florence Abbene
A Woman Ahead of Her Time
Florence J. (Lepore) Abbene peacefully departed on April 14 in her 98th year.
For 72 years, she was the wife of the late Atty Antonio Abbene, Jr. of Revere. She was the loving mother of Pamela Floridia and her husband, Richard, of Marlborough and Anthony ‘Skip’ Abbene and his wife, Karen of Melrose; the devoted Nana of Charles D. Abbene of South Carolina and Anthony J. Abbene and his wife, Lauren of Ipswich; the great grandmother of Emma Jean Abbene and the sister of the late Mary Commito of Reading. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
The daughter of the late Thomas and Vera Lepore, Florence was born in Everett and lived most of her young life in Medford. She graduated from Medford High School in 1942 and went to work at the John Hancock Insurance Co. She married Tony on June 13, 1948 at St. James Church in Medford.
Florence was ahead of her time – a working mother in the 1950’s and 1960’s – when she became the office manager and legal secretary of her husband’s law firm. She was a life-long learner who enjoyed reading, playing golf at Bellevue Golf Club in Melrose and going to lunch with her sister and friends. She loved to travel and enjoyed several cruises with her husband.
Family and friends are welcome to attend Visiting Hours in the Vertuccio, Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals, 262 Beach St., Revere, today, Wednesday, April 19 from 9:30 a.m to 11:30 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church, 133 Beach St., Revere, at 12 Noon. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, remembrance may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105. To send online condolences, please visit www.vertucciosmithvazza.com​
Funeral arrangements entrusted to the care and direction of the Vertuccio, Smith & Vazza, Beechwood Home for Funerals.
