Francine D’Andrea
Past President Women’s Lodge Sons of Italy, Longtime Member of Bay State Freedoms Foundation and Italian Business Women’s Club
Francine M. (Ruggiero) D’Andrea of Orient Heights, East Boston passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family.
Francine was a Past President of the Women’s Lodge of the Sons of Italy, long-time member of the Bay State Freedoms Foundation and Italian Business Women’s Club. She was a Paralegal for over 33 years.
The loving daughter of the late Carmine and Josephine (DeSantis) Ruggiero, she was the devoted and beloved mother of Carmine “Chuck” D’Andrea and his wife, Jeanne of Reading, adored grandmother of Nicole D’Andrea of Reading, sister of Lois Bartolomeau of East Boston and Virginia Skoczylas of Winthrop and is also survived by her nephews.
Family and friends honored Francine’s life by gathering on Tuesday, August 18 at St. Joseph – St. Lazarus Church, East Boston for an 11 a.m. Funeral Mass. Services concluded with Francine being laid to rest privately at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For more information, please visit www.ruggieromh.com or call 617-569-0990.
Marjorie Domenica Magrath
Matriarch of a Large, Geographically Divided yet Emotionally Connected Magrath Family
Marjorie Domenica “Dama” (DiMento) Magrath, formerly of Brighton and Everett, passed away at her East Boston home of 65 years on August 13. She was in her 96th year.
The beloved wife of the late Frederick J. Magrath Jr., she was born in Brighton in 1925. She graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1943 and Regis College in 1947 and was a magna cum laude from the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in 1988 with a degree in funeral directing after the death of her husband.
She was the mother of Dayle Magrath Vecchione of East Boston and her husband, Richard, Dayna Magrath Cummings of Barrington, NH and her late husband, Herbert, Mark F. Magrath of Sanford, ME and his wife, Susan and the late Frederick J. Magrath III and Brian F. Magrath and his surviving, wife Theresa; grandmother of Jacquelyn Renzulli and her husband, Frank, Marisa Cummings and her husband, Rosh Dhingra, Lauren Cummings Studenmund and her husband, Kyle, Erica Magrath, Patty and Kenna Magrath; great-grandmother of Vincenzo, Nico, Francesca and Gino Renzulli, Jake Dhingra, Ethan, Logan and Declan Studenmund; daughter of the late Annette (Roccia) and Frank S. DiMento. She is also survived by her brother Ronald DiMento and his wife, Rosalie of Florida.
The matriarch of a large, geographically divided yet emotionally connected family, she lived life’s greatest struggles, managing to strive past them and lead her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren with strength, confidence, and unfiltered opinions.
She split her time between her East Boston home and her granddaughter’s home in Los Angeles, California allowing her to enjoy the summer and fall in the east while avoiding the wretched winter, blissfully taking in the west coast sun alongside many friends, her granddaughter, great-grandchildren and her beloved dogs. She structured her life this way to not only escape the cold but to be a part of the lives of her most treasured creations, not her children, but her grand and great-grandchildren. Each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren share distinct and lasting memories of her thanks to her uniquely “Dama” qualities. The bond created between her and the younger generations was forged after she overcame some of the worst things a mother could go through and, instead of becoming a wrinkled, angry recluse, she instead traveled the world, made friends across the globe and lived her years always surrounded by her family. She was a long-time fan of the Boston Bruins and enjoyed watching football, golf and figure skating. However, we all know that her favorite channel was the Game Show network.
Funeral Services were held on Monday, August 17. She was buried in the family lot in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory to the Italian Home for Children would be appreciated. Please send messages of condolence to the family on the funeral home’s Tribute Page, MagrathFuneralHome.com.
Gerald Alviti Sr.
Of Revere, formerly of Orient Heights East Boston
Gerald “Gerry” Alviti Sr., 62, of Revere, formerly of Orient Heights East Boston, passed away on July 28.
He was the cherished son of Marceline (Zizza) Alviti and the late Americo John “Tootsie” Alviti; loving father of Anissa Fusco and her husband, Paul and Gerald Alviti Jr., all of Revere and Vincent Alviti and his wife, Nicole of Cambridge; brother of Steven Alviti and his wife, Susan of Chelmsford and Gina Maggio and her husband, Paul of Revere and the adored grandfather of Gianna Alviti, Adrianna Fusco and the late Vincent Alviti Jr.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated in Gerry’s honor at St. Joseph- St. Lazarus Church, 59 Ashley St., East Boston on Saturday, August 22 at 11 a.m.
For online guest book please visit www.vazzafunerals.com.
Michael Francis Giarla
His Family Was His Greatest Accomplishment
Michael Francis Giarla of Revere, formerly of Boston’s North End, passed away surrounded by his loving family on August 13 at the age of 96.
Michael proudly served his country in the US Navy as a motor machinist II in WWII and received the World War II Victory Medal, American Area Ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Ribbon 2 Stars, and the Good Conduct Medal. He survived an explosion in the South Pacific on PT boat 110. Mike was a life member of the Plumbers Local 12 and has been a member since October 27, 1952.
He was an avid gardener who enjoyed searching for wild mushrooms and caning his own tomatoes every summer. A proud moment for Mike was when he appeared in the movie “they were expendable” and personally drove General MacArthur as well as John Wayne and his date on the PT boat during filming. His greatest accomplishments were his family. He especially loved them and was proud to be called papa.
Born in Boston on December 2, 1923 to the late Michael and Consiglia (Melillo), he was married for 49 years to his late wife Columbina (DiMaina) and was the devoted father of Celia Diakogeorgiou and her fiancé, Robert Stegmaier of Peabody, Michael J. Giarla and his wife, Joanne, Christopher Giarla and his wife, Denise, John Giarla and Robert Giarla and his wife, Karen, all of Revere and the late Richard Giarla; dear brother of Adeline Ameno and her husband, Gennaro of Boston’s North End and the late Fannie Giarle, Lucy Giarle, Mary Totorici, and Louis Giarla. He was the cherished grandfather of Sevi Mulcahy and her husband, Steve, Julianne Erazo and her husband, Hugo, Jennifer Giarla and her husband, Michael Salsgiver, Selina Giaquinto and her husband, Chris, Christopher Giarla, Joseph Giarla and his fiancé, Nicole Lauro, Michael Giarla, Robert Giarla Jr. and his wife, Jill, Tiffany Bohen and her husband, Brad, Tina Marie Baptista and her husband, Gabe, Janine Giarla and her wife, Katelyn and Richard Giarla Jr. and the adored great grandfather of Brian, Mila, Michael, Jordyn, JoJo, Jayden, Charley, Vincent, Richie, Brianna, Dominic, Madison, Isabella, Aria, and Olivia. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and his best friend, Kei Ikeda who visited him daily and now lives in Japan.
Due to the current spike in Covid-19, the guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Archdiocese of Boston and local officials, funeral services will be privately held for the immediate family. Interment in Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to D.A.V, Room 546 State House, Boston, MA 02133. For guest book please visit www.buonfiglio.com