Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Service

07/14/2023

IN OUR CARE
Joanne (Modafferi) Petito, known to her family and friends as “Jo” or “JoJo”, passed away peacefully in her God's loving arms on July 10, 2023, in her home in Stow, MA, following a 3-year battle with stage IV ovarian cancer. She had just celebrated her 90th birthday with people from all walks of her life.

Born in Boston, MA on June 21, 1933, to Anthony and Eva (Frissore) Modafferi, she was the oldest of 2. Her sister, Gerladine (Geri Modafferi) DiMasi died on her birthday, September 20, 2021.

Joanne spent her childhood in both Watertown, MA and Boonton, NJ, and her young adult years in Long Island City, NY. She graduated from Hunter College High School in Manhattan, NY. Through a high school classmate, she met and married Michael Charles Petito on January 24, 1954. They started their life together in South Ozone Park, Jamaica Queens, NY, following Mike’s debilitating stroke at 24 years old. They had 4 children. Joanne is survived by 3 and their spouses: Michael Charles Jr. Petito (and Denise) of Vassalboro, ME; Ely (Laxamana) Petito of Lynnfield, MA (his first marriage); Ellen Ann (Petito) Micol (and Larry) of Worcester, MA; and James (Jimmy) Matthew Petito formerly of Waltham, MA. Their infant son, Vincent James, died at 8 months of a virus. She’s also survived by her Grandchildren, Adrienne (Petito) O’Brien (and Tim) of Lynnfield MA; Eric Vincent Petito of Vassalboro, ME; and David Michael Petito of Glen St. Mary, FL. her Great-granddaughters, Jocelyn (Josie), Mary O’Brien, Alexa (Lexi) Joanne O’Brien, and Rhett Aileen Noyes.

Following the birth of Jimmy in March 1965, they drove their family - 3 kids, Husky their dog, 2 cats - Penny and Tiny, and their turtle Oscar from Queens, NY to Watertown, MA where Joanne spent the next 42 years. She worked as a Bookkeeper all her life at Instrumentation Labs (I.L.), Cosmetics Plus, Specialty Products, and Occupational Therapy Associates (O.T.A.) all in Waterown. Joanne went to college and received an Associate’s Degree in business from Fisher Jr. College when she was 51 years old and even made the Dean’s List! Music, particularly classical, was an important part of her life. She played piano, resuming lessons in her 80’s, and sang with the Lexington Pops chorus for many years. In her 70’s she was committed to enhancing her mental and physical health so she began practicing Tai Chi.

Family meant the world to Joanne and she was committed to staying connected to family out of state. Back then it was safe to put your kids on a Greyhound bus, alone, so she did. Traveling as a family to California on a 3-day bus trip or a 36 hour trip to Tampa, Florida were 2 very memorable trips. Joanne graciously hosted numerous family gatherings and life celebrations at 28 Forest St, for not only her immediate family but extended family as well. She opened her heart and home so that everyone felt special and welcomed.

In 2007 she sold her home in Watertown and moved to Stow, MA. She treasured the community of friends she found at Meeting House where she lived for 16 years. For 13 of those years, she was a dedicated volunteer with the Stow Council on Aging – again making lifelong friendships.

JoJo’s favorites include pasta, knitting, walking, dancing, gardening, the color red (please wear red to the wake or funeral in her honor), forsythia, geranium, lilac, the Summer, sun, hummingbirds, re-using and recycling, her kitty Tuxie and all her pets. She had an appreciation, love, and respect for all God’s creatures, and thus followed a vegan diet for the past 43 years, long before it became popular. To Joanne, every life was precious!

The lifechanging events that shaped her into the beautiful, strong, fiercely independent woman she became include: her 24 year old fiancé’s debilitating stroke, delivery of a stillborn baby girl, the death of her 8 month old son Vincent, her divorce and raising her children alone while working full time, reading about the cruel treatment of animals in the food industry, and also confronting, enduring and coping with the mental illness of her son Jimmy. It was her support group and her very strong faith that helped her through these traumatic times.

Those who knew Joanne, Jo, JoJo, were grateful to have had her in their lives. She was a dear friend to all and will be fondly and forever remembered for her kind and caring ways, her love of family, the pride she felt in her Italian heritage, and her deep devotion to the Catholic faith.

Visitation hours will be on Monday, July 17, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, 42 Concord Street, Maynard, MA 01754. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 18, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Isidore Parish, 429 Great Road, Stow, MA 01775. Burial will follow at St. Patrick Cemetery, 999 Belmont St. Watertown, MA.

In lieu of flowers please make a memorial donation in Joanne's name to:

The Pat Brody Shelter for cats 499 Northfield Road, Lunenburg, MA 01462 or St. Isidore Parish, 429 Great Road, Stow, MA 01775.

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07/11/2023

IN OUR CARE
Charles M. “Charlie” Young, age 57, of Worcester, passed away peacefully on Monday, July 3, 2023. He was the husband of Eileen L. (Wacenske) Young.

Charlie was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, on July 10, 1965, to the late Lonnel and Josie (Gomez) Young. He was raised and educated in Cambridge, graduating from Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, class of 1983. Charlie and Eileen married on August 2, 1986.

Charlie worked as a certified mechanic for many years at Doherty’s Garage Inc. in Lincoln.

Work was a passion for Charlie. He enjoyed working on anything that had an engine. If he was not working on a car or motorcycle, he was out riding his Harley-Davidson. Charlie cherished time spent with his family. He especially enjoyed cooking on the grill for family and close friends. Charlie was an avid WWE wrestling fan and loved The Three Stooges. He also enjoyed classic rock especially, Led Zeppelin, Molly Hatchet and Van Halen.

Charlie is survived by his wife, Eileen L. Young of Clinton, MA; his daughters, Jessica Young and partner Roger DeLeon of Corpus Christi, TX; Allyssa Young and partner Derek O’Brien of Acton, MA; Tasha Young and husband Edward Young of Clinton, MA; his brother, Brad Young of Maynard, MA; his sister, Kay Young of Maynard, MA; his seven grandchildren Derrick, Kingston, Jackson, Shea, Mia, Izzy and Dreya, and many nieces and nephews. Charlie was predeceased by his sister Gale Young.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Charlie on Saturday, July 29, 2023 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at the Fowler Kennedy Funeral Home, 42 Concord Street, Maynard. Burial will be private.

View Charles M. "Charlie" Young's obituary, send flowers and find service dates or sign the guestbook.

07/06/2023

IN OUR CARE

Frederick W. “Rick” Hobbs, age 77, of Maynard, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 29, 2023. He was the loving husband of the late Linda R. (Simpson) Hobbs.

Rick was born in Los Angeles, California on March 18, 1946, to the late Frederick W. Hobbs and Barbara A. (Jenks) Gentry. He was raised and educated in Los Angeles, California. Graduating from Granada Hills High School, class of 1964. Rick enlisted in the United States Navy and achieved the rank of Petty Officer First Class. He worked as an electronics technician sub sailor and proudly served his country from 1964-1972. Rick and Linda married on February 26, 1966 in Los Angeles, California. The couple settled in Maynard in 1974 and raised their loving family.

Family was most important to Rick. He loved hosting Christmas Eve and spending time as a family, especially with his grandchildren. Rick enjoyed cooking, especially smoking and grilling. He cherished time spent on his boat at Lake Winnipesaukee and later on the ocean out of the shipyard in Fairhaven, MA. Rick also enjoyed a cold Coors Light and Beefeater Gin & Tonic.

Rick is survived by his children, Sue and husband Darren Schumaker of Tewksbury, MA; Heidi and husband Bill Brincklow of Tewksbury, MA; Mike Hobbs of Maynard, MA; his cherished grandchildren, Amanda Schumaker, Blake Schumaker, Derek Schumaker, Alexis Brincklow, Connor Brincklow, Aidan Hobbs, Drew Hobbs and Madison Hobbs.

Services will be private.

In lieu of flowers donations in his memory may be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation.

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07/06/2023

IN OUR CARE

Mark “Wally” Gainer, age 74 of Sudbury, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. He was the loving husband of the late Susan Elizabeth (Rice) Gainer.

Mark was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 8, 1949, son of the late Carl Gainer and Lillian (Manning) Legere. He was raised and educated in Lincoln and Sudbury, MA. He Graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, class of 1967. After graduating high school, he worked as a carpenter and attended the Police Academy program. Mark married his high school sweetheart, Susan, on March 18, 1967. They raised four children, Marianne, Susanne, Mark Jr. and Elizabeth in Sudbury.

Mark “Wally” worked as a Police Officer for the town of Sudbury for 33 years, retiring in 2004. After his retirement from SPD, he built furniture for a local pre-school. Finally, he fully retired in 2009.

Wally was an avid outdoorsman. He loved fly fishing and hunting. Wally enjoyed tying his own flies and woodworking; he was a skilled craftsman. He could build anything from beautiful furniture to intricate guitars. He cherished a good meal with family and friends, had a passion for football and always enjoyed his favorite holiday, Thanksgiving Day. He also enjoyed playing cards and cribbage with his buddies. One of his many talents was his ability to make a funny rhyme about any circumstance. He would often strum a guitar and make up a silly song off the cuff. He could always be counted on for humor in all situations. Wally was also known as a great storyteller who could entertain an array of audiences with his simple stories about life.

Wally is survived by his children, Marianne Harris; Susanne “Jackie” O’Rourke and husband Dennis of Marlborough, MA; Mark Gainer Jr., and wife Gretchen of Sudbury, MA; Elizabeth Thoman and husband Richard of Westborough, MA; his loving grandchildren, Conor and Dylan Harris, Aiden and Devin O’Rourke, Lillian, Shannon, and Jake Gainer and Allyson Thoman. His siblings, Carl Gainer of Lincoln, MA; Linda Gillig of Brunswick, ME.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Wally on Saturday, July 22, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, 42 Concord Street, Maynard, MA. Burial will be private.

“When I come to the end of the road. And the sun has set for me. I want no rites in a gloom filled room. Why cry for a soul set free?”

Gifts in his memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association 260 Cochituate Road #200, Framingham, MA 01701.

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07/04/2023

🇺🇸H A P P Y🇺🇸
🎆4 th o f 🎆
🇺🇸J U L Y🇺🇸
🇺🇸🎆🇺🇸🎆🇺🇸

07/01/2023

Happy Canada 🇨🇦 Day, July 1st
Canada, our neighbor, our friend, 40 million strong 🇨🇦❤️🇺🇸

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers remarks to commemorate Canada Day as the country celebrates its 156th birthday. (July 1, 2023)

06/26/2023

IN OUR CARE
Judith Ann (Lester) Walsh (STOW, MA)
November 23, 1942 — June 19, 2023

Judith Ann (Lester) Walsh, 80, passed away on Monday, June 19, 2023 after a yearlong battle with cancer.

Judi was born in Concord, Massachusetts on November 23, 1942, daughter of the late Willis I. and Rachael S. (Tucker) Lester. After Judi graduated from Maynard High School in 1960, she used her experience working with numbers and finance at a local bank to create her own bookkeeping business. Over the years, Judi worked with several local companies before retiring in 2007.

With a love of numbers and logic, Judi was an expert at sudoku. She lovingly completed many puzzle books that would baffle her beloved daughter, Allison.

The one thing that Judi might have loved more than (or equal to) her daughter, was Boston sports. She was a passionate fan of all things Red Sox, Bruins and Patriots. While she cherished the championship wins by all these teams, she was not optimistic about the Red Sox chances this year especially after Chris Sales’ injury and was crushed when her adored, record-setting Boston Bruins lost in the playoffs to an inferior Florida Panthers team.

Judi was an avid reader, who loved mystery novels, especially authors James Patterson and Michael Connelly. If asked, Judi would provide you a long list of book recommendations and often lent her personal library to others.

Judi was also a crafter, knitting blankets to keep warm in the cold New England winters and creating needlepoint works of art that she framed and displayed on her walls.

Judi is survived by her daughter, Allison Walsh and husband Antonio Rincon of Rehoboth, MA; her siblings, Willis Lester of Columbia, SC; Ann Marie Lester of Vero Beach, FL: Jon Lester of Bonita Springs, FL. She is predeceased by her sister Robin Chesnick. She also leaves behind treasured nieces, one nephew and their children, which she actively followed on Facebook.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Judi on Friday, July 14, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, 42 Concord Street, Maynard, MA. A time for sharing memories will begin at 4:30 p.m. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Randall Library, 19 Crescent St, Stow, MA 01775. As an enthusiastic reader, Judi felt strongly about supporting local libraries.

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06/21/2023

Summer begins today!

06/21/2023

Yes and it is the largest company.

06/20/2023

IN OUR CARE
Caryl M. (Beck) Lundie, age 90, of Marlborough, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 12, 2023. She was the loving wife of Kenneth G. Lundie.

Caryl was born in New York, New York on January 9, 1933, the daughter of the late Charles Albert and Frieda Freiershausen Beck. She was raised and educated in the Bronx and relocated to Southhampton graduating from Southhampton High School. Caryl continued her education at Concordia College Bronxville, New York and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Concordia University River Forest, IL. Caryl and Kenneth married on June 26, 1965 and settled in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania.

After college Caryl taught in Lutheran Schools for ten years in Providence, RI; Patchog, NY; and Riverhead, NY. Following her marriage, she worked side by side with Kenneth in their 5 and 10 cent store in Riegelsville until their retirement.

Caryl was very active at Faith Lutheran Church in Easton, PA. She taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and volunteered in the Lutheran Woman’s Missionary League Chapter in their congregation. She also volunteered delivering meals to seniors as part of the Meals on Wheels program.

Caryl also enjoyed traveling throughout her life: a European trip after College, camping in the Western States with teaching friends one summer; a tour of the Holy Lands and Egypt with her father led by one of the ministers from Riegelsville; and many river boat trips to Europe and tours across the US with Ken.

In her later years she moved to the New Horizons Independent and Assisted Living in Marlborough, MA and was a parishioner at St. John Lutheran Church in Sudbury, MA.

Caryl is survived by her husband, Kenneth G. Lundie of Marlborough, MA; her son, Bruce G. Lundie and wife Maura of Wellesley, MA; her grandchildren, Ainsley (Lundie) Loving and husband James of Silver Spring, MD; Nathaniel Lundie of San Francisco, CA.

Her memorial service will be celebrated on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 11am at St. John Lutheran Church 16 Great Road, Sudbury MA 01776.

Gifts in her memory can be made to St. John Lutheran Church in Sudbury, MA.

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06/18/2023

Happy Father’s Day! 💙

06/13/2023

IN OUR CARE
Richard V. Manion, age 87 of Maynard, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 8, 2023. He was the loving husband of the late Betty Jane (Keniston) Manion.

Richard was born in Concord, Massachusetts, son of the late Francis J. and Virginia L. (Piper) Manion. He was raised and educated in Acton, MA, graduating from Acton High School, class of 1955. After serving in the Air Force, Richard met Betty at Moseley’s On the Charles Ballroom in Dedham. The couple married on June 20, 1964 and settled in Maynard.

Dick worked for Digital Equipment Corporation for 28 years, retiring as a project leader in 1992.

Richard cherished his yearly trips to Falmouth in Cape Cod, and especially enjoyed Old Silver Beach. He was interested in real estate and improved homes and apartment buildings for many years. He was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan. The family enjoyed hosting Christmas Eve and pool parties at their home with friends and family.

Richard is survived by his daughter, Linda Moore-O’Brien and her husband Dennis O’Brien of Merrimack, NH; his grandson, Alexander Frank Moore serving in the United States Air Force; his sister, Paula Pavelski of Maynard, MA; and many nieces and nephews. Richard was predeceased by his brother, Michael Manion and sister, Meredith Fazio.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Richard on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, 42 Concord Street, Maynard. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 21 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Bridget’s Parish, One Percival Street, Maynard. Burial will follow at Glenwood Cemetery in Maynard.

Gifts in his memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452.

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