Richard Pilcher
Served in US Air Force Intelligence Service
Richard L. Pilcher of Chelsea passed away suddenly at home. He was 76 years old.
Born in Eufaula, Alabama to W.E. and Jerusha (Nobles) Pilcher, he joined the US Air Force in 1955 and served for four years. During that time he was in the Air Force Intelligence Service, stationed in Incrilic, Turkey. He intercepted secret transmissions which were bounced off clouds in order to escape detection from the Soviets. He had a personal friendship with Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 pilot who was shot down over Soviet air space, as well as being involved in that mission as a communications specialist.
After leaving the service, Mr. Pilcher married Ann T. Dobbins, who predeceases him, and moved to Chelsea, where they raised a family of five children. He worked in the post office as a mechanic on the letter sorting machines for over 20 years. He was also an avid ham radio operator. He loved wind surfing, built his own computers from components, and recently visited the Fermilab Tevretron collider. He loved to fly, and enjoyed a dawn ballon flight over Dayton Ohio in 2008.
He is survived by five children, Tracy Pilcher, and her partner, Steve Olsyzna of Detroit MI, Alison Pilcher, and her spouse, Arthur Tsicoulias, Paul Pilcher of Phoenix, AZ., Nancy Midura and her late husband, Bobby Midura of Natick and Richard “Eric” Pilcher, of Lynn; two grandchildren, Franklin Pilcher, of Chillmark and Robert E. Midura of Natick. He also has many cousins in Alabama including Bea Miller of Andalusia Alabama.
Visitation will be held at the Smith Funeral Home, 125 Washington Avenue, Chelsea on Tuesday, April 16 from 10:30 a.m. until noon, at which time a Funeral Service will be held followed by interment at Woodlawn Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Robert Midura Scholarship Fund, Chelsea Employees Federal Credit Union, Chelsea City Hall, 500 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150
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Robert Giancola
Former Proprietor of Rossi Bread,
Retired Mass Pike Toll Collector,
Former Revere Auxiliary Police Lieutenant
and Revere American Legion Life Member
Robert A. Giancola, a Chelsea resident for the past 53 years, passed away at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on April 9. He was 87 years old.
Born in Brighton, the son of the late Michael and Anna (Ghidella) Giancola, he grew up in Chelsea and Revere, attended local schools and was a graduate of Chelsea High School. He enlisted in the US Navy and served during World War II. He was honorably discharged in1946.
After his discharge, and for the next 30 plus years, he was the proprietor of Rossi Bread a small Italian bread bakery specializing in home delivery of fresh bread and baked goods. During the mid 1970’s, he retired from baking and began working as a toll collector for the Mass Pike Authority. He took his full retirement in 1987.
He was a former member and lieutenant with the Revere Auxiliary Police Dept. and a life member of the Revere American Legion Post 61.
He was married to the late Claire E. (Lavery) and together they raised their family of two daughters and three sons in Chelsea. He was the devoted father of Patricia Storer and her late husband, Raymond of Reading, Diana Czyzewski and her husband, Boleslaw “Bill” of Waltham, Robert Giancola of Salem, NH, William Giancola and his wife, Michelle of Melrose and Paul Giancola and his late wife, Linda of Wakefield; dear brother of the late Doris Iovanna and is also survived by eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren. His Funeral will be held from the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea on Saturday, April 13 at 8 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Rose Church, 600 Broadway, Chelsea at 9 a.m. Services will conclude with Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held at the Welsh Funeral Home on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. The Funeral Home is fully handicap accessible, ample parking opposite Funeral Home. Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St. Framingham, MA 01701 or by visiting www.Cancer.org. For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit www.WelshFuneralHome.com.
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John Fern
Retired Chelsea Police Patrolman,
Recipient of Three Citations
John Fern, a retired Chelsea Police Patrolman, passed away at the North Shore Medical Center – Salem Hospital in Salem on April 9 following a long illness. He was 76 years old.
Born in Chelsea, he attended local schools. He was a United States Marine Corps veteran serving during the Korean Conflict. John served as a Chelsea Police Patrolman for 11 years, retiring in 1981. During his career, he received three citations, two for saving children’s lives and another for capturing an arsonist.
A longtime Chelsea resident, he has been living in Revere and Swampscott over the past 10 years. He was a member of the Chelsea Police Relief Association, a Revere Beach Habitue, enjoyed boating and was a Harley and other motorcycles enthusiast.
He was the beloved husband of 28 years to Ottavia “Ottie” Santone; dear brother and brother in law of Ralph Fern and his late wife, Dolly of Peabody, Joseph Fern and his wife, Christine of Chelsea, Carol Holsten and her late husband, Bob of Lynn, the late Pat Lepore and her husband, Sonny of Chelsea, the late Elizabeth and Guy Toro, Italia Minchello of Lowell, Marcello Santone and his late wife, Theresa of Walpole and Stanley Santone of Ohio. He was the son in law of Vincenzo Santone and Anne Halteman of Medford and the late Marcia Martinez.
His Funeral will be held from the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea on Tuesday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, 59 Nichols St., Chelsea at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held at the Welsh Funeral Home on Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. The Funeral Home is fully handicap accessible, ample parking opposite Funeral Home. For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit
www.WelshFuneralHome.com