Retired Department of Defense Computer Systems Analyst
Richard C. Pizzano, a longtime resident of Rye, NH, passed away after a period of declining health on Monday, January 2. He was 88 years of age.
Born and raised in Chelsea, he was the only son of the late Salvatore F. and Bertha M. (Bourinot) Pizzano.
Richard attended local schools, graduated from Chelsea High School and continued his education attending Boston University for two years. He enlisted in the US Army during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in October of 1955.
He was married to Grace A. (Kornechuk) for 65 years and together raised their daughter. Richard resided in Chelsea for most of his life and later settled in Woburn for many years before moving full time to Rye, NH 25 years ago.
Richard worked for 30 years as a civilian employee for the Dept. of Defense as a Computer Systems Analyst. He began his career at the Charlestown Navy Yard and completed his career at Hanscom Airfield retiring in 1994.
In his lifetime, Richard enjoyed Middle Eastern and Greek folk dancing with his wife and time spent at the family mountain house in Harts Location, NH where he enjoyed snowmobiling, skiing, hiking. He also enjoyed recreational boating in the summer, and he would frequently return to Chelsea to Morley’s Barber Shop to have his cut by Sonny, socialize and reminisce with old friends at the shop. He was also a past member for many years of the American Legion Frank E. Booma Post 6 Portsmouth, NH.
Richard was predeceased by his wife, Grace in 2019. He was the father of Heidi Cady of Rye and her late husband, Michael; grandfather of Jeffrey Cady and his wife, Lauren of Dover, NH and Daniel Cady and his companion, Anna Stevens of Rye, NH and great-grandfather of Michael Cady. He is also survived by several cousins, extended family members and friends.
Visiting hours will be held from the Welsh Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea today, Thursday, January 5 from 4 to 7 p.m. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. His Funeral will be from the Welsh Funeral Home on Friday, January 6 at 8 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Rose Church, 600 Broadway, Chelsea at 9:30 a.m. Services will conclude with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
Should friends desire, contributions in Richard’s name may be made to a charity of their choice.
Kevin M. LaCount
The World Will Miss His Kindness
Funeral Services were held in the Vertuccio & Smith, Home for Funerals on January 4 for Kevin M. LaCount, 66, who died unexpectedly on Monday, December 19 at his home in Chelsea.
Kevin was first born to his parents, Mary Lou (Ingerson) LaCount and the late Harry P. LaCount, Sr. in Somerville in 1956. He began his education at St Anne’s School in Somerville, then after his family moved to Arlington, he attended St James’ School, followed by Junior High West (now Ottoson JHS), graduating from Arlington High School with the class of 1974.
It was in Junior High School that he first met his future wife, Valerie Rae Johnson. As a matter of fact, he and his best friend, Jimmy Jenkins, used to give her a really hard time about some of her fashion choices…before that term was even a thing! He loved to share that if anyone had asked at the time, if he would ever be married to her, “he would have kicked their butts up and down the halls of Jr High West.”
Fast forward to high school, older and wiser, one night he asked Valerie out and she said yes…..’til she realized the black leather jacket side of Kevin scared the goody-two-shoes side of her and she had to turn him down. Remaining friends, after a few more years, he tried again. Finally, the timing was right! Fast forward 48 years…who’s scary now?
In 1977, newly married, Kevin and Valerie moved first to Somerville, then Malden, where Valerie dragged him, kicking and screaming, to his first community theatre audition. He got the part, fell in love with acting and was in a number of productions, with a number of groups, over the next three decades. Additionally, Kevin attended and graduated from Northeast School of Broadcasting. This led to a couple of Radio DJ spots at WALE in Fall River and WLKN in Maine.
In 1985, they purchased the shop where Valerie had been working and renamed it Washington Park Florist. In 1987, their first born, Branigan Lei, made her debut, and shortly after that they moved to Chelsea to be closer to the shop.
Working with the Boston Globe, in 1988, Branigan had to be hospitalized for kidney issues. Asking for time off, his supervisor gave him a hard time. Notice was given which began a 20 year window of Kevin and Valerie working together full time at the shop. This gave Kevin the opportunity to became interested in the balloon industry, eventually becoming one of the first 59 Certified Balloon Artists (CBA) in the world. Additionally, he was one of the first designers to begin incorporating florals into balloon work. Because of his skill in this area, he travelled across the country and internationally, to teach other professionals in the industry, long before YouTube existed.
As the business expanded, the shop relocated to a larger space and in 1990, their son, Damien Dakotah, forced his sister to share the familial stage. As the kids grew, they caught the acting bug and got involved with theatre. Kevin was a very proud dad and could always be counted on to cover the shop so that Valerie could be where she needed to be for BnBear!
In 2008, with both kids in college, Kevin took a part time job with Home Depot in Saugus to help with tuitions. When the economy tanked that same year, he was offered a full time position and grabbed it. He moved from store associate to the travelling MET team when the opportunity presented itself and when the teams became store-centric, he was conveniently located at the Home Depot in Chelsea. All this time, remaining Valerie’s bestest back-up at the shop and self-titled longest term employee! Recipient of many, many Homer Awards, throughout Covid, Kevin was many times one of the few and sometimes, the only member of his team to report for work.
Those are the facts, but anyone who knows Kevin, knows there’s way more than facts! Falling in love with motorcycling, long distance annual solo bike trips, lots of family vacations, master of puns (or PUNishment, if you ask the BMRH), gardening, Rotarian, Mason, lover of the long way around, man of many words, cribbage teacher, IPA aficionado, Church and Karaoke singer, Spiritualist, lover of his canine kids, slave to his feline kid, big fan of his Kowloon folks, and huge cheerleader of the Rusty Can… their food, their servers and the line!!!!!
Valerie, Branigan and Damien would like him to know that he will forever be the first man we remember and the last man we’ll forget!
Kevin will always be the much loved, first born son to Mary Lou (Ingerson) LaCount and the late Harry P. LaCount, Sr.
He is the greatly missed husband of almost 46 years to Valerie Rae (Johnson) LaCount of Chelsea. As their loving and devoted dad, he leaves his daughter, Branigan Reed of Salem and her husband, Dewayne, as well as his son, Damien LaCount of Peabody and his fiancee, Anetta Rauf to carry on his legacy of love as he continues to be proud of his bonus grandson, Vaugn Reed. Additionally, he leaves brothers: Harry P. LaCount, Jr. and his wife, Sue, Dennis LaCount and his wife, Jan and his sister, Karen LaCount of Chelmsford. In addition, he leaves his brother-in-law and riding buddy, Erick Johnson and his fiancee, Liz Metcalf of Weymouth. Brian, Karen, Michael, Heather, Brett, Stephen, Mike and Dan know that Uncle Kevin will be watching over all of them and their families. Kevin was predeceased by his sister, Tracey (LaCount / Lucontoni) Savage but we know there was a joyful reunion when he crossed. Since he got over the Rainbow Bridge first, he’ll have the company of Noodle, Bito, Shredder and NuttaButta while Valerie takes care of Kneesaa, Gizmo, Stripe, Calliope and occasionally, his grandpuppy, Phoenix.
Yes, we have a flower shop, but…If you would like to do something to honor Kevin’s memory, we would respectfully ask that you instead consider a donation in his name. His preference was to the church that taught us about Spiritualism and brought him comfort, where he had become the music coordinator.
Donations can be sent to: GBCS (Greater Boston Church of Spiritualism), c/o Rev. Mary DiGiovanni, 24 Arlington St., Brighton, MA 02135. Donations can also be made thru Venmo@GBCSpiritualism. We would also be honored, should you choose instead to donate to a charity that aligns with your concerns. The world will be missing his kindness, let’s band together to try to make up for the loss. To send online condolences, please visit www.vertuccioandsmith.com.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to the care & direction of the Vertuccio & Smith, Home for Funerals, Revere.