Don DiFiore
Skycap, Man with Many Interests
Don DiFiore, a Skycap for American Airlines, died at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston on June 5 following a long and courageous battle with overwhelming illness. He was 50 years old.
Born in Chelsea, he was the son of the late Domenic and Edna (DeGurski) DiFiore. He attended Our Lady of the Assumption School in Chelsea and was a graduate of Malden Catholic High School, Class of 1979. After high school, he continued his education earning an Associate’s Degree from Bunker Hill Community College. He worked for American Airlines as a Skycap for the past 29 years assisting and greeting passengers at Logan International Airport.
He was a resident of Derry, NH before moving to Wilmington, where he has been living for the past three years. He was an accomplished musician playing piano, violin and drums. He was an outdoors man who enjoyed camping with his children, a motorcyclist and an artist who enjoyed drawing, hockey, Martial Arts and Jujitsu.
He was the devoted father of Ashley DiFiore, Domenic DiFiore and his fiancée, Hanna Bowes, Jared and Joseph DiFiore, all of Derry, NH; dear brother of the late Darlene Prakop; beloved companion of Janice Belanger and is also survived by his best friend, Dave Dwyer, and his pet-pal, Roxy DiFiore.
His Funeral Service will be conducted from the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea on Friday, June 10 at 10 a.m. Rev. Vincent J. Gianni will officiate. Services will conclude with burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held at the Welsh Funeral Home today, Thursday, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Funeral Home is fully handicap accessible, ample parking opposite Funeral Home. For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit www.WelshFuneralHome.com.
–
Madeline Gravellese
Chelsea resident
Madeline H. (Sico) Gravaellese of Chelsea died on June 4. She was 82 years old.
A homemaker who especially enjoyed singing, dancing and Italian music, she was the beloved wife of the late Angelo Gravellese; devoted mother of Michael and his wife, Patricia, of Florida, Linda Wertz and her husband, Bill, of Brighton, Angelo and his wife, Donna, of Hansen, Mary Cahill and her husband, Tom, of Canton, John and his wife, Diane, of Georgia, James and his wife, Susan, of Revere and Madeline Favaloro and her husband, Michael, of Winthrop. She was the sister of seven late siblings and is also survived by 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Her Funeral will be held from the Paul Buonfiglio & Sons-Bruno Funeral Home, 128 Revere St., Revere today, Thursday, June 9 at 8 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Anthony’s Church at 9 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Burial will be in Cambridge City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Judes Children’s Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN. 38105-1905 will be appreciated.
–
Amelia Grela
Member of several organizations
Amelia (Lawrynowicz) Grela of Chelsea died peacefully at home on June 5. She was 81 years old.
Born in Ostrowie, Poland, she came to Chelsea in 1957. For more than 22 years, prior to her retirement, she worked as a manger for Sealect Foods on Marginal Street and in the following years for Dunkin Donuts. An active member of the St. Stanislaus Parish, she was a member of the St. Stan’s Get Together Club as well as a member of the Polish Falcons and PAV.
The devoted wife of the late Michal Grela, she was the beloved mother of Helen Milne and her husband, Neil, of Warsaw, Poland and Peter Grela and his wife, Linda, of Weston; cherished grandmother of Amelia and Ola Milne and Meghan, Erin and Lauren Grela.
Family and friends are kindly invited to attend a Funeral from the Smith Funeral Home, 125 Washington Avenue, Chelsea on Monday, June 13 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass to be celebrated in St. Stanislaus Church, 163 Chestnut Street, Chelsea at 10 o’clock. Visiting Hours in the Smith Funeral Home will be on Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Kosciusko Foundation’s Massachusetts Federation of Polish Women’s Club Scholarship at www.thekf.org/support/donate and please specify in memory of Amelia Lawrynowicz Grela for the MFPW or to The Kosciusko Foundation, 15 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065 or by calling 212-734-2130.
To send a message of condolence to her family, please visit www.smithfuneralhomes.com
–
Anna Moynihan
Of Winthrop, formerly of Chelsea
Anna R. (O’Neill) Moynihan of Winthrop died June 1 at the Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home after a long illness. She was 90 years old.
Born in Chelsea, the daughter of the late Josephine (Sabitis) and Edward O’Neill, she lived in Chelsea prior to moving to Winthrop 63 years ago. She was a member of the St. John the Evangelist Catholic Womens Club and the Mother’s Club of St. John’s School.
She was the beloved wife of the late George L. Moynihan, devoted mother of George and Kathleen Moynihan of West Newbury, Eileen Saunders of Lebanon, NH, and Deborah and Thomas Rotondo of Groveland; loving grandmother of Bridget, Triona and Alanna Moynihan, Benjamin, Ryan, Olivia and Shannon Saunders and Nicholas and Gregory Rotondo.
Funeral arrangements were by the Ernest P. Caggiano & Son – O’Maley Funeral Home, Winthrop. Burial was in the Belle Isle Section of Winthrop Cemetery. To sign her online guest book go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com
–
Joseph Gurli
US Postal Service retiree, Past Grand Knight, K of C and Past President OLG Socialites
Joseph A. Gurli of Chelsea died on June 5. He was 92 years old.
A US Army veteram of World War II, he was a Sergeant in the 9th Div. – 34th Field Artillery having served in the Rhineland, Ardennes, Central Europe, Northern France, Normandy, Sicily and Tunisia. He was a retired postal clerk working for the US Postal Service for 30 years and was Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Wilmington Post 4982 and Past President of the OLG Socialites.
He was the beloved husband for 65 years of Margaret (Marino) Gurli; dear brother of Geraldine Yacoangelo, Anthony Gurliaccio, Eleanor Gurliccio, all of N. Reading and the late Michael Gurliaccio and Catherine Ciancio; son of the late Lazzaro and Giuseppina (DeMeo) Gurliaccio and is also lovingly survived by many nieces and nephews.
His Funeral will be held from the William R. Carafa & Son Home For Funerals, 389 Washington Ave., Chelsea on Friday, June 10 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Grace Church, Everett-Chelsea line at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours in the funeral home are today, Thursday, from 4 to 8 p.m. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett.
–
Anna Creeden
Retired Chelsea City Hall Senior Clerk
Anna E. (Dancewicz) Creeden of Chelsea died on June 4. She was 91 years old.
A retired Senior Clerk for the Watertown Arsenal, she ended her career after 20 years as a senior clerk for Chelsea City Hall. She was a former member of the PAV in Chelsea and a 57 year member of the Our Lady of Grace Church in Chelsea.
She was the devoted wife of the late Joseph A. “Ike” Creeden; beloved mother of Dr. Robert A. Creeden and his wife, Charlene M., of Dennis and Paul J. Creeden and his life partner, Peter L. Petraitis, of Charlestown; daughter of the late Alexander and Martha (Rosko) Dancewicz; sister of the late John S. Dancewicz and Helen Evans and is also lovingly survived by three grandchildren, Kathleen M. Creeden of New York City, Kevin J. Creeden and his wife, Beth, of Rhode Island and Colleen Creeden-Siddig and her husband, Mahmoud, of Hong Kong and two great-grandchildren, Summer and Kate Creeden, both of Rhode Island.
Funeral arrangements were by the William R. Carafa & Son Home for Funerals, Chelsea. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett.
–
Shirley Baker
Of Florida, formerly of Chelsea
Shirley Baker of Pompano Beach, Florida died on May 31. She was 85 years old.
She was born in Chelsea and was the loving wife of 53 years of the late Arthur who died in 2002. She was also the sister of four late sisters and three late brothers.
She is survived by her adoring family, three children, Donna Finkel, Karen Vogel and Gregg Baker; three grandchildren, Candice Baker, Adam Finkel and Nicole Vogel and four great grandchildren.
Entombment was at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Pompano Beach, Florida. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Broward County (800) 372-1757