Obituaries 05-08-2014

Henry Lea

Community Advocate:

Active in N.A.B. Crime Watch

Henry J. Lea, a lifelong Chelsea resident and community advocate, passed away on May 5 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. He was 87 years old.

Born and raised in Chelsea, the son of the late Gioacchino Sebastiano “John” and Aida (DeFelice) Leah, he attended Chelsea schools, enlisted in the US Army in 1945 and served his country abroad being mainly stationed in the Philippines. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

He married Antonetta (DiMonde) and together they raised their family in Chelsea. After 55 years of marriage, he was predeceased by his beloved wife in 2011.

Henry worked for many years as a welder for many local ship yards as well as spending many years teaching welding for the C.E.T.A. Program at Wentworth and other colleges. He enjoyed working on various projects as well as being very active in his Chelsea community. He was the President of the N.A.B. Crime Watch.

The beloved husband of the late Antonetta (DiMonde), he was the devoted father of Anthony G. Lea and his wife, Roberta of Nashua, NH, Louis D. Lea and his wife, Michele of Danvers, Donna M. Najia and her husband, Toufic of Danvers and Adele E. Vittozzi and her husband, Roberto of No. Reading; dear brother of Anthony Leah of Boston and the late Catherine Holland, Mary DeMarco, Louis D. Leah and his surviving wife, Gwen Leah; cherished grandfather of Dominic and Joseph Lea, Alexandra, Christopher and Nicholas Lea, Mohamad and Laila Najia and Adriana and Aldo Vittozzi.

His funeral will begin from the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea today, Thursday, May 8 at 9:30 a.m. followed by a Funeral Service at the Woodlawn Cemetery Chapel, 302 Elm St., Everett at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to: The Kaplan Family Hospice House 78 Liberty St., Danvers MA 01923 or the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen St. Framingham MA 01701. For online guestbook, please visitwww.WelshFuneralHome.com. Funeral Arrangements entrusted to the care and direction of the Anthony Memorial / Frank A. Welsh and Sons Funeral Homes.

Evelyn Nechtem

Of Marblehead, formerly of Chelsea

Evelyn (Freid) Nechtem of Marblehead, formerly of Chelsea, beloved wife of the late Jacob Nechtem, died on Tuesday, May 6.

Born in Everett, the daughter of the late Irving and Anna (Vigman) Freid, she was raised and educated in Chelsea and was a graduate of Chelsea High School. She continued her education at the Mary Brook’s Junior College in Boston.

Evelyn had been employed by the Army Corps of Engineers as a medical secretary. She was a volunteer at the Florence Cohen Estates and active with the Melrose Humane Society and the Animal Umbrella. She was also a member of Temple Emmanuel of Chelsea and Hadassah.

She is survived by her devoted children: Ann Nechtem and Theodore Swerdlick of Marblehead and Charles Nechtem of Long Boat Key, Florida. She was the loving grandmother of Susan and Brandon Dickason of Boston and William Swerdlick of Michigan and the dear sister of the late Leon Freid.

Graveside services were private. Memorial observance will be held at her daughter’s residence today, Thursday, from 7 to 9 p.m. Assisting the family with arrangements is the Torf Funeral Home, 151 Washington Ave., Chelsea. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in Evelyn’s name to The Animal Umbrella, 320B Charger Street, 2nd Fl., Revere, MA 02151. For guest book, please visit:www.torffuneralservice.com


Robert Soroka

Described as “The Best Dad Ever”

Robert J. “Bob” Soroka, a longtime Chelsea resident, passed away on May 3 at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after a courageous battle with an overwhelming illness. He was 70 years old. Born in Chelsea, the son of the late Anthony and Frances Soroka, he attended St. Stanislaus Elementary School and Chelsea High School. He worked for many years as a shipping and receiving clerk for a former local paint factory. Bob also owned pet stores located here in Chelsea and also in Somerville. Bob will certainly be remembered for his sense of humor. He was a loving and a caring man who was always there to help whenever needed. He will be sorely missed and was described by his daughter Shelly as “The Best Dad Ever.”
He was the longtime companion of Joanne Deming; father of Shelly Soroka, Bobby Soroka, Lorie Heckley, Missy Soroka and step father of Adam Deming. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Doug, Taylor, Samantha, Emily, Sydney, Matthew, Layla and his great grandson Jayden; two brothers and many nieces and nephews.
Honoring Bob’s wishes, Funeral Services will be private. To send expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.WelshFuneralHome.com Frank A. Welsh & Sons, Chelsea, 617-889-2723

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *