Irene E. (Kozlowski) May
September 12, 1928 – July 10, 2022
Irene E. May passed away on Sunday, July 10 after a brief decline of health. She was 93 years of age.
Born and raised in Chelsea, she was a beloved daughter of the late Adam and Mary (Tomaszewski) Kozlowski and the wife of Joseph F. May with whom she shared 61 years of love and devotion raising their three daughters.
Irene attended local schools and graduated from Chelsea High School, Class of 1945. As a young lady, Irene worked as a telephone operator at the Chelsea Central Office for NE Tel & Tel. Co. She left work to devote time to raising her family and caring for her home. After her family grew, she returned to work for Massachusetts Commission for the Blind “MCB” at the Chelsea Soldiers Home Canteen.
Throughout her life, Irene’s devotion remained centered around her much loved home and family. She was proud of her Polish Heritage and her adopted Italian Heritage. She would prepare traditional Polish and Italian meals for the many family gatherings and holidays. She enjoyed spending summers at the family cottage on White Pond in Windsor, NH. Together with her husband they acquired additional cottages on the pond to enable their daughters and their families to share vacations, together creating wonderful memories. Irene enjoyed growing flowers and tending to her extensive rock garden. She took great pleasure in doing puzzles, reading, and especially teaching her grandchildren card games.
Irene was predeceased by her husband, Joseph F. May, her siblings; Louise Nowicki-Hurley, Joseph Kozlowski, Charles Kozlowski and several beloved sisters and brothers-in-law. She was the loving mother of Christine DePrizio of Chelsea and her late husband, Louis; Joyce May-Boudreau and her husband, Stephen of Peabody; Mary Ellyn May-Webb and her husband, David of Townsend; cherished grandmother of: Michael DePrizio and his wife, Kate, Jennifer DePrizio and her husband, Tom Fleming, Allison Frometa and her husband, Ramelfo “Fito,” Jessica Cole and her husband, Levar, Nicholas DePrizio. Leighanne Duvall and her husband, Justin, Stephanie Boudreau, Justina Webb, Heatherlee Estes and her husband, Christopher and David Webb and his wife, Jessica; the adored great-grandmother of Sophie, Sadie, Will and Charlie DePrizio; Josie Fleming; RJ Frometa; Jonathan, Benjamin, Nicholas, Julia and Robert Cole; Haylee, Christopher and Ryker Estes; and Max Webb. She is also lovingly remembered by many nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
Visiting hours will be held from the Welsh Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea on Friday, July 15 from 4 to 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. Funeral from the Welsh Funeral Home on Saturday, July 16 at 9 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Grace Church, 59 Nichols St. Chelsea at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.
Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105-1905. WWW.StJude.org/Donate
For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit: www.WelshFH.com.
Arrangements were given to the care and direction of the Welsh Funeral Home.
Hector Lao, Sr.
September 28.1948 – July 6, 2022
Hector Juan Lao-Alicea, Sr. passed away on Wednesday, July 6 at the Mass. General Hospital in Boston after a sudden illness. He was 73 years old.
Born and raised in Arroyo, Puerto Rico, he was one of seven children and a beloved son of late Rosa Alicea-Alicea and Nicolas Lao-Vega.
He was the beloved husband of Sonia Morales of Chelsea and together they raised seven children of their own. He is survived by his beloved wife, the devoted father of: Rosa Lao of Chelsea and Hector J. Lao, Jr., both of Chelsea, Mike Santiago of Hyde Park, Angel Santiago of Indianapolis, Indiana, Jose Santiago of Puerto Rico, Carmen Lao of Lynn and the late Sonia B. Lao. He is also survived by several grandchildren, many great grandchildren, a host of extended family members and friends.
Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend his funeral from the Welsh Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea, today, Thursday, July 14 at 8:30 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Rose Church, 600 Broadway, Chelsea at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with interment at Pine Grove Cemetery in Lynn.
For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit: www.WelshFH.com.
Arrangements were given to the care and direction of the Welsh Funeral Home.
Lydia Esther Nieves Romero
January 1, 1945 – July 7, 2022
Lydia Esther Nieves -Romero, 77, passed away on Tuesday, July 7. She was one of eighteen children born to the late Hippolyta Romero-Nieves and Ceferino Nieves. Born in Bayamon Puerto Rico, she was raised in Comerio, PR. She came to Chelsea in 1975 and has been a resident of Chelsea for most of her life and a longtime resident of 14 Bloomingdale St. in Chelsea. Lydia has spent the past 18 in years receiving supportive care in area nursing homes and was in residence at the Lighthouse Nursing Center in Revere at the time of her passing. In her lifetime, she was devoted to her extended family and she enjoyed dancing and making “Pasteles” to share with her family. A product of a large and loving family, she formed a special bond with two sisters, Carmen Nieves and Gladys Martinez, together they were best known as the “Three Amigos,” and she had a unique kinship with her brother, Angel Nieves living across the hall from him on Bloomingdale St. She is fondly remembered for her kind and giving nature, her perpetual smile and willingness to help all she knew. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her infant daughter, Sara Medurio and several siblings including the late Gladys Martinez, Angel Nieves and Rosa “Canita” Nieves. To mourn her passing, she is survived by several siblings including; Carmen Nieves of Chelsea, Juana Andino, Andy Nieves-Romero, Mercedes Nieves and Dan Nieves, all of Puerto Rico. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, many grand and great grandnieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend her Funeral Mass on Friday, July 15 at St. Rose Church, 600 Broadway, Chelsea at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with interment at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the funeral fund, your contributions are greatly appreciated – The Family of Lydia Nieves. For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit: www.WelshFH.com. Arrangements were given to the care and direction of the Welsh Funeral Home