In Memoriam

Evelyn Fox Keller, MIT professor emerita who challenged gender bias in science, dies at 87 (Oct 8, 2023, Bryan Marquard, Boston Globe)

Sept 10, 2022 – I learned today from Bill Cunningham that Elie Yarden passed away on Sept 5. [Green Party Remembrance]

Remembering Peter Valentine

Home of Peter Valentine

Lani Guinier, civil rights champion and Harvard law professor, dies at 71 (Boston Globe, Jan 7, 2022)
Ms. Guinier’s survivors include her husband, Nolan Bowie, and her son, Nikolas Bowie.

Mameve Medwed, novelist with an ‘irrepressible sense of humor,’ dies at 79 (Boston Globe, Dec 28, 2021)
“When I set out to write, I’m very serious, not planning on being funny, and it just comes out that way,” she said in an interview with Deborah Kalb that was posted online in January. “And we all need some humor, especially now. It’s just the way I write.”

Updated: Mameve Medwed, who filled her novels with humor and heartbreak, dies at 79 (Dec 29, 2021)

Arthur Mattuck, professor emeritus of mathematics, dies at 91
A specialist in algebraic geometry, the long-standing professor and former department head was influential across the Institute as an innovator in teaching first-year students.

Nov 2, 2021 – Arthur was also my friend since 1978 and, once upon a time, a hiking partner on trips to the White Mountains. We would often run into each other at MIT concerts. Farewell, my friend. - RW

July 26, 2021 – Cambridge lost an icon yesterday with the passing of Robert Moses, a significant veteran in the struggle for civil rights as well as the founder of The Algebra Project - an avenue of empowerment through mathematics education. - RW
Robert Parris Moses, civil rights legend who founded the Algebra Project, dies at 86 (Boston Globe, July 26, 2021 by Bryan Marquard)

Dr. Bob Moses, Cambridge legend, education advocate and civil rights leader, dies at 86 (Cambridge Chronicle, July 26, 2021)

Math Literacy Is a Civil Right – Robert Moses, Teacher-Activist (4Word, June 2001 profile written by Gerald Bergman)

The quiet fortitude of Bob Moses (Commonwealth Magazine, July 27, 2021 by Michael Jonas)

Institute Professor Emeritus Isadore Singer, renowned mathematician who united math and physics, dies at 96

Feb 17, 2021 – Longtime MIT professor who laid the foundations for the development of index theory was a recipient of both the National Medal of Science and the Abel Prize.

Pioneering landscape architect Carol R. Johnson passes away at 91 (Dec 15, 2020, The Architect's Newspaper)
Carol Johnson passed away on December 11 in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Her firm's many projects include the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, a five-acre green space nestled along the Charles River in Cambridge that opened to the public in May 1987; and Lechmere Canal Park in East Cambridge. Her firm also designed the Charles River paths upstream of Watertown Square when the paths were extended to Waltham. In June 1998 I wrote this in the early CCJ (Issue #10): “If you haven't seen what the MDC and Carol Johnson Associates have been up to along the banks of the Charles River upstream of Watertown Square, get on your bicycle and start pedaling upstream. New bicycle and pedestrian paths have been built and landscaped along a number of stretches of the river up almost to the Moody St. Dam in Waltham and will extend in this phase of construction all the way out to Route 128. There are new observation platforms at the Watertown Dam and at many locations along the way. This is very exciting stuff!” - RW [Obituary] [NY Times story (Jan 8)]

MR. RICHARD E. MCKINNON
Oct 29, 2020 – Richard E. McKinnon, lifelong Cambridge resident, passed away at age 73 on October 28. 2020 at Mass General Hospital.

He leaves behind his sister, Margaret McKinnon of Pensacola, his children, Luke McKinnon and his partner Leah Milby of Cambridge and Jessica Lynch of Centerville. Anyone he met knew he was a devoted grandfather who loved his grandchildren, Ella Lynch, Luke Richard McKinnon, Boston McKinnon, Declan Lynch, Shyah McKinnon and Lola Fisher. He will be missed by his many life-long friends, especially Mai Le and Adriana Benjamin who were constants in his life for decades.

Throughout all his endeavors, Richard maintained a generous spirit, never waited in a line, and like a true Irishman, a tune on his lips often preceded him into a room. A life-long Cantabrigian, Richard left his mark on the city at every stage of his life, whether it was being the quarterback at Cambridge Latin, studying philosophy at Harvard, working alongside Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci at Cambridge City Hall, or welcoming the band U2 to his club Nightstage/Indigo in the 1990s.

In addition to his proudest accomplishment of becoming a grandfather, he was the owner of McKinnon Company, a development firm that helped change the landscape of NorthPoint, CambridgeSide, and CambridgePark. His spirit lives on in the vibrant spaces he helped to create for the people of the city he loved.

Visiting hours at the Rogers Funeral Home, 380 Cambridge St., in Cambridge on Monday, November 2, 2020 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm.

Due to Covid-19 and Massachusetts Tracing Guidelines, the funeral home is limited to 32 people inside the funeral home and a mask must be worn at all times.

The funeral home & the family are asking those who plan to attend to please come in, maintain social distancing guidelines, pay your condolences and then exit to make it possible for others to do the same.

There will be a graveside service held at 10:00am on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 at the Cambridge Cemetery, 76 Coolidge Avenue in Cambridge. Anyone wishing to be part of the funeral procession from Rogers Funeral Home to Cambridge Cemetery, should arrive at the funeral at 9:00am.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation in Richard’s memory to the East Cambridge Scholarship Fund, at www.theecsf.org or to the East End House, at www.eastendhouse.org.

Former Cambridge Mayor Barbara Ackermann passed away on July 4, 2020 at the age of 95.
Barbara was first elected to the Cambridge School Committee in 1961 and served on the School Committee for three terms from 1962 to 1967. She was elected to the Cambridge City Council in 1967 and served for five terms from 1968 to 1977. Her City Council colleagues elected her Mayor for the 1972-1973 term - the first woman to be elected to that Cambridge office. Barbara also sought the nomination for Governor of Massachusetts in 1978 but finished third behind the winner Ed King and incumbent Governor Michael Dukakis.

Barbara Ackermann served as one of the regular panelists on the original Cambridge Inside Out show produced at the Continental Cablevision studios for many years. Fellow Cambridge Inside Out panelist Marty Foster died just a month ago on June 2.

Barbara Ackermann, first woman to serve as Cambridge mayor, dies at 95 (by Bryan Marquard, Boston Globe Staff, updated July 7, 2020)

A people’s mayor -- remembering Barbara Ackermann (July 10, 2020, Cambridge Chronicle)

Martin C. Foster of Belmont, passed away on June 2, 2020. Husband of the late Patricia A. Connolly. Survived by his children; Kate Foster and her husband Joseph Shannon and Kris Foster and her husband Stephen Troiano all of Belmont, his grandchildren Maureen, Grady and Aidan, his siblings Ellen Varella, Francis Foster and Susanne Collins. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Funeral Mass will be private. A Celebration of Marty’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to the Martin C. Foster and Patricia A. Connolly Building Fund, New England School Law/Boston, 154 Stuart St. Boston, MA. O2116.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Martin C. Foster, please visit our floral store.

Marty Foster was for many years a regular panelist on the "Cambridge Inside Out" local television show produced at the Continental Cablevision studios on Sherman Street. Created by Glenn Koocher, the regular panelists on the show were Glenn Koocher, Barbara Ackermann, Marty Foster, Saundra Graham, and Tom Rafferty. Many others also sat in as panelists over the years.

Richard Dudley, professor emeritus of mathematics, dies at 81
Longtime MIT professor strongly influenced the fields of probability, statistics, and machine learning. Dick Dudley died on Jan 19, 2020 at the age of 81.

BIBBINS, M. Wyllis "Bill" Of Cambridge, age 87, died peacefully, Dec. 1, 2019. Beloved husband of the late Julia "Judy" Bibbins. Devoted father of Patrick Bibbins and his wife Susan of Medford, Emily Silas and her husband Edward of Cambridge and Lydia De Jesus and her husband Jose of Brockton. Also survived by grandchildren Emery and Gavin Bibbins, Omar and Desmond Silas, and Angel, Samantha and Lilly De Jesus. Bill was an architect and partner in the firm Davies & Bibbins. A Memorial Service will be held Sat, Dec 21, at 11:00am, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Cambridge. Memorial donations may be made to Cambridge Community Foundation. Rogers & Hutchins Funeral Homes Arlington & Cambridge. [Note: Bill served for many years on the Cambridge Historical Commission.]

Leonard Goldstein, Former Owner of Keezer’s Classic Clothing, Dies at 67 (Nov 11, 2019 - Harvard Crimson)
“Len has always had the gift of gab and would very often talk to people for long periods of time,” Soodak said. “Len was a really smart guy, and knew a lot about a lot of things, so people would come in and he would strike up a conversation, and they could go for quite a while. So he had a good relationship with all the customers.”

Frances Deguglielmo Tingle

Also, this very sad note from our great friend, Jimmy Tingle: "On Aug 15 the Tingles lost their matriarch and longtime inspirational leader with the passing of Frances Tingle. We will suspend most campaign activities until after services are complete on Mon, Aug 20. We very grateful for everyones well wishes and support in this difficult time." Mrs. Tingle was 90 and a longtime neighbor on Broadway in Cambridge. - RW

TINGLE, Frances DeGuglielmo Age 90, of Cambridge, passed away peacefully on August 15, 2018 after a long illness in her home surrounded by her loving family. Frances is survived by her four loving children, James Tingle, Jr. and his wife, Catherine, Garrett Tingle and his wife Janice, Ruth Crowley and her husband Peter, Robert Tingle and his wife Margaret of Arlington. She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years James "Cotton" Tingle of Arapahoe, NC and 9 brothers and sisters, the Honorable Joseph DeGuglielmo, Very Rev. Antonine DeGuglielmo, OFM, Mary Frisoli, Robert DeGuglielmo, Lillian Ferraro, Austin, Walter, Lawrence and Joan DeGuglielmo. Known as "Mama Tingle" she leaves behind 7 grandchildren; Garrett, Alyssa, Michela, Aidan, Joseph, Jennifer, Seamus and 3 great-grandchildren, Brooklyn-Rose, Austin, Jaxton and many loving nieces and nephews. Frances Tingle was born in Cambridge to parents Austin and Mary DeGuglielmo. She graduated from Emmanuel College with a degree in social work. After raising four children she returned to the workforce at Bioran Medical Laboratory, where she worked for more that 15 years rising to the level of Billing Supervisor. Frances was a passionate volunteer in her church and community and known for her generosity. She enjoyed playing scrabble, bridge and writing her memoirs. Her family and friends will remember her as a devoted mother and friend who opened her door to everyone. "Frannie" was witty, feisty and fun-loving and we will miss her dearly. Funeral from the Donovan-Aufiero Funeral Home, 140 Otis St., CAMBRIDGE, Monday at 10 AM followed by a Rite of Christian Burial in St. Francis Church, 325 Cambridge St., Cambridge, Monday at 11 AM. Visiting Sunday 4-8 PM. For guest book visit http://donovanaufierofuneralhome.com/.

ROBERT PHILIP MONCREIFF (Mar 26, 1930 - May 6, 2017)
MONCREIFF, Robert Philip – When Robert Moncreiff was 22 he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and left for his first trip abroad. His Oxford don encouraged him to travel and it was on one of his trips to Europe that he met Elisabeth Hohenauer, ("Liz") at the American Field Service library in Innsbruck. Rhodes scholars were not permitted to marry. The week Bob finished his studies, the two were married at Balliol College, Oxford and for the next 63 years, they were inseparable. They built a lovely life together in Cambridge.

Bob died on May 6th. He leaves behind his beloved wife and their three children: Anne Arrarte and her husband Carlos, Philip Moncreiff, and Jane Moncreiff and her husband Josh Passell. His seven grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren will also miss him dearly.

Robert Moncreiff was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1930, the son of Maxine (Emmert) and William Philip Moncreiff. When his father was called to serve at the Pentagon during World War II, the family moved to Washington DC. Bob graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and attended Yale where he was a member of the Aurelian Society, the Elizabethan Club, Scroll and Key and junior Phi Beta Kappa. After Oxford, Bob attended Harvard Law School and joined Palmer & Dodge in Boston where he worked until his retirement in 1995. He wrote a history for the centennial of the firm shortly after he retired.

During the late 1960s, Bob became involved in Cambridge politics. He served on the Cambridge City Council for two terms and Chaired The Cambridge Bicentennial Corporation in 1976. In an article written for the Harvard Crimson in 1973, he said (despite the cynicism of the Watergate era) "I think politics is a potentially noble thing to do, and I don't agree that it's dangerous for decent people. I do think it's worth getting involved."

He stayed involved with organizations he cared about: the Boston Conservatory, the Metropolitan Opera, the Youville Hospital, Yale and Oxford. He was pleased when Oxford asked him to represent the University when Jehuda Reinharz became president of Brandeis and happily he donned the appropriate gown.

Liz used to ask Bob how long he would be on a quest for self-improvement. The answer was "forever." Upon his retirement, he went back to Harvard for a masters degree in English literature, culminating in a thesis on Spenser. He wrote a study of the repeal of rent control in Cambridge which was published by the New England Journal of Public Policy at UMass, followed by a book on A. Bartlett Giamatti, of whom he was a long-time admirer, published by Yale University Press.

In the last several years, he had started notes on the history of Plan E (proportional representation) in Cambridge. He was an opera fanatic, a lover of Shakespeare, Chaucer and Dante, and an enthusiast of 20th and 21st century political history. And of course, he cheered the Red Sox.

Toward the end of his life, he would often say how lucky a man he had been. When asked the secret of his long love affair with his wife, he replied simply "just look at her."

Family and friends are invited to gather and share memories on Monday, May 15th between 12:30pm and 2:30pm at the house of his daughter Jane, 19 Shattuck Road, Watertown. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in memory of Bob to the Boston Athanaeum. To leave a message of condolence, please visit www.keefefuneralhome.com.

Published in The Boston Globe on May 11, 2017

PAOLO, Armando Of Arlington, formerly of Benevento, Italy, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Sept.16, 2016. Beloved husband of Dorothy (Tortorici). Loving father of Rina Bonavita of Malden, Angela Gallego and her husband William of Chelmsford and Linda Gullotti and her husband Glenn of Everett. Devoted grandfather of Christina Gallego, Michael Bonavita and Daniella DiCenso. Great grandfather of Stella and Luna Bonavita. Brother in law of Stephen Bosco of Winchester. Brother of the late Elena Bosco, Alvaro Paolo, Stephano Paolo and Liberata Parlante. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Visitation in St. Peter's Church, 100 Concord Ave., Cambridge, Wednesday (Sept 21) from 9AM to 10:15AM followed by a funeral mass at 10:30AM. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment St. Michael's Cemetery, Roslindale. Please OMIT flowers. Donations may be made in Armando's memory to the Italian Home for Childen, 1125 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130. Armando was the beloved owner of Armando's Pizza for 45 years. He was a humanitarian, a friend to all who walked through his door! View online guestbook at www.brownandhickey.com.
Brown & Hickey Funeral Home, 617-484-2534, 617-547-1500 - [See more here]

Darleen Bonislawski, 67 - Former Cambridge Election Commissioner

Darleen G. Bonislawski, a life-long Cambridge resident and advocate for social justice, died peacefully in her sleep after more than three years fighting ovarian cancer.

Darleen was a product of the Cambridge school system, a U. Mass-Boston graduate, and a proud graduate of the New England School of Law. The first person to graduate from the Labor Studies program in 1982, she was also involved in the chamber maids union at Harvard.

She became an election commissioner in the city of Cambridge in 1988. At the time, she was the only candidate for any electoral process to be given an endorsement by the Cambridge Chronicle.

In 1995, at age 47, she passed the bar and began practicing law, living out a lifelong dream she had since she was a young girl growing up in Cambridge. She said of her own education as a youngster, "When I was in high school [in the 60s], it was very clear to me that kids were tracked. I was from East Cambridge, and I also lived part of my life in public housing, and I think there was an attitude of discrimination. It seemed to me there was an attitude toward kids from East Cambridge, the projects, and the Central Square area that just didn't bring out their abilities. I always knew I wanted to go to college and be a lawyer. I got a good education in high school, but I didn't get inspiration." (From All in the Same Boat: Twentieth-Century Stories of East Cambridge, by Sarah Boyer, copyright 2005 by Cambridge Historical Commission.)

Her passion for the law and due process was equaled by her goal of open and free elections. Along with these public passions she also loved vacationing in Rockport with her family. She loved champagne and sparkling wine and would always ask for a chilled champagne glass when dining out. Darleen was proud of graduating from law school and working as a lawyer and consequently being able to buy herself all the gold and diamond jewelry that she wanted. She enjoyed her diamonds.

She was also very proud of her Italian culture, and loved movies with Sophia Loren or Anna Magnani, opera and classic Italian music, and Italian food. Her cooking ability was legendary as she was known for making phenomenal ravioli, lasagna, and stuffed shells. Friends and relatives came from far distances just to learn how to make calzones like hers.

Darleen believed in and demonstrated a commitment to enfranchising others- polling place access, rent stabilization and protections in the form of rent control, union rights and representation, and quality representation for those finding themselves in need of legal services no matter their background. Much of her practice was pro bono. "Everyone deserves a legal defense," she would say. "Everyone is worth saving."

Committed to the idea of the inherent worth of every human being, she spent her life fighting for those unable to defend themselves. Politician A.K. Simpson said in 2001 "If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters." Whether counting ballots as a Cambridge election commissioner or arguing in court, it was Darleen's integrity that always came to the forefront.

Beloved wife of over 50 years to Michael Bonislawski of Cambridge. Devoted mother of Michael A. Bonislawski of Somerville, and Jennifer J. Bonislawski and her husband Artur Nergaryan of Watertown. Loving Grandmother of Leon B. Nergaryan. Dear Sister of Richard Gondola, and Donna Sullivan, both of Somerville, Jacqueline Juszkiewicz of Wilmington, Bruce Santangelo of Winchendon, Sharon Santangelo of Duxbury, Mark Santangelo of Saugus, and the late Charles Gondola and Kim Santangelo.

Funeral from the Keefe Funeral Home, 2175 Mass Ave Cambridge, Friday, July 24 at 9am, followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. John the Evangelist Church, 2254 Mass Ave. Cambridge at 10am. Services will conclude with a burial in Cambridge Cemetery, Cambridge. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting Hours Thursday, July 23, 4 thru 8pm. Flowers can be delivered directly to the Funeral Home in Cambridge. [Obituary and Memory Book - Keefe Funeral Home]

Darleen passed away on Saturday, July 18. She served on the Cambridge Election Commission from 1988-2012.

ANTHONY G. PAOLILLO, 89 - Retired Chief of Police of the City of Cambridge

Paolillo, Anthony G. Retired Chief of Police City of Cambridge, of Belmont, July 14, 2015, beloved husband of Mary (DioGuardi) Paolillo and loving father of Mark and his wife Christine of Belmont, Anthony and his wife Maureen of Watertown, Leonard and his wife Cynthia of Belmont and John and his wife Lisa of Arlington, dear grandfather of; Kathleen, Lynne, Anthony, Matthew, Stephen, Joseph, Sarah, Alyssa and Gianna. Brother of the late Jim, Ralph, Mary D'Onofrio, Lucy Ciano and Nick Paolillo. Relatives and Friends invited to visit on Friday from 4 to 8pm in the DeVito Funeral Home 761 Mt. Auburn St., WATERTOWN and to services on Saturday, July 18 commencing at 9:00am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00am in St. Francis of Assisi Church, East Cambridge. Interment will be in Highland Meadow Cemetery, Belmont.( Late Veteran WW II US Navy) In lieu of flowers memorial donations to: American 300 5th Ave.,Waltham, MA 01701, would be appreciated. DeVito Funeral Home - [Obituary - Boston Globe] [Obituary - Belmontonian]

According to his obituary in the Belmontonian, Chief Paolillo was hired as a patrol officer, worked his way to captain before being named acting chief in 1982, and was sworn in as chief a year later. He retired from the post in 1991, after which the city appointed a police commissioner to run the department. The Anthony Paolillo Tot Lot on Pine Street is named for him. He was quite "progressive" as a Chief, embracing the earliest concepts of "Community Oriented Policing".

Meltzer, Daniel J.

Of Cambridge. Died on May 24th, 2015 at 63 years of age. Professor at Harvard Law School since 1982. Principal Deputy Counsel to President Obama in 2009-10. Dear son of the late Bernard & Jean (Sulzberger) Meltzer. Beloved husband of Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager of Human Services for the City of Cambridge. Devoted father of Josh Meltzer & his wife Shannon Stockdale and Jonathan Meltzer. Loving brother of Joan FitzGibbon and Susan Yost. Doting grandfather of Delilah. Cherished uncle to his nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be private. A memorial service will be held at Harvard Law School on a date in June to be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dan's memory may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, Brookline, MA 02445, with a designation for use for pancreatic cancer research. Stanetsky Memorial Chapel 617-232-9300 www.stanetsky.com - [Obituary]

From Wikipedia:
Meltzer received an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University in 1972, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1975 where he was President of the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduation, he clerked first for Judge Carl E. McGowan of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and then for Justice Potter Stewart of the United States Supreme Court. From 1977 to 1978, Meltzer was Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Joseph Califano, Jr. Thereafter he worked three years in private practice with the District of Columbia firm of Williams & Connolly.

Meltzer joined the Harvard Law School faculty in 1982 as assistant professor, was promoted to full professor in 1987, served as associate dean 1989-93, was named the Story Professor of Law in 1998, and the vice dean for physical planning in 2003. Meltzer co-authored several books on the federal court system, habeas corpus, and other subjects with Richard Fallon and David L. Shapiro. Criminal procedure was another of his specializations.

In 1989, Meltzer was elected to the American Law Institute and was elected to the ALI Council in 1999. In January 2013, Meltzer was selected to succeed Lance Liebman as ALI Director. Meltzer later declined the appointment for health reasons. In January 2014, the ALI announced that that Richard Revesz, the Dean Emeritus of New York University School of Law, would succeed Liebman as ALI Director in May 2014.

Meltzer was appointed Principal Deputy Counsel to President Barack Obama in January 2009, deputy to Counsel Greg Craig. Meltzer had originally agreed to serve in the position for one year but agreed to stay longer to help in the transition from Craig to Robert Bauer early in 2010. Returning to Harvard in mid-2010 allowed Meltzer to resume his faculty position within the preferred two-year leave tenure. At the time of his resignation, his service for the administration was noted for efforts to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, related policies affecting terrorism detainees, anti-abortion issues in the health care reform debate, and preparation of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her 2009 confirmation hearings. Also noted was close work during his tenure with the acting leader of the Office of Legal Counsel, David Barron (also a fellow Harvard law professor), and with United States Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli, both in the Department of Justice.

Meltzer died on May 24, 2015, after a long battle with cancer. Meltzer was married to Ellen Semonoff, the Assistant City Manager of Human Services for the City of Cambridge, MA. His wife did not move to Washington during the 2009-2010 appointment, and Meltzer commuted to Cambridge during the period.

Meltzer's father, the late Bernard D. Meltzer, was a member of the United States prosecutorial delegation to the Nuremberg trials and a professor of law at the University of Chicago Law School. Meltzer's cousin, David F. Levi, is the dean of Duke Law School.

Brian P. Murphy, Esq. of Cambridge, suddenly February 5, 2015. Beloved husband of Katherine (Champion). Loving father of Molly K. and Joseph C. Dear son of the late Joseph G., Esq. and Mary T. (Keaney) Murphy. Visiting hours in the Sullivan Chamber of the Cambridge City Hall, 795 Mass Ave. on Wednesday 3-7pm. Funeral mass in St. Paul's Church Bow & Arrow Sts. Cambridge Thursday at 10:00am. Complete notice to follow. [Obituary & Guestbook]

Feb 5, 2015 - I am stunned upon hearing of the unexpected death of a friend - Brian Murphy, Assistant City Manager for Community Development and former Cambridge City Councillor (2002-2009) - an essential person in the civic life of Cambridge. I simply have no words to express my grief. - RW

MESSAGE FROM THE CITY MANAGER:
It with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Brian Murphy, Assistant City Manager for Community Development. Brian was a dedicated husband and father, and a close personal friend to so many of us in this City.

We mourn the sudden loss of our colleague and friend and our thoughts and support go out to Brian’s family at this time.

Employees will be notified of funeral arrangements, once they are determined.

I recognize that we all deal with grief in a very personal way. I encourage you utilize the services available through our Employee Assistance Program. - Richard Rossi

I wrote in February 2011 - just 4 short years ago: "As was noted in a Late Order at the February 7 City Council meeting, former City Councillor Brian Murphy will soon take the reins as Assistant City Manager in charge of the Community Development Department. I met at length with Brian when he first ran for City Council (2001). I suggested that he attend the Budget Hearings to learn more about City government and meet all the players in the City administration. Brian attended every one of those hearings. As a councillor, he then chaired the Finance Committee. He and David Maher were also the prime players among the elected officials in negotiating with Harvard in their major Riverside development a few years ago. You have to respect a guy who actually shows up and does his job, and I'm sure Brian will be a popular hands-on manager at Community Development." - Robert Winters

Brian Murphy in 2003

Katherine Phyllis Mahoney, 93, widow of former City Councillor and State Rep. Thomas H.D. Mahoney

Katherine Phyllis Mahoney died peacefully at 93 at Belmont Manor in Belmont, MA on Nov 23, 2014 after a long illness. She is survived by her sons Thomas of New York City, David of San Francisco, Peter of Needham, MA, Philip of Los Altos Hills, California, her daughter Linda of Waldoboro, Maine and by 11 grandchildren. A lifelong resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Phyllis graduated from Cambridge Latin School where she played basketball. Phyllis was in part a child of immigrants, as her mother Elizabeth Lamby came to the US from Glasgow, Scotland at age 16. Her father James Norton held jobs mostly in sales in various industries, but never recovered financially from the Great Depression. This economic catastrophe made a lifelong impression on Phyllis, who was fastidiously thrifty in her own household budget and inculcated this discipline in her children. She had to work at odd jobs from a young age, for unimaginably low hourly pay by today's standards, in order to help her working mother and often unemployed father make ends meet. Given her keen intellect, one of her enduring regrets was that the family was unable to afford college tuition, and she had to start full time work immediately after high school to continue to support her family. Her first job was as a buyer for the Neiman Marcus department store chain and she later served until her marriage as Assistant to the Treasurer of Cambridge Savings Bank.

She was married by Archbishop of Boston Richard J. Cushing to Thomas Henry Donald Mahoney, a Professor of History at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on July 14, 1951, Bastille Day as she often liked to point out to her children on her anniversary. Like her husband, she was a lifelong parishioner of St. Paul Church in Harvard Square. Phyllis spent summers with the family in Sagamore Beach on Cape Cod, helping to organize summer activities and later, jobs for her five children.

Phyllis was active in national and local politics throughout her life, notably serving as a dedicated volunteer in the landmark first US Senate campaign of John F. Kennedy in 1952. She actively encouraged her husband, himself a native of Cambridge and graduate of the City's public school system, to run for the Cambridge School Committee, and later the City Council and Massachusetts State Legislature, acting as his most important campaign adviser and helping to ensure that he never lost an election. She traveled the world with her husband, most extensively after his retirement from the MIT faculty in 1984 and subsequent appointment to the United Nations Nongovernmental Organizations Committee, culminating in his final trip to Seoul, Korea to address the Interparliamentary Union immediately prior to his death in 1997.

Phyllis throughout her life astonished distinguished academicians, politicians and corporate executives worldwide with her formidable knowledge of world and national affairs, keen understanding of business and the economy, probing, curious intellect and witty repartee. She will be greatly missed by her loving children and grandchildren and her friends and neighbors. Burial will be private. A memorial Mass in 2015 will be announced shortly. For those who may wish to commemorate and celebrate Phyllis' long and remarkable life, the family has asked that donations be made to: Mahoney Family Memorial Scholarship Fund, ATTN: Oscar Pena, Boston College, Cadigan Alumni Center, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. Arrangements under the care of DeVito Funeral Home, 761 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. www.devitofuneralhomes.com

Note: The above obituary was provided by the DeVito Funeral Home. Ms. Mahoney's husband Thomas H.D. Mahoney (1913-1997) entered politics in 1947 when he ran for and was elected to the Cambridge School Committee. He served on the School Committee from 1948 to 1953. Mahoney first ran for Cambridge City Council in 1963 and served as a city councillor from 1964 to 1971. From 1971 to 1979, Mahoney served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 2nd Middlesex District. He never lost an election. He joined the faculty of MIT in 1945 as a professor of history and political science and retired from MIT in 1984.

Walter J. Sullivan

August 4, 2014 - I just received word that former Mayor Walter Sullivan passed away today at the age of 91. The sympathies of all Cantabrigians are with the entire Sullivan family. Walter Sullivan was first elected to the Cambridge City Council in 1959 and served from 1960 to 1993. Walter is the father of Middlesex County Clerk of Courts and former Mayor Michael Sullivan. Visiting hours in the Walter J. Sullivan Water Purification Facility, 250 Fresh Pond Pkwy, Cambridge on Friday 3-8pm.

Sullivan, Walter J. 91, Mayor Emeritus City of Cambridge. Beloved husband and sweetheart of 68 years to Marion A. (Colarusso). Devoted father of Marion Murphy and her husband Patrick of Belmont, Mary Carven and her husband William of Hanover, Maureen Santoro and her husband Richard of Hingham, Walter Jr. and his wife Susan of Hingham, and Michael, current Clerk of Courts Middlesex and former Mayor of Cambridge, and his wife Denise of Cambridge. Grampi to William, Christopher, Patrick, Richard, Alyssa, Elizabeth, Michelle, Michael, James, Marissa, Katherine, Michael, Paul and Walter III. Great Grampi to fourteen. Devoted brother of Kate Lynch and Jean Savery and the late Mary McMorrow, Dorothy Powers, Edward, Robert, William and James Sullivan. Brother in law of Jacqueline Sullivan.

Mayor Sullivan will lie in State in the Walter J. Sullivan Water Purification Facility 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge on Friday, August 8th from 3pm to 8pm. Funeral Mass in St. Paul's Church, Harvard Square, Cambridge, Saturday at 10am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment Cambridge Cemetery. Late State Representative, City Councillor, and Mayor of Cambridge and Assistant Clerk of Courts. Veteran Army Air Corp WWII. In lieu of flowers please send donations in Walter's memory to St. Paul's Church Renovation Fund 29 Mt. Auburn St. Cambridge, MA 02138.
[Obituary - Brown & Hickey Funeral Home]

Former State Representative Peter Vellucci, who served Cambridge and Somerville with distinction from 1982 to 1992, also passed away today. Condolences to the extended Vellucci family.

Vellucci, Peter A. Of Cambridge, August 4, 2014. Loving husband of Laura (Dupont). Devoted father of Teresa M. Vellucci, Kimberly Martin, Bridget Vellucci, Juliane Vellucci-Melo, Angela Vellucci, and Peter A. Vellucci JR. Son of the late Mayor Emeritus Alfred E. Vellucci SR. and the late Jurina (Valentino). Beloved grandfather of Kelcey, Conor, Antonia, Angel, and Lucia. Brother of Alfred Vellucci Jr., Theresa Ferranti, James Vellucci, Mary Ann Almeida, Jurina Vellucci, and the late Joanne Baldasaro and the late Pasquale Vellucci. Funeral from the Donovan-Aufiero Funeral Home, 140 Otis St. (at 6th St), EAST CAMBRIDGE, Thursday at 10:00am followed by a Rite of Christian Burial in the Sacred Heart Church, 49 Sixth St., Cambridge at 11:00am. Visiting Wednesday 4-8pm. Late Marine Veteran, MA State Representative from 1982-1992, former owner Vellucci Insurance Agency and late member of Mystic Valley Bass Anglers. Interment is private.
[Peter A. Vellucci Obituary]

Carl Barron, Ph.D.

Carl F. Barron, Ph.D., February 16, 2014 at age 97. Predeceased by wife Ruth, parents Etta and Robert L. Barron and brother Stanley P. Barron (Lois). Survived by his daughters Diane Davis (Sidney) of Naples FL; Dr. Arlene P. Seal of Pittsburgh, PA; Judith Lambert (Richard) of Vista, CA; Lynne March (Harold) of Canton, MA; and son Kenneth Barron (Marian) of Weston, MA. Grandchildren Bethany Niazian, Leslie Reagan-Caer, David Seal (Marta), Adam Yawnick (Aimee), Randall Barron (Kathleen), Rebecca Litvak (Richard), and Sivana, Emelia & Robert Barron; Great-Grandchildren Nicolas & Abigail Niazian, Jace Yawnick, Ashley & Drew Barron, Ari, Alejandro, & Andres Seal, Kian Reagan-Caer, Nathan Litvak, several nieces and many dear relatives and friends.

Dr. Barron attended Arlington High School, Bowdoin College and the Harvard Business School. Although his home was Belmont for 70+ years, his heart belonged to Cambridge, where he not only founded the furniture leasing industry in the US in 1938, in working a lifetime there with his wife Ruth at his side, but he also founded and ran numerous business associations that enhanced the citys reputation and well- being. Aside from his own Barron Building in Central Square, there is the honorary Carl F. Barron Plaza, as well as many city scholarships that he and his wife established, plus honors and awards, proclamations and recognition for decades of altruistic service to Cambridge.

Often called the Mayor of Central Square, he was a Past-President of the International Furniture Rental Assoc., Founder & Chairman of ARNET, national trade association; Founder & Chairman, Combined Cambridge Business Associations; Lifetime Chairman, Honors Committee, IFRA; Lifetime, Honorary Director, Rental Housing Assn. of Gr. Boston RE Board; Established Barron Family Fund for Judaic Studies at Widener Library, Harvard University; Established CFB Cambridge Fire Dept. Award; Established CFB Belmont Fire Department Award. In addition he received honors including Salvation Army Leadership Award, Hildebrand Family Self-Help Service Award, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce for 60 years as a leader of Business, Politics, Philanthropy & Public Relations; Cambridge Property Owners Association Award as President & Co-Founder, Cambridge Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves Award; Mayors Appreciation Award for Work on Behalf of the Seniors of Cambridge, MA; CFB Chair in Marketing established at Cambridge College, the Cambridge YMCAs Spirit, Mind & Body Award. He was board member of 17 non-profit organizations; received award from Mass. Board of School Committees for giving 5 scholarships every year; Award from Middlesex District Attorney for civic involvement; established the Ruth & Carl F. Barron Cambridge Police Award and the Barron Family Public Works Dept. Award.

His personal interests included a library of over 3000 books, many on history and Judaica, extensive world travel and photography. He published an autobiography in 1991, was an author of a business manual on Psychology in Business, Life-time member, American Philatelic Society, designed furniture, jewelry and crystal, as well as developing extensive family genealogy on both sides of his family. Dr. Barron said he might retire at age 100 and at age 90 he received an honorary doctorate from Cambridge College which established the CFB Distinguished Lecture Series and where he was a guest lecturer. He was also a guest lecturer at Bowdoin College.

There were scholarships to the Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, to the Cambridge Police Dept. and more. He established the Barron Center for Mens Health at Mt. Auburn Hospital where he was a member of the Board of Corporators. His leadership in Cambridge impacted the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, the Central Square Businessmens Assoc., and the International Restaurants of Central Square, the Cambridge Property Owners Assoc., and others. He was known as Dr. Catalyst for improvements amongst the various segments of the city and he enjoyed connecting people and groups to make a difference in the Cambridge he loved. Nationally, Dr. Barron was recognized by the furniture leasing industry as its founder and he was a long-time mentor who promoted his industry across the country. He worked with furniture manufacturers to make furniture for a whole new concept at a time when the leasing was considered the step-child of the furniture industry. Putnam Furniture Leasing Company became the largest privately held furniture leasing company in the country which was sold in 2001 to CORT, a Berkshire Hathaway Company.

His family and friends were extremely important to him as he nurtured his passions of history, travel, and genealogy. He had friends all over the world with whom he stayed connected. Dr. Barron was often described as a legend in his own time. He said he drove a hard bargain, but he was in truth, a fair and reasonable man who provided for his own, and chose to help many others. He cherished close relationships. He was a leader, a mentor a man to be admired, respected and not forgotten.

Published in The Cambridge Chronicle from Feb 19 to Feb 26, 2014

ROBERT M. STEVENS - OBITUARY

Robert M. Stevens, 66, of New Bedford, died May 19, 2013, unexpectedly at St. Luke's Hospital surrounded by his loving family.

Born and raised in New Bedford, he was the son of the late William B. and Rita (Pinto) Stevens.

Mr. Stevens was formerly employed as the Assistant Secretary of Administration and Finance under the Administration of Governor Michael Dukakis. He then worked for many years as the Director of Veterans Services for the City of Cambridge until his retirement.

He served two tours of duty in the U.S. Army, as part of the Military Intelligence Unit, during the Vietnam War. He was a graduate of UMass Dartmouth (formerly Southeastern Massachusetts University) where he served as the first minority student trustee.

Survivors include four sons, Derek Stevens and his wife Sheila, Christian Stevens and his wife Dayra, and Darren Drayton, all of New Bedford, and Sean Oliveira of Waldorf, MD; a brother, Michael Stevens of New Bedford; two sisters, Kathleen Stevens of Truro and Barbara Stevens of Provincetown; 14 loving grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was the father of the late Tami J. Roderick and brother of the late Richard Stevens, Bruce Stevens, and William B. Stevens, Jr.

His visiting hours will be held on Thursday from 4-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Following cremation, a private family burial service will be held at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Global Learning Charter Public School, 190 Ashley Blvd., New Bedford, MA 02746. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Karen M. Klinger
Karen M. Klinger, late of Cambridge, died Dec 16, 2012. She is survived by her sister, Elizabeth K. Barrow, her brother-in-law, Edward M. Barrow, her niece, Heather B. Barrow, and her nephew, Christopher T. Barrow. Karen received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.A. from Stanford University. She pursued a career in journalism, specializing in the sciences, with the San Jose Mercury News. She traveled widely, including treks in Africa and the Himalayas. Karen moved from the West Coast and settled in Cambridge when she became a Vannevar Bush fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Her work in journalism expanded to include local political coverage in print and video media. She was the co-recipient of the 2012 Hometown Media Award for her work with Cambridge Community Television. Contributions in her name can be made to CCTV, 438 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139.

A remembrance of Karen Klinger by her friend Susan Hunziker is here.

Oliver S. Brown - contributed by Glenn Koocher

Oliver S. Brown has passed away. Ollie had retired to Maine after leaving the Cambridge Public Schools in the late 1980s.

Ollie turned around the business and operations side of our school department and was regarded as the Babe Ruth of school business officers in Massachusetts. Highly overqualified, this descendant of old Yankee stock gave as much as he took from the likes of Al Vellucci, Tom Danehy, and all the classical independents as he helped cut waste, fraud, and patronage in the Cambridge Public Schools.

We were lucky to have him. Ollie was consulting in Oakland in the early 1970s when the Symbionese Liberation Army executed the superintendent of schools there in the parking lot, and, apparently, his wife, "Lollie" (I am not making this up) told him to enjoy himself in Oakland, but she and the kids were coming back to Boston.

Oliver was also referenced, although not by name in one of the Martin books of fiction (Harvard Yard, the novel). He was a direct descendant of Robert Calef who challenged Cotton Mather's beliefs in witches and had his books burned in the Harvard Yard as a result. To compensate, we asked Derek Bok, at one of our annual dinners, to compensate Ollie $20 for the damage. Bok actually paid and we all enjoyed the evening. That episode was noted in the novel.

Ollie also boasted that however long our families might have lived in Cambridge, he had direct descendants going back to the Revolution and before and had visited his grandmother in Cambridge as a child. So one day, I decided to look up the family and found his great, great, great, great, great grandfather, Calef Brown, had been here at the time of the 1790 census. However, I noted that the household included white males, white females, children, and two slaves. So I explained to Ollie that I wouldn't tell anyone…… except Al Vellucci.

When Ollie retired, we had a great roast for him and raised money for a book fund. Fred Fantini hosted. He took more crap from politicians than he needed to, but he provided the adult supervision to the School Committee's avidity to spend wildly for more than 15 years. - Glenn Koocher

Oliver Schoonmaker Brown, 82
BRUNSWICK -- Oliver Schoonmaker Brown died on Friday, April 5, 2013, at the Togus VA Hospice and Palliative Care Unit in Augusta of complications from Parkinson's Disease. Oliver was born in Boston, Mass. on April 10, 1931, the son of Amos Howard Calef Brown and Dorothy Glennie (Loud) Brown. He graduated from St. George's School in Newport, R.I. and Bowdoin College, class of 1953. Immediately after graduation, he received a commission in the U. S. Army and served in the Transportation Corps in New York and Korea. Following his service, he earned a Masters Degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Harvard University. He later continued graduate studies at Columbia University.

In September 1952, Oliver married Eleanor Appleton Buxton of Concord, Mass., at All Saints Chapel, Orr's Island.

Oliver spent his professional life in education. He taught at the Emerson School for Boys in Exeter, N.H., was a teacher and principal in the elementary schools in Weston, Mass. and served as Superintendent of Schools in the Addison-Rutland Supervisory District in Fair Haven, Vt. from 1961-1965. Following further study at Columbia, he and his family moved to Philadelphia where he became Director of the Financial Planning and Budgeting Project for the Philadelphia Public Schools.

In 1970, Oliver joined Price Waterhouse & Company in Philadelphia and New York as a management consultant primarily in urban school districts. Following his tenure with Price Waterhouse, in 1973 he became deputy superintendent of schools in charge of financial planning and management in the Cambridge, Mass. public school system. He participated as part of a team in the successful racial integration of the city schools and the merger of the vocational and academic high schools among other projects.

After 14 years with the Cambridge School System, he retired in 1987 and founded his own company, Oliver S. Brown Associates, Inc., consulting for another ten years in rural, suburban, and urban public school systems in many parts of the country, including Detroit, Indianapolis, and Rockford, Ill. He and his family moved many times over the course of his career, and he and Eleanor finally settled in Brunswick in 1988 after spending many summers at Orr's Island. Oliver served as editor of the Massachusetts School Principals Association Bulletin, President of the Massachusetts School Business Officials Association, and wrote many articles on school finance for local, state and national publications. From 1978 to 1991, Oliver taught at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in school finance and management.

Oliver was one of the founders and president of the Friends of Peary's Eagle Island, the home of Admiral Robert E. Peary in Casco Bay. He and Eleanor were communicants at St. Paul's Church in Brunswick and All Saints Chapel, Orr's Island, where Oliver served as treasurer for many years and as chair of the Memorial Garden Committee from its inception. He served on the board and as a volunteer at the MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program.

Oliver enjoyed tennis, downhill and cross country skiing, sailing and boating on Casco Bay, golf, bird watching, genealogy, and especially being at their house on Orr's Island with his family where they spent many summers. His fondness for the poems of Robert Peter Tristram Coffin, whose course he took at Bowdoin, lead to the collection of his works and the memorization of many of his poems.

Oliver was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Ellen Chantal Field, and his brother, Amos Howard Calef Brown, Jr. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, his brother, George Alvin Loud Brown of Camden and his wife, Constance, his sisters, Phebe Haskell Chase of Newport, R.I., and Glennie Wilding-White of Algoma, Wis.; his sons, Edward Olcott Brown and wife, Cheryl, of Gwynedd Valley, Penn., Calef Rogers Brown and wife, Anissa, of Vancouver, Canada, his daughters, Phebe Hart Brown of Brooklyn, N.Y., Eliza Baldwin Brown Cobb and her husband, Edward, of South Portland; and his seven grandchildren.

The family would like to express their thanks to CHANS Hospice of Brunswick, and the staff at the VA Hospice and Palliative Care Unit at Togus for their kind and compassionate care of Oliver.

A celebration of his life will be held at All Saints Chapel, Orr's Island, in June. Condolences and memories can be expressed at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
The Memorial Garden
All Saints Chapel
Orr's Island, ME 04106 or:
The VA Hospice and Palliative Care Unit
Togus VA Medical Center
1 VA Medical Center
Augusta, ME 04330

Published in Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram on April 9, 2013

WILLIAM M. HOGAN Jr.
Nov 15, 2012 - HOGAN, William M., Jr. Of Lexington, formerly of Belmont & Cambridge, Nov. 12, 2012. Beloved husband of the late Agnes E. (McHugh) Hogan. Devoted father of William M. Hogan III (Jane) of Pepper Pike, OH, Linda O'Connor (Charles) of Alexandria, VA, Kathryn R. Mullaney (Mark) of Wayland and Leigh Hogan of Marblehead. Also survived by 13 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Funeral from the Stanton Funeral Home, 786 Mt. Auburn St., (Rt 16) WATERTOWN, on Friday at 8:45 A.M. Funeral Mass in St. Ignatius of Loyola Church, 28 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill at 10 A.M. Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours Thursday 4-8 P.M. Interment Mt. Auburn Cemetery. Alumnus B.C. class of 1933 and Harvard Law School 1936. Member of the Winchester C.C., Clover Club of Boston, and Secretary for the Harvard Club of Boston. Trustee of the Mt. Auburn Hospital and former Trustee Cambridge Savings Bank. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to Mt. Auburn Hospital, Quimby Center for Geriatric Care c/o Dr. John Anderson, 300 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138 or to the Brookhaven Employee Scholarship Fund, 1010 Waltham St., Lexington, MA would be appreciated. www.stantonfuneralhome.com

William Hogan was a former Cambridge City Councillor and first Vice Mayor under the Plan E Charter. He died at the age of 100. He would have been about 29 when he was elected (in 1941) and 31 when he left office. He ran unsuccessfully for reelection in 1943. He had also been elected in 1939 as a Councillor-At-Large under the previous charter.

Mary F. Crane, wife of former City Councillor and Mayor Ed Crane and mother of former City Councillor Kevin Crane passed away on Sat, Feb 4, 2012 at the age of 94.

Mary F. (Buckley) Crane. Of Cambridge. February 4, 2012. Beloved wife of the late former Cambridge Mayor Edward A. Crane. Loving mother of Daniel C. Crane of Cambridge, Kevin P. Crane of Cambridge, Maureen C. Havern of Arlington, Michael J. Crane of Braintree, Kathleen C. Millett of Abington, Eileen C. Marasco of Amherst, and Rosalie J. Morse of Beverly, and their families. Dear sister of Joseph Buckley of Arlington, and the late Sr. Sheila Buckley O.P., Kathleen Dynan, and John Buckley. Mary was a 1935 Graduate of Saint John's High School, and 1939 Graduate of Regis College. Visiting Hours from the Keefe Funeral Home, 2175 Mass Ave., NORTH CAMBRIDGE Monday from 3-8 pm. Funeral Mass on Tues, Feb 7 in Saint John's Church, Cambridge at 10am. Relatives and friends invited. Burial in Cambridge Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary's name may be made to a charity of your choice.

	<<<< "Boston Bob" Donalds - For those of us who drive a VW Bus, we lost a great man recently when Bob Donalds, better known as Boston Bob, passed away at the all-too-young age of 55. Boston Bob rebuilt the engine in my own 1979 VW Bus, but he was known across the country for his engines and his advice. - Robert Winters
	Passing of a Great Man Sheldon Brown Cycling Guru at 63 (Newton Tab)	Syd Barrett Jan 6, 1946 - July 7, 2006

Preusser, Mary Ellen (Guant)
Age 83, of Watertown, formerly of Cambridge and a native of Texas, August 14, 2008. Beloved wife of the late Robert Preusser. Mother of Eric O. Preusser of Watertown and the late Alison Preusser-Peroni of Billerica. Grandmother of Erica Alison Preusser, Rebecca Ellen Preusser and Sara Peroni. Memorial Service Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008 at 1:00pm in the Story Chapel in Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
Nardone Funeral Home, 617-924-1113

Note: Mary Ellen Preusser was a Cambridge School Committee candidate in 1973 and a Cambridge City Council candidate in 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1981. She was elected in 1977 and served one term on the Cambridge City Council.

William Stackman 1941-2007 Photo of Will Stackman in 1990

Will Stackman, one of the most decent and knowledgeable men I've met during my nearly 30 years in Cambridge, passed away during the June 2-3, 2007 weekend at the age of 66 after a several year battle with pancreatic cancer. I first met Will during the planning of Cambridge's Earth Day festivities in 1990 when Marianne Donnelly, the moving force behind the event, brought Will to the meetings. As the man who staged the Cambridge River Festival as staff for the Cambridge Arts Council, we could not have had a more expert person to help put on the event. Will was one of the people who really put the Cambridge Arts Council on the map during its glory days.

Over the years before 1990 and the many years since, Marianne Donnelly has been Will's constant companion - one of the most lasting and dedicated friendships I've ever witnessed. - Robert Winters

Obituary

“Professor Will”, as he’s known around Beantown, did theatre, including puppetry, in these parts for a quarter century or more. His theatre adventures began back in his hometown of Madison, CT in the early ‘50s, as part of the Nutmeg Players. That still-viable community theatre traces its roots to the peripatetic Jitney Players who were headquartered there on the Connecticut shore in the early ‘30s. Active in theatre at Mount Hermon where he graduated in ‘58, Will became hyper-active at DePauw University (Greencastle, IN), where he managed a student experimental theater, directed an opera, played various minor roles, and still managed to graduate Phi Beta Kappa in 1962.

After studying Psychology at Yale for a year as an NIMH Fellow headed for a PhD, he switched to the Theatre program at Wesleyan (Middletown, CT), working as a grad assistant, and earning an MA for Theatre in Production in 1965. Hanging out for the rest of the 60’s at Cornell, he spent four years studying and doing theatre and film, but never submitted his thesis -- a chronicle of the relationship between Broadway and Hollywood in the decades before and after talkies took over. While at Cornell he managed the studio theatre, created several experimental productions, house-managed film series, and acted now and then. A favorite role was Lanthorn Leatherhead “Master of Motions”, the fairground puppeteer in Ben Jonson’s “Bart’l’mew Faire”.

Leaving Ithaca, the Professor taught at Cal. State/Long Beach during the year Reagan shut down state campuses to stifle dissent, then returned East to teach technical theatre for two years at Rutgers. When New Jersey rejected their first income tax and the University budgets were slashed, Will decided he’d been in school too long and came up to Boston to concentrate on puppetry, and became a Punch Professor.

He became part of the technical staff at the still-missed Orson Welles Complex, but it wasn’t long before he was back to teaching at Pine Manor College in Brookline: building scenery, directing musicals, and lecturing on Theatre for Young Audiences. He also continued performing various versions of the traditional “Tragical Comedie and Comical Tragedie of Punch and Judy” as Boston’s senior Punch Professor. He taught at Boston Conservatory, Wheelock College, and Newton North High, and directed the Gateway Puppeteers in Brookline.

In the ‘70s and ‘80s Will worked on the first decade of FIRST NIGHT, ran two editions of Summer StART at Fort Point Channel, and then for the Cambridge Arts Council was Technical Director for the Cambridge River Festival, while supervising Arts Lottery projects and other community efforts.

Will was a founding board member and Technical Director for the first years of Boston’s Playwrights’ Platform, and active in the ATA, NETC, and the Puppeteers of America, Boston Area Guild, Ch #9 thereof. He was also on the advisory board of the late lamented Boston Computer Society, and could be found by old friends at the MIT Electronics Flea Market and BMUG meetings. Will’s reviews of Boston-area theatre can be found on AisleSay.com (a national compendium), Larry Stark's Theater Mirror (a local resource), and his own site ON THE AISLE. He was part of the Independent Reviewers of New England's (IRNE) Awards committee, and a tireless advocate for good work under Spartan conditions in obscure venues.

Memorial plans so far include:

The Cambridge Arts Council at the Cambridge River Festival:

• Mini parade at 5:00pm on Saturday, June 16, 2007 on the Festival site celebrating Will Stackman and Ritchie Goldstein, junk percussionist extraordinaire who was a part of many Boston area festivals, most notably Spontaneous Celebrations’ Wake Up the Earth. Includes Puppeteers Cooperative, stiltwalkers & drummers.
• Memory Wall -- Bring your contribution -- a note, a sign, a photo, a puppet, to place on a Community Bulletin Board celebrating Will -- or carry it in the parade.
• Play Reading -- Will wrote some 10 minute plays in recent years. If there is interest, we have a beautiful little park that could be used at 4:00pm if actor/director volunteers come forth to read them. Contact Jane Beal, Cambridge Arts Council, 617-349-4381 jbeal@CambridgeMA.gov

Playwrights Platform at Boston Playwrights Theatre:

• A first annual Will Stackman Award for Excellence in Directing Award will be voted and presented at the Platform's Annual New Play Festival wrap party after the final 8pm shows Saturday June 16, 2007.

Puppet Showplace in July:

• There will be a Memorial at the Showplace in Brookline Village in July, to be organized by Marianne Donnelly and Kris Higgins. Details TBA on the www.TheaterMirror.com web site.

Dec 7, 2006 - I just learned that Rusty Drugan, a friend and a positive voice on the Cambridge Election Commission, passed away this afternoon. Rusty could always be counted on to understand the technical issues involving Cambridge's PR elections. He joined the Election Commission in the mid-1990's at about the same time that I began my service with the Technical Working Committee for Computerization of the Cambridge Elections (TWCC). Rusty was one of the most decent fellows you would ever want to meet. He will be greatly missed by all of his friends and colleagues.        DRUGAN, Wayne A. "Rusty" Jr. Died at home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thurs, Dec 7, 2006. Beloved son of Nora K. Marcks of Valley City, North Dakota & the late Wayne Drugan. Brother of Manfred Drugan & his wife Janice Drugan of Valley City, Patricia Robbins & her husband Bill Robbins of Cavalier, North Dakota; Sharon Miller & her husband Dale Miller of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Uncle to many nieces and nephews. Executive Director of New England Independent Booksellers Association from 1992-2006 and a Republican Election Commissioner for the City of Cambridge from 1995-2006. Arrangements by A. J. Spears Funeral Home, CAMBRIDGE, MA, & Oliver-Nathan Funeral Home, Valley City, North Dakota. Burial Services will be held in Valley City, North Dakota. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, Pancreatic Cancer Research, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. A.J. Spears Funeral Home, 617-876-4047

Mary Lou McGrath, 73; was school chief in Cambridge (by Gloria Negri, Boston Globe Staff, June 27, 2006)
Mrs. McGrath died on Friday, June 23, at her West Harwich home on Cape Cod.

Excerpts:
“Mary Lou was a leader of education in Massachusetts,” David Maher, former Cambridge School Committee member and city councillor, said yesterday. “She was the most compassionate of educators and hard-working. She never forgot her roots. She took great pride in the fact that she would go to the grocery store for milk and bump into the parents of Cambridge students. She was a huge supporter of parental involvement in the schools. She would say they were her eyes and ears in the community.”

As superintendent, Maher said, she oversaw the rebuilding of several schools. “At the time she was superintendent,” he said, “our enrollment was nearly 9,000, compared to today's less than 6,000. We were struggling, because we were basically trying to find places to put the kids.”

Prior to becoming superintendent, Maher said, Mrs. McGrath “played a very significant role” in the desegregation of Cambridge schools. Cambridge avoided the court-enforced busing imposed on Boston in the 1970s, Maher said, “by coming forward with a voluntary desegregation plan, and Mary Lou was the leader of that plan. Cambridge, in a way, got away from neighborhood schools and moved to magnet schools all over the city, tailored to meet individual needs and desires.”

A Mass will be said tomorrow (June 28, 2006) at 10am in St. John Church in North Cambridge. Burial will be in Cambridge Cemetery.

McGRATH, Mary Lou (Murphy) of Cambridge and West Harwich. June 23, 2006.
Devoted wife of the late Joseph Murry McGrath. Beloved sister of Lorraine Touchette and her husband Charles, Charles Murphy and his wife Elizabeth, George Murphy and Joyce Altomare. Sister in law of Linda Murphy. Cherished aunt of loving nieces and nephews. Faithful and caring friend of many. Former Superintendent of Schools, Administrator, and teacher in the Cambridge Public School System for 41 years. Faculty member of Lesley University. Funeral from the Keefe Funeral Home, 2175 Mass Ave. NORTH CAMBRIDGE, Wednesday at 9am (June 28). Funeral mass at St. John's Church at 10am. Relatives and friends invited. Visiting hours Tuesday 4-8pm (June 27). In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Home for Little Wanderers, 271 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130. Online condolences keefefuneralhome.com.

Former Cambridge City Councillor Gaspard d'Andelot Belin passed away on April 15, 2003. “Don” Belin was elected to the City Council in 1961 when, arguably, CCA voters took the election of two-term City Councillor Cornelia “Connie” Wheeler for granted. Belin resigned during his term to take a position in the Kennedy Administration. (He was McGeorge Bundy’s brother-in-law.) Connie Wheeler was elected to fill the vacancy on Belin’s redistributed vote. Wheeler was reelected in 1963, 1965, and 1967. The other 1961 election winners were Walter Sullivan, Edward Crane, Daniel Hayes Jr., Joseph DeGuglielmo,  Bernard Goldberg, Alfred Vellucci, Pearl Wise, and Andrew Trodden.

Don Belin is also associated with the Belin Decision by the Mass. Supreme Judicial Court. The state legislature had recently abolished Chapter 54A of the Mass. General Laws which allowed Massachusetts cities to use proportional representation in their local elections. Statute 1972, c. 596 also required that a question regarding a change to plurality voting be placed on the Cambridge ballot. This was challenged by Belin and others as a violation of Article 89 of the Amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution (Right of Local Self-Government). The SJC ruled in favor of Belin and the question was not placed on the Cambridge ballot. Cambridge continues to use PR in its local elections to this day, the only city in Massachusetts (and the USA) that continues to do so. Recent years have brought renewed interest in proportional representation and preferential ballots, e.g. instant runoff voting, in the United States.

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