Folsom Funeral Service

Helen (Theodorakos) Pateras, a resident of Dedham, and formerly of Jamaica Plain, died Saturday, February 11, 2023 at the Life Care Center of Acton. She was 91. Helen was born February 2, 1932 in Vacho, Laconia, Greece, the youngest of the seven children of Elias and Fontini (Kozombolis) Theodorakos. She was the wife for 49 years of the late Ernest “Ernie” Pateras who predeceased her in 2011. Helen is survived by her son, Harry Pateras, and his wife Zoe, of Dedham; and her daughter Fontina “Tina” Kelley, and her husband Joseph, of Waltham; as well as her four grandchildren, Christopher A. Kelley, Elena J. Kelley, Eleni Pateras, and Harry A. Pateras. Visiting hours Thursday, February 16 from 6-8 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham, MA 02026. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral Friday at 10 AM at St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, 39 Belgrade Avenue, Roslindale followed by interment in Mount Hope Cemetery, Walk Hill Street, Boston.

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It is with great sadness that the family of Alice Ann (Foster) Whitman announces her peaceful passing on Thursday, February 9, 2023. She was 84. Alice will be lovingly remembered by her children: Gary, Jeffrey and his wife Marsha, and Steven and his wife Kim. Alice will also be fondly remembered by her grandchildren; Jacquelyn and her husband Chris Joyce, Erin, Ryan, Danielle, Caitlin, Alison, Lauren, and Keighan. She will also be remembered by her great grandchildren, Phoebe and John Joyce, and many nephews and a niece. Alice was predeceased by her husband Donald Whitman who passed away in 2020.

Also is a much beloved friend from all aspects of her life leaving behind many dear friends.  She was a warm, loving, and welcoming friend to all.

Alice graduated from Archbishop Williams High School.  She was a member of Hyde Park Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps where she met her husband Donald Whitman. They married in 1949 and raised three boys. 

Alice continued to be a long time dedicated fan and supporter of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps. She enjoyed sharing stories of the old days with the younger generations through the years, and visiting the corps office in Hyde Park.

Alice was also an active member of St Anne’s Church in Hyde Park, and served as a coordinator of the annual Holiday Bazaar for many years. Alice also enjoyed a long career in customer service at Star Market, was a bank teller, and homemaker. 

Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the funeral home starting at 9:30 am on Wednesday, February 15th and proceed with us to a funeral mass in memory of Alice at 10:30am at St. Ann’s Parish, 90 W Milton St, Boston, followed by burial at Fairview Cemetery.

Visiting hours are Tuesday, February 14th from 4-8pm at Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham, MA. Those who so desire may make a memorial donation in her memory to the Boston Crusaders at https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/n378YA?vid=x42u3 or via mail to 47 Fairmount Ave, Hyde Park, MA 02136.
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Charles Neale Hoffman, a longtime resident of Dedham, died Thursday, January 26, 2023 at the Brush Hill Healthcare Center in Milton. He was 74. Charles was born March 5, 1948 in Newton, Massachusetts, a son of Emmett Charles and June (Neale) Hoffman. He worked as a welder. Charles is survived by his wife, Patricia M. (Wells); his daughter, Heather Briggs, and her husband Scott, of Medfield; his two grandchildren, Ava and Mason Briggs; his brother, Robert Hoffman of Georgia; and his three sisters, Donna Hoffman of Georgia, Jane Hoffman of Washington, DC, and Maryellen Hoffman of Pennsylvania. Services and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers donations to Gentiva Hospice, 130 Rumford Avenue, Suite 211, Auburndale, MA 02466 would be appreciated.

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Michael Peter Kowalczyk, a longtime resident of Dedham, died Sunday, January 29, 2023 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. He was 64. Michael was born May 22, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey, one of the eight children of Stanley Anthony and Sheila Mary (O’Keefe) Kowalczyk. Michael worked in landscaping and maintenance for the Town of Dedham for 8 years and enjoyed fishing and drawing. He is survived by his wife, Donna Marie (Gonski) Kowalczyk; two brothers, Steven Kowalczyk of Bedford, and Joseph Kowalczyk of Dedham; two sisters, Sheila Hanson of Allenstown, New Hampshire, and Karen Fitzgerald of Townsend; and his two stepsons, James and Joseph Hughes. He was the brother of the late Stanley and Robert Kowalczyk, and Cynthia Kowalczyk. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his graveside service Saturday,, February 4, 2023 at 11:30 am at Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham.

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It is with great sadness that the family of Vera Louise (Lenz) Cross announces her passing on Monday, January 25, 2023 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 97. Vera will be lovingly remembered by her three children; Kenneth, David, and Matthew. Vera will also be fondly remembered by her seven grandchildren; Trevor, Jacob, Daniel, Elisabeth, Mitchell, Theodore and Ruth. Vera was predeceased by her husband Frank K. Cross who passed away in 2006.

Vera Graduated from the New England School of Art in 1947 where she met her husband Frank “Ken” Cross. They married in 1949 and raised three boys. Vera enjoyed a career in commercial art, specializing in fashion illustration, and later in life as a popular watercolorist, pastel portrait artist, and art teacher. In the early 1970’s, Vera was appointed director of the Attleboro Art Museum where she served for 13 years. She was an active member of the Sharon Creative Arts Association and the Art Associations of Sharon, Canton and Foxboro, being a recipient of many art show awards and prizes. Vera was also proud of her service as a volunteer at the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. She was also a member of the Sharon Historical Society and the Sharon friends of Conservation.

A Funeral Service in memory of Vera will be held Tuesday, January 31st at 1 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High St., Westwood. Visiting hours are Monday, January 30th from 7-9 pm at the funeral home. Those who so desire may make a memorial donation in her memory to the Sharon Friends of Conservation, 45 Furnace St, Sharon, MA 02067

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Barbara Hume Bartlett, a resident of Westwood, and formerly of Dedham, North Chatham, and Boston, passed away on Jan 14, 2023. She was 84 years old.

Barbara was born on December 26, 1938 in Boston, and was the second child of the late Marshall K. Bartlett and Barbara F. (Hume) Bartlett. She grew up in Dedham and in North Chatham, and attended the Winsor School until she graduated in 1956.

She decided to further her education and attended Smith College in Northampton, MA, from 1956-1959, majoring in history. After Smith College, she continued her studies at Harvard Extension, where she studied expository English and the fundamentals of financial accounting, and later attended the Harvard Center for Lifelong Learning, where she studied the fundamentals of data processing.

Barbara spent most of her life struggling with depression, beginning at a time when their were no medications and the primary treatment was Freudian Analysis. As time passed and more options became available, she benefitted from new treatments, but it was never easy for her. It had been a lifelong struggle.

In spite of that, she led a very productive and successful life, supporting herself with work and living independently in Boston. Barbara worked for over 25 years for the New England Life Center (Now called MetLife) where she held such positions as secretary, a Mortgage Commitment Analyst, and a Senior Mortgage Servicing Analyst. She also greatly enjoyed a nice walk, a good book, theology, and her gardening.

Although Barbara and her younger sister Susan were not overly close when they were young, they reconnected and became close in their 40’s, at a time when they were both in therapy, and they found good conversation about that. One of their most memorable traditions was to go to the Lexington Gardens on Memorial Day weekend so Barbara could get flower plants for her balcony, and Susan could get vegetable plants for her garden.

Her nephews Jon and Andrew were pre-teens as they got to know Barb, when she would come to Belmont for visits. She remained a part of the family, visiting for holidays and witnessing the arrival of Mary and Carla, and then her grand nephews and nieces, Elijah, Olivia, Tyler, and Micaela.

After retirement, Barbara enjoyed volunteering for several different organizations over the years. She volunteered at the Church of the Advent in Boston, where she was the secretary to the Rector, at Kings Chapel in Boston, where she was the parish secretary, and at the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union, in Retail Sales.

Unfortunately Barb’s dementia began to show when she was about 76. She was able to remain in her apartment for a few more years until she moved to White Oaks Cottages at Fox Hill Village in Westwood, an assisted living facility for dementia. She lived in a cottage with 11 other residents and a caring staff. She had her own room and shared a common living/dining area where she took part in activities, socializing, and communal dining.

Barbara was the loving sister of Susan B. Demb of Westwood, and Charles J. Bartlett of N. Chatham.  She is also survived by her nephews Marshall Bartlett of Wayland, Jonathan Demb of Guilford, CT, David Bartlett of Scituate, and Andrew Demb of Cumberland, RI. Barbara also leaves behind four grandnephews and four grandnieces.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside service for Barbara on Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 11AM, at Union Cemetery, Rt 28, Chatham. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center, PO Box 421, N. Chatham, MA 02650, or online at https://www.chathammarconi.org/give , would be appreciated.

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October 15, 1927 – January 11, 2023

Age 95

John Bancroft Glore was born on Oct. 15, 1927 in New York City.  He was the son of the late Arthur Ridley Glore and Dorothy Bancroft Joyce Glore.  John and his sister, Joyce, spent their summers at Lake Monomonac in Rindge, NH.  Their father died in 1937, and their mother subsequently married Warren Rishel.  After high school in Elyria, OH, John attended Williams College.  He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy in 1948.  Subsequent education included a Masters in Chemistry from Columbia University and course work towards a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Harvard University, until his studies were interrupted by the Korean War.

John was a member of the Armed Forces in the Army.  His military service included the end of World War II and the Korean War, during which he worked for Army Intelligence at the Pentagon.

In 1951, John married Patricia Pardee, his wife of 53 years until her death in 2004.  Initially they lived in Arlington, VA but moved to Massachusetts in 1955. John remained a Massachusetts resident until his death, residing in Brookline, Needham, Shrewsbury, and Westwood over the years. 

John was a pioneer in the computer software industry, specializing in developing software for use by the U.S. Military and NASA, including planning a manned mission to Mars.  His long career included tenures at The John Hancock Company, The Honeywell Corporation, The Mitre Corporation and The Raytheon Corporation.  After retirement, John volunteered for the Shrewbury Community Services.

John had a life-long love of music and was an avid singer in church choirs and community choruses, including the Worcester Festival Choral Society, and the Dedham and Newton Choral Societies, and most recently in the church choir at the Allin Congregational Church in Dedham.  He was passionate about the out doors and loved to canoe and hike.  Memorable trips included canoeing the Allagash River in Maine, climbing the Grand Teton in Wyoming, and hiking the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.

John and Pat had three children.  A son, Charles Joyce Glore, died in 1956 at age three.  Son Warren Pardee Glore lives in Shelburne, VT, and daughter Janet Glore Reese, lives in Alexandria, VA. John is also survived by six grandchildren (Robin Hier, Geoffrey Glore, Ross Glore, Andrew Reese, Emma Reese and Philip Reese), great-grandchild Ethan Hier, his cousin, Charles Berry, and nieces and nephews.

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Emily Louise Alex, 75, of Norwood, MA passed away peacefully on January 9, 2023, after a long battle with chronic lung and cardiac disease.

Born in Boston, Emily demonstrated from her earliest years a passion for dance, tapping away on city manhole covers as a toddler and entertaining patrons at the Lithuanian club her parents attended. Upon her family’s move “out to the country” in Bridgewater, she developed what would become a lifelong love of animals, tending first to chickens and horses and later a wide variety of domestic animals (including a blind kitten she found wandering the streets after a storm).

A natural inclination to put others before herself led her to become a trusted friend and confidante to many. From the patrons of Buddy’s Coffee Shop she met while waitressing during high school, to the students and faculty she worked with at Bridgewater State College, to the nurses and health care workers who helped her as she battled illness later in life: all were drawn to her warm smile, quick-witted humor, and genuine empathy. Her extraordinarily giving nature meant that, if you were in her presence, she would doubtless find something of hers to share with you.

To her husband, who courted her on many a dance floor, and daughters, whom she raised in the city of Brockton, she was all this and more: a phenomenal cook, preparing from-scratch dinners every night (her spanakopita was legendary); an inspiration to pursue less-trodden paths for girls at the time (like taking up drums and brass instruments in the school band); and a fun-loving soul who relished Stephen King movies, game nights of Parcheesi and rummy, and reality court shows from Judge Wapner to Judge Judy. She cherished the time she spent with her family and visibly lit up with pride and love when talking about them with others.

Emily’s kind and caring nature touched many lives; among her family, she leaves behind daughters Katherine (Katie) Alex Stevens and her husband Eric of Norwood and Eugenia (Jennie) Wilkinson and her husband Steve of Norwood; grandchildren Theodore and Cordelia Wilkinson and Xander and Zephyr Stevens; and granddogs Grover, Penelope, and Rosie. She is also survived by sister Evelyn Kirbach and her husband Dennis of Florida. She was predeceased by her husband of 45 years, Vassilios “Bill” Alex, and by brother Karl Wortwick of Indiana. Private services were held on January 12, 2023, at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Emily’s memory to the American Lung Association at lung.org or to the Disabled American Veterans at dav.org.

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76 of Westwood, formally New Seabury, died peacefully January 10, 2023. Beloved husband of Rebecca for 52 years. Devoted father of Jennifer and her husband Bob of Westwood, Terrence R. and his wife Mae of Singapore, and Daniel and his wife Gina of Dallas, TX. Loving grandfather of Caitlyn, Jack, Jonathan, Colby, Dylan and Cricket.

Gene is survived by his brother, Terrence J. and his wife Len of Springfield, his mother-in-law, Janet, of Essex Junction, VT, his nieces, Mary Kay & Samantha, his nephews, Tod, Eric, Alexander & Christopher, his sisters-in-law Donna, Polly & Laura, and his brothers-in-law, Harald & Ray. Gene was predeceased by his father, Terrence S., his mother, Helen, and his father-in-law, Richard.

Gene grew up in Holyoke, graduated from the University of Vermont (BA) and The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (MBA). He met Rebecca at UVM. Gene honorably served as an officer in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and in the U.S. Army Reserve thereafter. 

Gene built a successful career in the retail industry, beginning at Zayre, advancing to executive positions at Hills Department Stores, Service Star/True Value and Office Max. He belonged to many trade organizations, served on several company boards and was a frequent speaker at national conventions. He was a whiz with numbers, serving him well before computers were widely available in day-to-day job functions.

Gene and Rebecca raised their three children in Westwood. Despite the heavy travel demands of his job, Gene never missed an important event in his children’s lives. He regularly coached their little league baseball and basketball teams, and, most impressively, was always home for dinner when he was not out of town on a business trip. 

Summers were spent on Cape Cod, where he was a member of The Club at New Seabury. Following Gene’s retirement, New Seabury became their primary residence. Winters were spent in New York City, enjoying the theater, museums, restaurants and film.

Retirement did not suit him. He succumbed to the urge to work again and co-founded the O’Donnell Art Gallery at the Popponesset Marketplace with Rebecca. Gene spent countless hours in the gallery while listening to the Sox on the radio.

Gene had a lifelong love of sports beginning in childhood when his dad and brother took him to Boston Red Sox games. He became a diehard Boston sports fan faithfully following the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. He even dreamed of becoming a sports announcer. Golfing was his passion – oftentimes playing every day with his long-time golf group friends. He played softball with business associates and developed a wicked wiffleball pitch for backyard family games. Running (in particular around the Central Park Reservoir), swimming, tennis, an early morning or after dinner walk were part of his repertoire. He also loved relaxing at the beach with a good book.

Gene’s best party tricks were being able to name the city and state of every college in the U.S. and recalling random statistics from the back of baseball cards from the 1950’s and 1960’s (unfortunately his mother threw away his entire baseball card collection when he went away to college).

Home and family were most important to Gene. He cherished time with his kids and grandkids, with the side effect of imparting his sports neuroses on the rest of the family. He will be deeply missed by family and friends, even his relentless pessimism about the Red Sox’s performance!

The O’Donnell family would like to thank all of Gene’s caregivers, especially those at Orchard Cove and Hebrew SeniorLife Hospice Care. Their dedication and compassionate care provided comfort to Gene and gave great peace to his family.

A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday, January 19, 2023, at Folsom Funeral Services, 649 High Street, Westwood, MA 02090, 10am gathering with family, 11am service. The visitation and service will be live streamed and may be viewed at www.harborview.live or a recorded version may be viewed starting later in the day.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in memory of Eugene O’Donnell to Hebrew SeniorLife, Development Department, 1200 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02131 or via hebrewseniorlife.org/TributeGift.

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Frederick Edward Hill, a resident of Fuller Village in Milton, and formerly of Dedham, died Tuesday ,January 10, 2023 at the Faulkner Hospital in Boston. He was 81. Frederick was born September 23, 1941 in Boston, Massachusetts, a son of Edward W. and Mary Uta (Haight) Hill, immigrants from Nova Scotia, Canada. He earned his associates degree from Wentworth Institute in Boston and worked as a civil engineer for the former Jackson Construction Company on projects that included many of the downtown Boston hospital, the New England Aquarium, and the addition to the Museum of Fine Arts. Frederick loved Cape Cod and swimming in the ocean. He also enjoyed collection stamps and coins. Frederick is survived by his wife, Florence Mary (Madden) Hill; his son, Andrew Hill of Stoughton; his daughter, Pamela Ann Kelly, and her husband Edward, of Canton; and his five grandchildren, Emily, and Abigail Hill, and Siobhan, Devin and Eamon Kelly. He was the brother of the late Wilfred Hill, Lucy Saad, and Julia A. Yeatman. Visiting hours will be held Friday, January 13th from 4 to 7 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Saturday, January 14th at 10 am at the funeral home followed by interment at Knollwood Memorial Park in Canton. In lieu of flowers donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452 would be appreciated.

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