Folsom Funeral Service

John (Jack) Thomas Stonefield, of Townsend Harbor, MA, age 81, son of John William Stonefield and Theodora (Holman) Stonefield, passed away at home on September 5, 2020 from a battle with Cancer.

John grew up enjoying summers at the beach in Scituate. He graduated from Norwood High School class of 1959, with his varsity letter in golf.   He continued his education and graduated Northeastern University Chemical Engineering Class of 1962 and from the Army ROTC. John served in the ARMY signal corps and was honorably discharged with the rank of First Lieutenant. He went on to earn a Masters of Science in Engineering Management Northeastern Class of 1970. 

John started is career at the Great Northern Paper Company in Millinocket, ME. as a Paper Engineer, then relocated to Townsend to work at the Fitchburg Paper Company, followed by a job in Marketing at NEBS.  He also served on the Townsend Conservation Commission for 10 years. He became an Ordained Minster of the Gospel in 1994. Ministering at Crossroads Ministry, Worcester MA. Then in 2016, he served as District Overseer of New England District – International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies (IFCA), formally Christian Church of North America (CCNA). 

John leaves behind a wife of 58 years, Jane Catherine Stonefield, four sons: John Galen Stonefield, James David Stonefield and his wife Lora, Jeremiah Ball Stonefield, Joshua Samuel Stonefield. Five grandchildren: Marissa Stonefield, Jessica Tomassino with husband Greg, Jared Stonefield, Sheridan Stonefield, Julia Stonefield.  A brother, David Henry Stonefield and his wife Gail. 

Visitation for John will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2020 from 9-10AM at the Folsom & May Funeral Home, 85 Nichols St., Norwood MA, followed by a graveside service at 10:30AM at Highland Cemetery, 320 Winter St., Norwood. Masks required. 

A Celebration of his Life is being planned in 2021. In lieu of floral donations, Memorial contributions may be made in his name to International Fellowship of Christian Assemblies, 1294 Rutledge Rd. Transfer PA. 16154 

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Paul Francis Zeolla, a resident of Dedham, passed away on September 6, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 77 years old. Born in Newton, MA, he was the son of the late Patrick and Kathleen (Crotty) Zeolla. Paul was also the beloved husband of Martha L. (Murdock) for 42 years and the dear brother of Patricia Zeolla Nolan (and her husband James Nolan) of Mendon.

Paul was the loving brother-in-law of Helen and Tom Rogers of Brewster, and Anne and Joseph Manning of Milton, and loving uncle of his nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He is also survived by Murdock and Melley cousins and Zella and Zeolla cousins.

Paul received a degree in Education from Boston State College, and a Master’s of Science Degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Paul loved teaching math to eighth graders at Walsh Middle School in Framingham for 14 years. He then became a software computer specialist, first at PRIME Computer, then several small companies, and he ended his career with 10 years as a Software Quality Engineer at EMC in Westborough. Paul loved solving problems. He was grateful for his wonderful coworkers at his teaching and computer careers, and valued his friends from his youth.

In retirement, daily, you would find Paul in the backyard either at his 12 bird feeders or planting his beloved vegetable and flower garden, or maintaining the house and yard. He also contributed to his neighborhood with year-round Oakdale Square Alliance’s community-building activities, always enjoying the spirit of all the volunteers and the joy of the children at the neighborhood parties, and landscaping the Oakdale Common.

Paul loved cross country skiing, canoeing, hiking and especially, riding roller coasters. He enjoyed watching Boston professional sports. He loved going to the theatre, especially North Shore Music Circus’s annual play, “Christmas Carol”. He had a large collection of music dating from the 1950’s. Christmas was an all-year joy for Paul, in preparing for and celebrating this Holiday. Paul was quietly deeply spiritual.

Paul was known for his gentleness, his quiet humor (He had the best Donald Duck quacks!), and his good heart. He loved to play with local children and he also valued the wisdom of elders. He was appreciated for his specialized gifts chosen for family and friends for their special occasions.

Paul and Martha shared over 42 years of good times together, both at home, with friends, and in recent years, on spectacular trips to Panama, Alaska, the Rose Parade and the National Parks. Paul was a gentle soul. We will all deeply miss him. Interment will be private. Donations in Paul’s memory may be made to VNA Hospice Care, 100 Trade Center, Ste G500, Woburn, MA 01801 or to Celtic Angels, Home Health Care, 60 Dedham Ave., Ste. 105, Needham, MA 02492 (For those unable to afford home care). A memorial service will be scheduled in the near future.  Please check back for any service information updates. 

Good morning Friends,

My family has arranged that on Monday, October 5 at 7:30a.m., the weekday celebration of Catholic mass at “St. Mary Our Lady of the Isle” in Nantucket will be in remembrance of Paul. We are inviting you as someone who knew and loved Paul, to join us in virtually participating in this service. The church Web address is easy to find: “stmarysnantucket.org”. Scroll down the page to click on “Live Streaming” for the Mass. I am grateful to my sister Helen for arranging for this event. She knows Father John, who was her parish priest for several years, until he recently moved to Nantucket. I hope you will join us. Thank you, Martha

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John B. Schnapp

1928-2020

John Schnapp, longtime resident of Beacon Hill and Acworth, NH, passed away peacefully on September 2nd at the age of 91.

Born in the South Bronx to first generation immigrant parents who had never been east of Rockaway, north of the Catskills, south of Washington or west of Cleveland, he significantly expanded those boundaries in a career that took him to 20 countries on 4 continents.

John was the first member of his family ever to graduate high school and also attained an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh, a masters in economics from the University of Rochester and attended the Harvard University Advanced Management Program. He also served as a Marine Corps tank platoon commander in Quantico, Virginia. Two great enthusiasms marked his high school and university careers: a passion for track and field, and a passion for editorial writing and reporting. In the first case, he was a self-described “dedicated but untalented track athlete” winning only one hurdles race (against Slippery Rock State Teachers College) during five years of active participation in competitions; in the second, he went from contributing to and editing University of Pittsburg student publications to, later in life, writing for some of nation’s leading newspapers (see below).

John’s professional career included 13 years at Eastman Kodak, six spent at Kodak’s Rochester headquarters and seven at its Mexico City subsidiary working in advertising. Perhaps the highlight of his early Kodak years was his central involvement in the writing and production of several of the 1960’s editions of How to Make Good Pictures: perhaps the best-selling how-to book in the history of photography. The editions in question include many photo sequences of family life shot by John himself. After leaving Kodak, John served as a partner at management consulting firms Harbridge House and Temple Barker & Sloane (later acquired by Mercer Management Consulting) where he specialized in the automobile sector. There he proved instrumental in bringing Hyundai Motors to the North American market and in planning for the Nissan Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant, the first Japanese auto manufacturing facility built in the Southeast. By the end of his career as a management consultant, John’s clients included fully 17 of world’s 20 largest vehicle manufacturers as well as leading parts makers such as Bendix and Federal Mogul.

After retiring, John established himself as a well-respected columnist on auto industry issues, contributing frequently to the editorial pages of the Detroit News and Wall Street Journal. Retirement also allowed him to dive enthusiastically into his role as a grandparent and he took his grandchildren on memorable adventures throughout their early lives. He felt that grandfathering was the best job in creation and his grandchildren were the beneficiaries of that conviction.

A lifelong pet enthusiast, John also played a role in raising many a naughty puppy who gave rise to colorful family memories. His pets especially appreciated his penchant for feeding them waffles, allowing them to lick plates clean as soon as they left the dinner table, and warmly tolerating misbehavior.

John will be greatly missed by his wife Rebecca Boyter, children Jeffrey, Scott, and Tom Schnapp, daughters in law Heidi Almy and Maria Gough, grandchildren Ben and Alison Schnapp and Alexander Gough Schnapp and Gianriccardo Poli Schnapp, Gianriccardo’s mother Anna Poli, great grandchildren Holden and Adelaide Schnapp, first wife Betty Jean Robbins, sister in law Margo Chipman, brothers-in-law Hugh Boyter of Tallahassee, Florida, Tom Boyter of Columbus, Georgia, Bryan Hendrix and sister-in-law Lisa Boyter Hendrix of Atlanta, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their children.

Due to COVID 19 a celebration of John’s life will be held at a later date.

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George John Oelschlägel, a longtime resident of Walpole, died Monday, August 31, 2020 at Sunrise of Norwood.  He was 92.  George was born October 7, 1927 in Norwood, Massachusetts, the only son of George J. Jr. and Ida (Jonah)  Oelschlägel.  He graduated from Norwood High School and enlisted in the US Navy several weeks later.  George was Honorably discharged from the Navy as a gunner’s mate third class in July of 1946.  He worked his way up to the Head of the Pressroom at Plimpton Press in Norwood. George also worked as a locksmith for Ace Lock Company and for the Norwood Hardware Store.  George was a member of the North Walpole Fish and Game Club and the Sharon Gun Club.  He taught firearm training and safety lesson at the Norwood Municipal Building and enjoyed range shooting, duck hunting, fishing and playing pool.  George is survived by his wife, Phyllis I. (Drake) Oelschlägel; his son, Dean Scott Oelschlägel, and his wife Cheryl, of Halifax; his daughter, Kim Galvin of Walpole; and his granddaughter, Kerry Anne Armstrong, and her husband Robb, of Lowell.  George was the brother of the late Gladys Allen, and ther late Lillian Buckman.  Visiting hours will be held Thursday, September 3rd from 4 to 8 pm at the Folsom & May Funeral Home, 85 Nichols Street, Norwood.  Funeral Services and interment in Knollwood Memorial Park in Canton will be private  due to covid restrictions.  In lieu of flowers donations to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, 72 East Concord Street, C3, Boston, MA 02118 would be appreciated.

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Walther A. Lucas from Roslindale passed away from lung cancer at the age of 85.  He was born on June 13th 1935.  The son of Alfred Lucas and Arlene Wieland.  He graduated Boston Technical High School is 1953 and went on to Trade School to begin a career in the heating field.  Marrying his wife Carol, also of Roslindale, in 1956, he then went on to serve in the United States Army.  Returning from Army life in New Mexico, they belonged to Roslindale Congregational Church, there they both ran the church youth group and Sunday school for many years.  Throughout his life he was very involved in the church from its members to literally keeping it running.  Walther was a member of the Free Masons and was a big part of Hyde Park Youth Hockey.  Prior to having children of their own, Walther and Carol were very close to their niece, Beth as she was considered one of their own.  They eventually went on to have Scott and Alyson.  He continued to work in the heating business providing for his family as he raised them in Hyde Park.  Walther enjoyed camping on annual family vacations and could be seen enjoying his morning coffee as he walked the grounds making friends. Walther made a brief attempt at retirement after suffering an injury at work forcing  him from away from his lifelong work.  He made his way back into the workforce tending bar at “Greeks” in Roslindale and eventually making his way back to plumbing.  He was very proud to be part of Trethewey Brothers (TBros) as one of the oldest “plumbers apprentices” in the business.  He loved working the stock room there so he could show all the “kids” what was what.  After many years there he was reluctantly forced to retire, again.  Throughout that time, he enjoyed his three grandchildren; David, Fiona and Jake.  Doing his part to instill a love of the Boston Bruins, country music and John Wayne westerns on TV.  Walther is survived by his wife Carol (Dimock), his son Scott Lucas and his wife Bridget, his daughter Alyson Lucas, his grandchildren, David Lucas, Fiona Connolly and Jacob Lucas. His nieces; Beth Dimock and her wife Katy Boelter-Dimock, Melinda Stockwell and her husband Todd, Corey Lucas and her husband Alex Lukens, his nephew Charles Klobucher and grandniece Saoirse Boelter-Dimock and his sister-in-law Carolyn Lucas.  He was predeceased by his siblings, Kenneth Lucas and Arlene Rogers.   Visitation will be held on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 from 4 to 7 PM at the Folson Funeral Home, 63 Belgrade Ave., Roslindale.  Walther’s funeral service will be on Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 11 AM in the funeral home chapel.  Interment will be private.  In lieu of flowers donations in his memory may be made to Roslindale Congregational Church, 25 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA  02131

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John Edward Donohue, a longtime resident of West Roxbury, died Thursday, August 13, 2020 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston.  He was 72.  John was born September 15, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, a son of William L. Sr., and Mary Theresa (Findlen) Donohue.  He is the brother of Anne Marie Angers of Topsham, Maine, and the late Mary T. Hall, the late Joseph Francis Donohue, the late Neil P. Donohue Sr. and the late William L. Donohue Jr.  He was also survived by several nieces and nephews.  John worked as a school bus driver with a heart of gold.  He watched over his elderly neighbors, and he cared for local homeless individuals.  John also enjoyed watching wildlife including local deer and turkeys.  Private interment will be in New Calvary Cemetery in Boston.  A Memorial Mass will be held at a time to be announced. 

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Robert Ernest Smith, of Westwood, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. He was born on October 5, 1930, the son of Ernest and Violet Smith. Bob was a graduate of the Norfolk Agricultural School in Walpole. During the Korean War, he served in the Army and was stationed in Germany. Shortly after returning home, he married Pauline A. Brown, also of Westwood. Bob used his skills from the Aggie School to launch his own career in landscaping. In addition, he was also the long-time owner of Bob Smith Pools. During the winter months, he enjoyed selling Christmas trees and plowing snow. Bob was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Westwood. He taught Sunday School and served on various boards and committees. Bob was co-founder of Boy Scout Troop 3 at First Baptist as a way to encourage boys to not only experience outdoor adventures, but also to develop the necessary life skills to be good citizens in and out of the community. He especially enjoyed attending and participating in Courts of Honor and Eagle Scout Award ceremonies. Bob was always active in his community. He was a member of the Westwood Lions Club and participated in all activities that were of service to those in need. An avid Boston sports fan, Bob enjoyed attending games as well as watching them on television. Bob was always singing. He sang for over 60 years in the church choir, was very active in the Canton Barbershop Chorus and enjoyed many years singing in the Smith Brothers Quartet, a barbershop quartet he had with three of his brothers. In recent years, he enjoyed many hymn sings with his family, led by Alexa. Family was the most important thing in Bob’s life. He especially loved spending time with his grandchildren and in more recent years, his great-grandchildren. Bob is survived by his wife of 65 years, Pauline; and his two daughters , Pam Morneau, and her husband John, of Brunswick, Maine, and Kim Poirier, and her husband Austin “Bill”, of Walpole, Massachusetts. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Aaron Morneau and his wife Caitlin of Alexandria, Virginia; Jared Morneau and his wife Adrian, of Lewiston, Maine; Austin “Mike” Poirier, and his girlfriend Annie Elfar, of Boston, Massachusetts; Andrew Poirier, and his wife Erin, of Franklin, Massachusetts; and Bill Poirier, also of Franklin; and his three great-grandchildren, Aiden Morneau and Lily and Elise Poirier, all of whom were the loves of his life. Bob was the brother of Wayne Smith of Westwood, Gerald Smith, and his wife Bobbie, of Weymouth, Chester Smith of Westwood, and the late Earle Smith; and the brother -in-law of Constance Smith of Wrentham, the late Joyce Smith, and the late Sharon Smith. Bob was also survived by many nieces and nephews.  Burial with military honors will be private. When it is safe to gather, a date and time for celebrating Bob’s life will be shared. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Syngap Research Fund, 1270 Lincoln Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301 or the Westwood Lions Club, P.O. Box 432 Westwood, MA 02090, both of which were near and dear to Bob’s heart.

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Mrs. Evon Davidson Benson, 88, passed away on August 13, 2020 of natural causes at her home in West Roxbury, MA. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia on March 13, 1932, the only child of Archie Donald Davidson and Annie Rae Burdette Davidson. As a child, her family relocated frequently; she attended a different school every year until high school, as she followed her father’s career in the baking industry around the Midwest. They returned to Atlanta, GA where she graduated from Bass High School. After receiving her B.S. in education from the University of Texas in Austin, she returned to Atlanta, where she took a teaching position in first grade at Ed S. Cook Elementary School, motivated by the idea that she could contribute to the underserved community of children and families living in a public housing area in downtown Atlanta. Evon went on to have a long and distinguished career as an educator. She was a classroom teacher in the Atlanta and DeKalb County School Systems for 21 years. Later, after earning her M.Ed and Ed.S. graduate degrees from Georgia State University, she became a Reading Specialist and Supervisor in DeKalb County, tutoring and designing curricula for elementary school children with reading difficulties for 17 years. She earned many professional awards and accolades, culminating in being chosen Georgia Reading Educator of the Year by the Metropolitan Atlanta Council for the International Reading Association in 1982. She was inducted into The Georgia Reading Hall of Fame in 1991. After retiring in 1989, Evon enjoyed worldwide travel, and remained active in many volunteer capacities, including as a reading instruction volunteer at her church (Mountain Park UMC in Stone Mountain), and as a proud volunteer at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She relocated to Boston in 2006 to be closer to her family. She became a popular and beloved part of the community at her new residence, Sophia Snow Place, and remained an active volunteer both at her new faith home, Stratford Street Church in West Roxbury, and their community food pantry, Rose’s Bounty. Evon is survived by her two sons, Don Benson and his wife Christine of Brooklyn, NY, and John Benson and his wife Kay of West Roxbury, MA. She was a doting and loving grandmother to her four grandchildren, Olivia, Emily, John and Hannah. Hannah, who came into the family through adoption from China, adoringly knew her as Nai-Nai, a version of the Chinese term for paternal grandmother. She is also survived by her cousins, Janet Brookins of Henrico, VA and Donna Petrie of Aurora, CO. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Rose’s Bounty Pantry, c/o Stratford Street United Church, 77 Stratford Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132 or the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 133 Federal Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110. 

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Services for Thomas J. Kiely have been rescheduled.   August 22nd at 10 am.  Any family or friends who incurred expenses from the postponed services should contact the funeral home for advice.

Thomas Joseph Kiely, a resident of Traditions in Dedham, and formerly of Westwood, died Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at his apartment in Dedham.  He was 95.  Thomas was born February 20, 1925 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the three children of Joseph and Mary Kiely, immigrants from Ireland.  Thomas enlisted in the US Army and fought during World War Two in battles in Northern France, the Rhineland, Ardennes, and in Central Europe.  He engaged in nine months of combat including the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of the Gusen Concentration Camp.  His service with the 26th Yankee Division of General Patton’s Third army took him from Alsace Lorraine to Czechoslovakia, and included several battlefield promotions. The Yankee Division rescued the remaining prisoners in the Gusen camp, thereby preventing a planned massacre. He was honorably discharged in 1946.  After the war Tom attended Harvard University on the GI Bill, graduating with the Class of 1950.  He also earned an engineering degree from Northeastern University.  Thomas spent over 30 years as a Quality Control manager for the Polaroid Corporation, working closely with the founder of Polaroid, Dr. Edwin Land, until his retirement in 1987. He was active on the Parish Council of St. Denis Church in Westwood and in later years served as a Eucharistic Minister there along with his wife Marilyn. His sense of humor will not be forgotten, as his endless fund of wordplay stayed with him into his ninety-fifth year. Tom was the husband of the late Marilyn Rose (Masterson) Kiely who predeceased him in 2019, and the brother of the late David Kiely, and the late Mary Cahalane.  Thomas is survived by his daughter, Kimberly Goss, and her husband James, of Westwood; his two sons, Christopher Kiely of Westwood, and Jay T. Kiely of Rockland; and his three grandchildren, Kiely, Bridgette, and Tiernan Goss.  A Mass of Christian Burial for Thomas was held on Saturday, August 22, 2020 at 10am, at St Denis Church in Westwood, followed by interment at Mt. Benedict Cemetery in West Roxbury.  In lieu of flowers donations to the Jimmy Fund, c/o Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445 or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, or to the Fisher House of Boston, PO Box 230, South Walpole, MA 02071 would be appreciated.   Services for Thomas were livestreamed, and the full video if his services can be viewed at  www.harborview.live

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Margaret Louise (Greene) MacKinnon, a resident of Dedham, died Friday, August 7, 2020 at the Faulkner Hospital in Boston.  She was 90.  Margaret was born February 22, 1930 in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the eight children of John Richard and Catherine (Lilly) Greene. She graduated with honors at age 16 with the Class of 1946 from Roxbury Memorial High School, and later took classes at the New England Banking Institution.  At age 22 she was promoted to the position of credit manager for a store in Providence, Rhode Island.  She moved on to become a manager for the Hancock Bank and then a bank officer for the Bank of New England.  Margaret summered at Blackman’s Point in Marshfield, and enjoyed her winter time at Fort Meyers and West Palm Beach.  Margaret was the wife of 47 years of the late George Young MacKinnon who predeceased her in 2002.   She is survived by her daughter, Sheila Cook, and her husband Lawrence III, of Hanson; her three sons, George Young MacKinnon Jr., and his wife Noella, of Lunenberg, James Young MacKinnon, and his wife Karen, of Mansfield, and Paul Greene MacKinnon of Springfield, VA; her daughter-in-law Donna MacKinnon of New Hampshire; a brother, Thomas Greene of Arizona; two sisters, Roseanne Orsino of Melrose, and Patricia Wileman of Florida; her 14 grandchildren, Angela, Andrew, Amanda, Jillian, Devon, Meaghan, Emily, Kevin, Michael, Gianna, Brady, Connor, Shannon, and Gillian; and her great granddaughter, Nora.  Margaret was the mother of the late John Young MacKinnon who predeceased her in 2012; and the sister of the late John Greene, the late Bessie Dewing, the late Mary Woods, and the late Kay Burke. Services and interment in Brookdale Cemetery, Dedham will be private. 

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