Agnes Birmingham
Retired Chelsea Auditor’s Office Clerk
Agnes I. (McDonnell) Birmingham, a 59 year resident of Chelsea, died after a period of ill-health on August 19 at home with her children at her bedside. She was 87 years old.
Born and raised in Charlestown, she was the loving daughter of late Peter and Margaret McDonnell. She attended Charlestown High School and continued her education at the Hickox Secretarial School. She married John J. “Jackie” Birmingham in 1948. The couple settled in Chelsea in 1951 and raised their family of two sons and one daughter here. She worked outside of her home for the City of Chelsea auditor’s office as a clerk for 17 years before taking full retirement in 1991.
After sharing 37 years of marriage, her husband “Jack” passed away in 1985. She remained devoted to her first parish at St. Francis de Sales Church in Charlestown and was also a faithful communicant and parishioner of Our Lady of Grace Church in Chelsea. Her grandchildren were her five jewels of whom she was most proud. A true people person. she was truly loved by all who knew her.
She was a former member of the Supervisory Committee for the Chelsea Employees Federal Credit Union, Board Member of the Chelsea Council of Elder Affairs, Our Lady of Grace “Come as you are” group, and the “Charlestown School Girls”.
In addition to her husband she was preceded in death by her siblings; Walter McDonnell, Mary Tessaro and Ethel Green. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy M. Birmingham of Chelsea, her two sons and their wives; Thomas F. Birmingham and Selma Botman of Chelsea and James C. and Jennifer Birmingham of North Easton, five grandchildren “her jewels”: Erica and Megan Birmingham, Jack, Adam and Allison Birmingham; a brother and sister, Dud McDonnell of Foxboro and Rita Griffin of Glens Falls, NY and a sister in law, Joan M. Burke of Chelsea.
Her Funeral will begin from the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea today, Thursday, August 23 at 9:45 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at St. Frances de Sales Church, 303 Bunker Hill St, Charlestown at 11 a.m. Services will conclude with burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit www.WelshFuneralHome.com. Donations in her memory may be made to Our Lady of Grace Church, 59 Nichols St., Chelsea or to St. Francis de Sales Church in Charlestown.
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Stanley Maronski
Former Chelsea School Custodian
Stanley Maronski, a former custodian for Chelsea Public Schools, died at the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital on August 17. He was 79 years old.
Born and raised in Chelsea, he was the son of the late Charles and Helen (Falkowska) Maronski. He attended local schools, enlisted in the U.S. Army, served his country during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1955.
He married Ruth (Maltais) and together they raised their family in Chelsea. A longtime Chelsea resident, he has been residing in Saugus for the past 12 years. Stanley worked for many years as a building custodian for the Chelsea Public School System. An avid Red Sox and sports fan, he enjoyed camping at the Calef Lake Campground in Auburn, NH as well as cooking, entertaining, playing cards and spending time with family and friends.
He was the beloved husband of 42 years to Ruth (Maltais) Maronski of Saugus; devoted father of Candace Salas and her husband, Jerry of Wakefield, Scott Cole of Saugus, Crystal LaSala and her husband, Anthony of Melrose, Kerry Cole and his wife, Denise of North Reading; dear brother of late Stella T. Nevins, Gladys Maronska, Chester, Charles and Alfred Maronski and is also survived by 12 grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in Blessed Sacrament Church in Saugus on August 22. Services concluded with Military Honors and burial in Riverside Cemetery, Saugus. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care and direction of the Anthony Memorial/Frank A. Welsh and Sons Funeral Home.
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James Maltais
Vermont Resident
James E. Maltais of Salisbury, VT died unexpectedly on August 14 at his home. He was 52 years old.
“Jimmy” graduated from Everett High School. He became a butcher by trade and co-owned “The Meat Shop” with his brother Billy in Everett and was also employed by Star Market and Shaw’s grocery stores. He was a member of the First Congregational Church in Chelsea and enjoyed boating and spending time with his family and friends.
Born on January 13, 1960 in Revere, he was the son of the late William E. and Valma E. (Dwire) Maltais. He is survived by his siblings; twin sister, Jane McCormick of Melrose, Michelle Roccia of Lynnfield and Priscilla Cooper and her husband, Steve of Natick, Billy Maltais of Newbury, Richard Maltais and his wife, Faustina of Saugus and Kenny Maltais and his wife, Diane of Billerica. He is also survived by 13 nieces and nephews and numerous cousins.
His Funeral was held at the First Congregational Church, Chelsea. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Hope Lodge, 237 East Avenue Burlington, VT 05401. Arrangements were entrusted to the Sanderson-Ducharme Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.sandersonfuneralservice.com
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Dorothy Keefe
Long Active at St. Rose of Lima Parish
Dorothy M. Keefe, formerly of Chelsea and Lynnfield, died on August 17 at the Woodbriar of Wilmington. She was 92 years old.
Born in Chelsea on June 19, 1920, she was the daughter of the late William A. and Mary (Tully) Levy. She was a graduate of Chelsea High School, Class of 1938, an employee of the former New England Telephone Company and a member of the Telephone Operators Pioneers. She was an active member of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Chelsea where she resided for over 80 years.
The beloved wife of the late William E. Keefe, Jr., she is survived by her loving children; Denise Keefe-Maresco and her husband, Anthony of Lynnfield, William E. Keefe and his wife, Alexia of Littleton and Patricia MacKay and her husband, William of Hudson, New Hampshire and her sister Lorraine Guido of Malden. She was the loving grandmother of Bill Keefe, Patrick and Kevin Manesco, Brian, Katherine and Kelly MacKay and Meghan and Sean Keefe. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late; William, John, David and Alfred Levy.
Funeral arrangements were by the McDonald Funeral Home, Wakefield. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden. Memorial contributions may be made to the Woodbriar of Wilmington, 90 West St., Wilmington, MA 01887 or to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation 811 West Evergreen Ave, Suite 204 Chicago, IL 60642.
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Barbara Fraser
Enjoyed Family Gatherings
Barbara M. (Horgan) Fraser died peacefully on July 15. She was 85 years old.
She was born April 23, 1927 in Chelsea, the daughter of Ursula Kelly and Francis Horgan. She had six siblings and leaves her brother Paul of Woodland, California.
She married the late James Fraser in June of 1947. They have six children: Joyce and her husband, Ted Derendal of Rindge, NH; James Frazer Jr., Gardner, MA; Barbara and her husband, Michael Barry of Nashua, NH; Robert Fraser of Baltimore, MD, Faith Church of Vancouver, WA and Jeanette Fraser of Ayer, MA. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She also leaves a large number of nieces and nephews with whom she enjoyed family gatherings. Private funeral services at Holy Hood Cemetery, Chestnut Hill, MA
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Emily Ann Carlan
Retired North Shore Community College Secretary
Emily Ann (Ligocki) Carlan, a 50 year resident of Peabody, formerly of Chelsea, died August 14 at the Rosewood Nursing Home in Peabody following a brief illness. She was 87 years old.
The wife of the late Edward M. Carlan, Sr., she was born in Chelsea, the daughter of the late Jan and Barbara (Szymczakiewcz) Ligocki. She was raised and educated in Chelsea and was a graduate of Chelsea High School. She has lived in Peabody for the past 50 years.
Mrs. Carlan was a secretary at North Shore Community College in Beverly for several years before she retired. Family was everything to her and she devoted herself to her children and later grandchildren and great grandchildren and all of their endeavors.
She is survived by her four sons and two daughters-in-law: Edward and Frances Carlan, Jr., Richard and Janice Carlan and Leonard Carlan, all of Peabody and Brian Carlan of Salem, NH and his fiancé, Melissa Demers and her daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen and Barry Blakeman of Halifax. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. She was the sister of the late Henry, Edwin, Alexander and Mieczyslaw Ligocki.
Funeral arrangements were by the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, Peabody. Burial was in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701.