Richard Clayman, Esq.
Attorney
Richard I. Clayman of Revere, formerly of Chelsea, died on May 1.
The founder of the Law Firm of Clayman and Dodge in Chelsea, he was the beloved husband of Deborah A. (Bradley) Clayman; devoted and loving father of Katie Clayman Huggard and her husband, Josh of Swampscott and Erica Colombo of Boston; loving son of the late Arthur Clayman and Anne Novack Clayman; dear brother of Steven G. Clayman and his wife, Nancy of Boston. He is also survived by many extended family, friends, nieces, nephews and colleagues. Services were held at the Temple Emmanuel, Chelsea. Burial followed at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in Richard’s memory may be made to the Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home 17 Lafayette Ave Chelsea, MA 02150 and/or the Jack Satter House 420 Revere Beach Blvd, Revere, MA 02151. Visit www.torffuneralservice.com for guest book.
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Deborah ‘Debby’ Racki
Bar Manager and Member of the French Club
Deborah “Debby” (Vannelli) Racki, a longtime Chelsea resident, she passed away suddenly on May 5 at the Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett following a long and courageous battle with overwhelming illness. She was 65 years old. Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late Anthony and Dorothea (Foss) Vannelli. She attended local schools and was a graduate of St. Rose High School. She worked for many years tending bar at the Chelsea Walk Pub and most recently worked as the bar manager at the French Club. Debby also worked at the Boston Garden until her illness.
Devoted to her friends and family, she was affectionately known as “Ma” to many who knew her and she was an active member of the French Club.
She was the former wife of Richard Racki; devoted mother of Roberta and Brian Racki, Nicole and Anthony Pasco, Mindy Curry and Shelly Pasco; dear sister of Leonora Cataldo and Vivian Cash; cherished grandmother of Ottavia, Stephanie, Mario, Linda, Yassmina and Sophia and adored great grandmother of Giovanni.
Her Funeral Services will be conducted in the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea today, Thursday, May 9 at 10:30 a.m. Services will conclude with Interment at New Calvary Cemetery, Roslindale. Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend. Funeral Home fully handicap accessible, ample parking opposite Funeral Home. For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit www.WelshFuneralHome.com. Funeral Arrangements entrusted to the care and direction of the Frank A. Welsh and Sons Funeral Home.
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Dr. Gerald Sowsy
Retired Dentist
Dr. Gerald Sowsy of Revere, formerly of Chestnut Hill and Sunapee, NH, passed away on April 29. He was 84 years old.
Dr. Sowsy was born in Boston and raised in Chelsea. He graduated from the New Preparatory School, Cambridge in 1946, from Harvard University, Class of 1950 and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry, Class of 1955. Dr. Sowsy, who had his own dental practice in Newton Center for many years, was a Captain in the United States Air Force following the Korean War. He was also a member of the Alpha and Omega Dental Society and the Massachusetts Dental Society.
The beloved husband of Shirley (Hoffman) Sowsy for 62 years, he was the devoted father of Gail Katz and her husband, Dr. Steven Katz, Craig Sowsy and his wife, Amy and Marjorie Boyle and her husband, Terence; the loving son of the late Henry and Lena Sowsy; the dear brother of Dr. Paul Sowsy and his wife, Sabina and the loving grandfather of Tracey, Michael, Allison, Bradley, Colin and Caitlin. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Services were held. Donations in Dr. Sowsy’s memory may be made to the Autism Society of America, 47 Walnut St., Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 or to the Kaplan Family Hospice House, 78 Liberty St. Danvers, MA 01923
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Marie ‘Tina’ Pegnato
Retired Medical Transcriber Who Also Worked at Chelsea City Hall
Marie ‘Tina’ (Tabbi) Pegnato, a retired Medical Transcriber, passed away peacefully with her family at her bedside on May 1 at the Chelsea Jewish Nursing Home where she had been receiving supportive care for the last several years. She was 93 years old.
Born in Boston’s North End, the beloved daughter of the late Francesco and Carmella Tabbi, she was raised in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood and received her formal education in Boston Public Schools. In 1944, she married Dominic J. Pegnato and settled in Chelsea where together they raised their family of two sons, two daughters and her younger sister. She was predeceased by her husband in 1981.
Tina worked outside of her home at Chelsea City Hall, initially in the Mayor’s Office under then Mayor Alfred Voke and later for other departments at City Hall. She continued working for a short time at the Chelsea Welfare Office and TJ Walsh Woodworking in Chelsea. She completed her career as a Medical Transcriber in the Records Dept. at the Chelsea Soldiers Home before taking her full retirement.
She was a past member of Our Lady of Grace Socialites, The Catholic Ladies Auxiliary at St Rose Church and the Sons of Italy in Chelsea.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her younger sister, Rosemarie Palladino, her brothers Philip, Tony and Frank Tabbi and Tony’s wife, Helen. She is survived by her beloved children and their spouses; Dominic J. Pegnato Jr. and his wife, Pat, Camille Pegnato-Junk and her husband, Jerry, all of Chelsea, Marie Bruno and her husband, Michael of Melrose and Frank Pegnato and his wife, Drusella of Salem. She was the cherished grandmother of Michael Pegnato and his wife, Stephanie, Dominic Pegnato, III and his wife, Sheri, Kim Pegnato-Marecki and her husband, Andrew, Michael Bruno, Christina Bruno, Peter Bruno, John and Danielle Pegnato; adored great-grandmother of Max Pegnato and Mia Marecki; dear sister of Josephine Sargent and her husband, Fred, and Phyllis Tabbi, all of Stoughton, Joseph Tabbi and his wife, Pat of New Hampshire; dear sister in law of Albert Palladino of Chelsea, Sherri Tabbi of Canton and Connie Tabbi of California and is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Funeral arrangements were by the Frank A. Welsh & Sons Funeral Home, Chelsea. Burial was at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 www.StJude.org For directions or to send expressions of sympathy, please visit www.WelshFuneralHome.com
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Estelle Andrews
Retired Telephone Operator
Estelle P. (Boc) Andrews, a retired telephone operator, passed away on April 6 at Kindred Harborlights Nursing and Rehabilitation in South Boston. She was 83 years old.
Born in Chelsea, she was the daughter of the late Walter and Josephine (Pawleczyk) Boc. She was raised in Chelsea, attended local schools and was a Chelsea resident for the early part of her life. She relocated with her family to Dorchester where she has lived for more than 40 years.
She worked as a telephone operator for New England Telephone and Telegraph until her retirement. In her retirement years, she spent winters with her husband in Port Charlotte, Florida where she was a member of the South West Polka Boosters in Cape Coral, Florida.
She was the beloved wife of the late Stanley Andrews who died in 2003; devoted mother of Jeffrey Andrews of Revere; dear sister of Stanley Boc of North Weymouth and the late Ben and William Boc, Sophie Lehan, Wanda Dykas and Josephine Gorman.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Stanislaus Church, Chelsea and services concluded with interment at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden. Funeral Arrangements were entrusted to the care and direction of the Anthony Memorial Funeral Home.