Frederick Fitzmeyer
Licensed plumber; loved the sea and loved life
Frederick R. Fitzmeyer of Winthrop passed away peacefully on May 27 at the age of 70 after a long, courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Fred grew up in Winthrop and after his service in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, he worked in Boston Harbor as a Shipyard Rigger and Boat Captain for the Boston Harbor Pilot Association, where his love of the sea began. He reminisced often about those years, confessing to episodes of cheerful mayhem with his friends out on the Harbor Islands. He also loved skiing in New England.
Eventually settling down, he became a licensed plumber, working and living on Cape Cod and later in Boston, where he was a member of Plumbers Local 12.
When he retired in 2007, he and his partner, Connie spent five years sailing in the Caribbean and South America on their boat S/V Tashtego.
Fred loved life, had a playful sense of humor and was always ready for adventure. His humorous stories will be treasured by all who loved him. He will be greatly missed.
He was the son of the late Frederick A. Fitzmeyer and the late Helen Krovitz Fitzmeyer; the loving brother to Elaine Grato and Jean Day, long time companion of Constance Elson, and brother-in-law to Chris Day and the late Tom Grato. He was the close uncle to Donald Rubbicco and his wife, Linda, Megan and Chris Day and great uncle to Colton, Chase and Hadley Rubbicco.
There will be visiting hours at the Maurice W. Kirby Funeral Home, 210 Winthrop Street, Winthrop on Sunday, June 7 from 4 to 6 p.m. followed by an informal service where family and friends are invited to share their memories. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to Piers Park Sailing Center, 95 Marginal Street, East Boston, MA 02128 or online at www.piersparksailing.org. To sign virtual guestbook, please visit www.mauricekirbyfh.com.
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Stella Lafferty
Retired educator
Stella M. (Cucchiara) Lafferty passed away at home surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday morning, May 27. She was 91 years old.
Born in Boston, she the daughter of the late Alessandro and Maria (Pisano) Cucchiara, Stella grew up in Everett and attended Everett Public Schools. She graduated from Everett High School, Class of 1941, received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Salem State University in 1945 and went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University. She dedicated almost 40 years teaching children the fundamentals of reading and literacy. Stella began her career teaching sith grade at the Centre School in Everett. She worked there for 10 years before traveling overseas to Mannheim, Germany to teach children of the members of the Armed Forces. Upon returning home to Everett, Stella met her beloved husband, Edward J. Lafferty. Before marriage and starting a family, Stella traveled to Japan to broaden her desire to teach children afar. Upon her return, she and Ed married in 1959 and Stella then taught in Brookline for the next six years. She finished her teaching career in the City of Chelsea, where she and her husband resided. She worked at the Mary C. Burke School and the Shurtleff School over a period of 17 years and retired in 1992.
During her lifetime, Stella enjoyed art, music, gardening, cooking, traveling, reading and most importantly, spending time with her children, grandchildren, cousins, and nieces and nephews. She was a member of Our Lady of Grace Church for over 60 years and she was a member of the American Federation of Teachers.
Stella was the devoted mother of Edward A. Lafferty and his wife, Terri of Essex and Cynthia Grace-Ellen (Lafferty) Tymeson and her husband, Walter Brooke of Pennsylvania and Florida; dear sister of Orlando Cucchiara and his wife, Carol of Chelmsford and the late Gaetano “Guy” Cucchiara; sister-in-law of Irene Cucchiara of West Peabody; dear cousin of Rose Taverna of Bourne and is also lovingly survived by five grandchildren, Leah, Ariel, and Matthew Tymeson, Cailey and Paige Lafferty and by several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral arrangements were by the Carafa Family Funeral Home, Chelsea. Interment was at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Grace Church, 59 Nichols St. Chelsea.