Obituaries
Recent Obituaries
Local Obituaries for Melrose, Massachusetts & Surrounding Areas
Donald W. Northrup, Esq.
April 16, 2026
Donald W. Northrup, Esq., long-time resident of Melrose, passed away on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Life Care Center of Stoneham. He was eighty-four.
Donald was born on November 20, 1941, in Melrose, one of two children of the late C. Rupert and Dorothy F. (Butler) Northrup. He spent his formative years building a durable foundation of love and service to...
Lourdes Y. Lagman
April 11, 2026
Lourdes Rosarito (Yap) Lagman, resident of Lynnfield and formerly of Melrose, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, April 11, 2026, surrounded by her family.
Lourdes was born on March 13, 1936, to the late Macario and Irene (Cabrera) Yap in Manila, Philippines. Raised in a family whose business was education and which highly valued it in all forms, she graduated...
Mary M. Edwards
March 29, 2026
Mary Mercer Edwards of Melrose, MA, passed away peacefully on March 29, 2026. Born in 1936 in New Bedford, MA to the late Muriel (MacDonald) Edwards and William Edwards, she was predeceased by her older brother Malcom Edwards, whom she adored.
A graduate of Melrose High School, Mary was a proud Wellesley College alumna and earned a Master of Divinity at...
Paul E. Lovejoy, Jr.
March 28, 2026
Paul E. Lovejoy, Jr., a resident of Lexington, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 28, 2026. He was 68.
Born in Munchweiler, Germany, on December 17, 1957, Paul was one of three children of the late Paul E. Lovejoy and Ingrid (Schweingruber) Lovejoy. He was raised in Melrose and graduated from Melrose High School with the Class of 1976. He went on to...
Joseph B. Blake
March 21, 2026
Joseph B. Blake, of Saugus, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family, on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the age of 66.
Born on December 7, 1959, in Brighton to the late Bernard W. and Mary T. (MacKenzie) Blake, Joseph grew up in Saugus, where he laid the foundation for a life filled with passion, laughter, and love.
A proud graduate of...
Charles A. "Charley" Holden
March 17, 2026
Charles Augustus "Charley" Holden, 82, formerly of Melrose, passed away at his Middleton home surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Charley was born on October 5, 1943, in Melrose to the late Charles Holden Sr. and Florence (Risteen). Survived by his wife and best friend, Kathleen (Cunningham) Holden. He was the proud father of his children: Jennifer...
Stephen C. Lewis
March 4, 2026
Stephen Lewis (November 20, 1947- March 4, 2026)
Stephen Lewis proudly told everyone he was from Rockland, Maine - "the lobster capital of the world," as he would say with a smile. Though he made his home in Malden, Massachusetts for many years, that deep sense of place, humor, and pride stayed with him always. Stephen lived a life shaped by...
George P. Ahlin
March 4, 2026
George P. Ahlin, 83, of Peabody and formerly of Melrose and Revere, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Melrose-Wakefield Hospital with family by his side.
Born on October 6, 1942, in Boston, to the late Richard and Claire (Phillips) Ahlin, George's life was a testament to commitment—to his profession, his family, and his community. He grew up in...
Robert E. Wech
March 2, 2026
Robert E. Wech, a resident of Peabody and formerly of Rockport, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 2, 2026. He was 81.
Robert was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, on July 6, 1944, the son of the late Emerson Wech and Sarah E. (Small) Wech. He was raised in Kingston, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Kingston High School with the Class...
Judith G. Kee
March 2, 2026
A pioneer of nurse-midwifery, pastor, and "let's do it" adventurer, Judith M. (Gay) Kee passed away at the age of 91. Her early life included driving a WWII Jeep in the hollers of KY to deliver babies, learning fluent French & Swahili to serve as a public health administrator and instructor of midwives during her 20 years in the Belgian...
Carole M. C. Iannillo
March 1, 2026
Carole M. C. Iannillo, a resident of Melrose, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, March 1, 2026. She was 70.
Born in Winthrop on November 29, 1955, Carole was one of three children of the late Anthony Iannillo Sr. and Cecile M. (Delwart) Iannillo. Raised and educated in Revere, she grew up near the sights and sounds of Revere Beach....
Loretta M. Destefano
February 25, 2026
Loretta M. (Rimer) Destefano, 91, of Melrose, passed away on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at her home.
Born in Boston on February 1, 1935 to Joseph and Anna (Knaiz) Rimer, Loretta (or Laurie as she was called in her youth), was raised in Mattapan and graduated from Jeremiah E. Burke High School. In her youth, she enjoyed time spent with friends, especially...
Walter A. Johnson
February 25, 2026
Walter A. Johnson, 84, of Melrose, passed away on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at Lahey Medical Center in Burlington.
Born in Melrose on September 23, 1941 to Arne E. and Alice M. (Shaw) Johnson, Walter graduated from Melrose High School before furthering his education with an Associate's degree from Wentworth College. His work ethic and dedication led him to a fulfilling...
Rosalind J. Kiley
February 22, 2026
Rosalind J. "Roz" Kiley, 89, a longtime resident of Wakefield, passed away peacefully on February 22, 2026, at Oosterman's Rest Home in Melrose.
Born to the late Joseph Kiley and Sadie Kiley (Bonfiglio), Roz dedicated over 30 years to serving her community as a mental health nurse. Her innate empathy and compassion extended beyond her patients to all living things. She loved...
Merle C. Erban
February 20, 2026
Merle C. (Engelhardt) Erban, 82, of Melrose, passed away on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers.
Born on January 14, 1944, in Boston, Merle was one of three daughters of the late Charles and Marion (Tucker) Engelhardt. She grew up in Bedford on her family's farm, where she developed a strong work ethic and independence that...
Martha C. Gleason
February 15, 2026
***Service Change***
**Due to the impending storm, the visitation scheduled for Monday, Feb. 23 from 4-7pm has been canceled. Her Funeral Service scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 24 at Faith Evangelical Church, Melrose, at 9am, will proceed as planned.**
Martha C. (Davies) Gleason, a longtime resident of Medford, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 15, 2026. She was ninety years old.
Born...
Donna M. Kaplan
February 12, 2026
Donna M. (DiPasquale) Kaplan, a resident of Melrose, passed away on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, at age 70.Donna was born in Winthrop on May 10, 1955, one of two children of the late Orlando DiPasquale and Barbara (Keefe) DiPasquale. She was raised in Revere and graduated from Fitton High School in East Boston. She...
Dorothy I. Keddie Hallstrom
February 11, 2026
Dorothy I. "Dottsie" (Roberts) Keddie Hallstrom, a longtime resident of Stoneham, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at Billerica Commons, at age 92.
Dorothy was born on February 24, 1933 in Malden, one of three children of the late Richard H. Roberts and Irma F. (Hoyt) Roberts. After Irma's passing in 1936, her father married Astrid J. (Newman) Roberts who helped raise...
Mary E. Mogavero
February 11, 2026
Mary E. (MacDonald) Mogavero, a lifelong resident of Melrose, passed away unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at age 77.
Mary was born in Melrose on December 19, 1948, one of two children of the late James and Dorothy (Raye) MacDonald. She was raised in Melrose where she graduated from Melrose High School. While at Cerratani's Market in Melrose, Mary met and fell in...
Rita C. Brown
February 8, 2026
Rita C. (Doherty) Brown, 88, of Lynn, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, February 8, 2026.
Born on August 31, 1937, in Somerville, Rita was one of six children of the late William and Helen (Collins) Doherty. Rita graduated from Somerville High School and then worked briefly at a dry cleaner before working at the Registry of Deeds at the...
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