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Mary Lima
MARY V. DEMELLO LIMA, who has died aged 96, was a member of Jesus Saviour Church and life member of the Rosary Sodality. She had been active in her younger years on many committees at the church, and had also been a member of the Catholic Daughters of America. She was the wife of the late John A. Lima.
Mary V. DeMello was born on her parents’ farm on Sachuest Point in Middletown on May 16, 1904. She was the daughter of the late Jesse Vieira DeMello and Maria (Bernardo) DeMello.
A resident of Newport, Lima died at home on Feb. 13. She is survived by three sons, John A. Lima, Joseph A. Lima, Albert J. Lima, five sisters, Rose Gomers, Frances Pinheiro, Anna Silvia, Fannie Escobar, and Francelina Veader, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Lima’s funeral will be held Feb. 16, at 9:00 a.m., at the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, with a Mass of Christian burial at 10:00 a.m. in Jesus Saviour Church, Broadway and Vernon Ave., Newport.
The burial will be in St. Columba Cemetery in Middletown.
Jerome M. Price
JEROME M. PRICE, who has died aged 75, was the owner and operator of Price Plumbing and Heating Company for 30 years. He retired in 1979.
Price was also a Veteran of the Army Air Force, serving during World War II in the European Theatre. Mr. Price was a member of the Newport Lions Club, the Newport Yacht Club, the Goat Island Yacht Club and the Newport Lodge of Elks, and was also a communicant of St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth. He was the husband of Anne (Venancio) Price.
Jerome M. Price was born in Providence, RI, on April 27 1925. He was the son of the late Jerome and Catherine (Murray) Price. A resident of Portsmouth, Price died Feb. 9, at the Heatherwood Nursing And Subacute Center in Newport.
Besides his wife, he is survived by one sister, Beatrice DiGiovani, and several nieces and nephews.
A mass of Christian Burial was held on Feb. 13 at St. Barnabas Church, Portsmouth. Burial will be private.
Robert Jordan Graham
ROBERT JORDAN GRAHAM, who has died aged 68, was the parts manager for Newport Ford in Middletown for 39 years, retiring in 1996.
Prior to that, he worked as a sheet metal worker for UG Nasons and Sons of Newport. He was a member of the North End Club and a former member of the FOP #21, both of Middletown.
Graham was was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served during the Korean Conflict. He received the National Defense Service Medal and retired in 1955 as corporal.
Robert Jordan Graham was born on Oct. 22, 1932, in Newport. He was the son of the late Benjamin Vernon and Elizabeth (Richardson) Graham. A resident of Newport, Robert Graham died at home on Feb. 9.
He is survived by his close friend of 27 years, Leonard Bucci, one sister-in-law, Barbara Jean Graham, and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Feb. 15, 2001, at 11:00 a.m. in Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. Burial will follow in Island Cemetery, Newport.
Memorial donations may be made to the Middletown Police Department, c/o DARE Program, 9 Berkley Ave., Middletown, RI 02842.
Paul Del Nero (1925-2001)
PAUL J. DEL NERO, who died age 76, was the youngest person appointed judge in Rhode Island state history and served as district court judge until his retirement in 1988.
Graduating with honors from De La Salle Academy in 1942, Del Nero entered the US Army during World War II. He was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for his invaluable service as personal security to J. Robert Oppenheimer, head of the Atomic Bomb Research Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He later graduated from Rhode Island State College and received his law degree from Boston University School of Law in 1952. He also attended the National Judicial College in Nevada and the American Academy of Judicial Education in Charlottesville, VA.
Judge Del Nero was admitted to the Rhode Island Bar Association in 1953. Five years later, he was appointed district Court Judge by Governor Dennis J. Roberts. Following his retirement, he remained active as judge in Newport County.
Del Nero was active in many fraternal and civic organizations. He was a member of the Newport Planning Board where he served as Vice Chairman for 15 years. He was chairman of the Newport Legal Aid committee for five years. While at Rhode Island State College, he became a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He was a member of the Rhode Island State Bar Association and of the Newport Bar Association. He was also a member of the Newport Knights of Columbus, the Newport Lion’s Club, the Newport Elks Club, and was past president of the Italian Forum. He was a communicant of St. Mary’s Church. Judge Del Nero was the husband of Marcella (Finn) Del Nero, with whom he enjoyed travelling on numerous trips abroad. As a sports enthusiast, he had a particular fondness for the Boston Celtics.
Paul Del Nero was born on Jan. 6, 1925. He was the son of the late Joseph V. and Mary (Donnely) Del Nero.
A resident of Newport, Mr. Del Nero died at Newport Hospital on Feb. 2.
Aside from his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Tracy L. Rasher of Falmouth, Maine, and Moira D. Stratford of Middletown, and one grandchild.
His funeral was held Feb. 5, at the Memorial Funeral Home. Burial followed at St. Columba Cemetery in Middletown. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, RI Chapter, 400 Main St, Pawtucket, RI, 02860 or to the Newport Rescue Wagon Fund, 21 W. Marlbourough St., Newport, RI 02840.
Robert Beaucage
ROBERT ALFRED BEAUCAGE, who died age 77, worked in the Quality Evaluation Lab at the Springfield Armory while living in Springfield, MA. In 1967, he moved to Newport and worked as a mechanical engineer for the Standards Lab at NUSC on the US Naval Base, Newport, for 30 years, retiring in 1985. He was a veteran of the US Army Air Corps, serving during World War II in the European Theatre. Mr. Beaucage was a communicant and usher at St. Anthony’s Church in Portsmouth. He attended the University of Maine and the former Bliss Business College. He was a member of the VFW post #5390 of Portsmouth, where he served as secretary and the NARFE Chapter 869 where he served as treasurer from 1992 - 2000. He was an avid golver and enjoyed golfing with his wife, Madeline (Goding) Beaucage. He also enjoyed mineralology, polishing and collecting minerals.
Robert Beaucage was born on June 2, 1923. He was the son of the late Alfred J. and Elizabeth (Flynn) Beaucage.
A resident of Portsmouth, Mr. Beaucage died at Newport Hospital on Feb. 5.
He is survived by his son, Prof. W. Greg Beaucage of Cincinnatti, OH, one daughter, Cheryl Bushey of Weymouth, Mass., two brothers, Gerald and William Beaucage, two sisters, Jaqualine Cronin and Sister Doris Beaucage (Sister Angela of the Carmelite Order), and five grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Feb. 8, at 9:00 a.m., from the Connors Funeral Home in Portsmouth, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in St. Anthony’s Church. Burial will follow in Trinity Cemetery in Portsmouth.
Memorial donations may be made to the St. Anthony’s Church Building Fund, 2836 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871.
Liberata Sandonato
LIBERATA (NAVARROLI) SANDONATO, who has died aged 94, was the wife of the late Antonio Sandonato.
Liberata Sandonato was born on October 27, 1906 in Prezza, Italy. She was the daughter of the late Gennaro and Maria (Stella) Navarroli.
A resident of Middletown, Mrs. Sandonato died at home on Jan. 30.
She is survived by her son, Joseph Sandonato of Middletown, grandson Anthony Sandonato of Argentina, granddaughter Marie Crandall of Germany, and great granddaughters Giuliana and Giovanna Sandonato of Argentina.
Her funeral was held on Feb. 2 at the Memorial Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Lucy’s Church and burial in St. Columba Cemetery, in Middletown.
Memorial donations may be made to Visiting Nurse Services of Newport & Bristol Counties, 1184 East Main, Portsmouth, RI 02871, or to Child and Family Services, Valley Road, Middletown, RI 02842.
John Sheehan
JOHN H. SHEEHAN, JR., who died age 71, was the founder of Duplicating Methods in Somerset, MA, as well as the founder of Sheehan’s Office Interiors in Portsmouth.
Mr. Sheehan was an outstanding school-boy athelete at Hopkins Grammar School in Connecticut who had matriculated into Brown University, Class of 1952. He was the husband of the late Patricia Ann (McFaul) Sheehan.
John H. Sheehan, Jr. was born on April 23, 1929. He was the son of the late John H. and Ethel B. (Hines) Sheehan.
A resident of Portsmouth, Mr. Sheehan died at Newport Hospital on Jan. 30.
He is survived by his son, John H. Sheehan, III of Newport, four daughters, Sharon Sheehan Dyer of Australia, Kathleen Sheehan-Perrone of Abington, MA, Patricia Erin Sheehan-Sherman of Newport, and Maureen Theresa Schultz of Portsmouth, RI, one brother, Joseph Dean Sheehan of Newport, one brother-in-law, Cornelius George McFaul of Santa Maria, CA and 11 grandchildren.
A memorial service was held on Feb. 2 at the Conners Funeral Home. Burial took place Feb. 3 in the Portsmouth Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to: Newport Hospital, Pulmonary Care Department, 11 Friendship Street, Newport, RI 02840.
Robert Brunetti
ROBERT D. BRUNETTI, who has died aged 68, served 23 years in the US Navy, retiring as a radioman in 1976. He was later a supply clerk for NETC Newport. Most recently, he was a security guard for U.S. Securities at the Newport Naval Base. A resident of Portsmouth, he died at home on Feb. 13.
Robert D. Brunetti was born on March 10, 1932, in Curry, Pa. He was the husband of Jean (French) Medeiros Brunetti.
Aside from his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Laurie Arguin and Christine Ibach, a son, Robert Brunetti, Jr., two sisters, Pine Meyers and Mary Psensky, five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He is also survived by a stepson, Michael Medeiros, and a stepdaughter, Phyllis Cahoon, four step-grandchildren and four step-great grandchildren.
A private graveside military service will be held in Rhode Island.
Florence MacKnight
FLORENCE G. (JOWSEY) MACKNIGHT, who has died aged 83, was a former resident of Newport. She died on Feb. 14 at home in Lakeville, Mass.
Born in Duneden, New Zealand, on Nov. 12, 1917, MacKnight left her home country in 1945 on a warship to meet her husband, Victor S. MacKnight on Mare Island, Calif., where he was stationed with the Navy. They later settled in Newport.
She is survived by two sons, Paul S. MacKnight and Carl G. MacKnight, one daughter with whom she lived, Carni DeCotis, one sister, Evelyn Campbell, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A private graveside service was held in Middletown.
Ralph Nelson
RALPH D. NELSON, who has died aged 87, was a mathematics professor at Worcestor Polytechnic Institute for 30 years and a textbook author. He retired in 1977 as "Emeritus Professor of Mathematical Sciences."
Nelson held degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Rhode Island in 1935 and in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1936. During World War II, he was a design engineer with the Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation near Pittsburgh Pa., and a research mathematician with the U.S. Time Corporation, Waterbury CT. During the 1940s and 50s, he managed the West Point and Annapolis Text Book Company.
Ralph D. Nelson was born on April 23, 1913 in Connellsville, Pa. and spent most of his youth in Newport. In 1937, he married Eda Baima of Newton, Mass., and they lived in Westborough Mass. for 30 years, in Middletown for 12 years, and in Holmes Beach, Fla. for 10 years.
He died in Mt. Dora, Fla., on Feb. 15, after suffering for several years from severe emphysema. In addition to his wife, he is survived by one brother, Wilbur Nelson, a sister, Marian Tuxbury, three sons, Ralph Jr., Albert, and Charles, a daughter, Susan Dahlen, ten grandchildren, one great grandchild, and several nephews and nieces.
A service celebrating his life will be held at the Lodge in Waterman Village, Mt. Dora FL at 2 p.m. on Feb. 24. Burial will be at a later date.
Fred Evans
FRED E. EVANS, who has died aged 89, was an electrical engineer and radio operator, who, as a young man, installed some of the earliest auto radio systems in the Newport area, including the Red Cross Network. He also assisted Dr. Marcus Wheatland with his x-ray experiments.
A ham radio operator since his teens, Evans was a founder of the Newport County Amateur Radio Club. He was active in all types of emergency and rescue communication networks. During World War II, he was summoned to Virginia and Georgia to work on a secret military project to jam enemy radar.
Evans worked at the former Shumaker & Evans Radio, at the TV Sales and Service, and, for 12 years, at Raytheon in Portsmouth as an electrical engineer. During his retirement, he was a support engineer for Pabst Company in Aquidneck Park.
Fred E. Evans was born in Newport on Oct. 4, 1911. A resident of Newport, he died at St. Clare Home on Feb. 17.
He is survived by three daughters, Caroline T. Clarke, Charlotte M. Beni, Elaine Cook, seven grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.
His funeral was held on Feb. 20. He is buried in St. Columba Cemetery in Middletown.
David Ferris
DAVID MICHAEL FERRIS, who has died aged 39, was a crew chief for the Providence Energy Company for 21 years. He was the husband of Pamela Jean (Paquin) Ferris.
Born in Portsmouth on Sept. 16, 1961, David Michael Ferris died at home on Feb. 19. A Portsmouth resident, Ferris served as a volunteer fireman for 20 years. He was a graduate of Portsmouth High School, Class of 1979, where he had been a member of the rifle team and had won numerous awards.
Besides his wife and his father, Raymond Seth Ferris, he is survived by two daughters, Jamie Lynn Ferris and Jessica Marie Ferris, two sisters, Donna F. Groff and Debbie A. Burgo, and his grandmother, Lettie Mae (Borden) Ferris.
Funeral services will be held on Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. at the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Rd., Portsmouth, followed by a mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. in St. Barnabas Church, 1697 East Main Rd., Portsmouth. Burial will follow in Portsmouth Cemetery, Turnpike Ave., Portsmouth.
Shelley Lynn Hollis
SHELLEY LYNN HOLLIS, who has died aged 24, was a licensed pharmacist at Brooks Pharmacy in Portsmouth, where she had begun working, on a part-time basis, when she was 16 years old.
An honors graduate from Portsmouth High School in 1995, Hollis went on to matriculate from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacology in 2000; she became a licensed pharmacist in Rhode Island and in Florida.
Hollis was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth and was the fiancé of Thomas F. Reitano of Westport, Mass.
Born in Newport on Dec. 27, 1976, Shelley Lynn Hollis was the daughter of John S. and Edra L. "Teddie" (Norton) Hollis. A resident of Portsmouth, she died on Feb. 19 at Newport Hospital. Besides her fiancé and parents, she leaves a brother, Jason M. Hollis, one uncle and two nieces.
A memorial service will be held on Feb. 22, at 11 a.m. in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2679 East Main Road, Portsmouth.
Irene (Carreira) Medeiros
Irene (Carreira) Medeiros, who died at age 87, worked as a seamstress in various mills in the Fall River area and provided child care for many prominent families in Middletown, RI. Medeiros had also worked at the Portsmouth Priority as a personal assistant and was a member of the Portsmouth Democratic Women’s Club and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary.
Medeiros, a resident of Portsmouth, was the wife of the late Joseph Medeiros, died March 2 a the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. She is survived by three sons Richard, Robert and Joseph Medeiros of Portsmouth; two sisters Mary Sousa of Tiverton and Olive Dupont of Portsmouth; two granddaughters; one great granddaughter and one great grandson.
Florence Berthe Sullivan Howard
Florence Berthe Sullivan Howard, who died at age 99, was a real estate broker in Manchester, Mass. She was a descendant of the Goodman family of Derbyshire, England, a member of the Ladies Committee of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and best known as "Babs," an artist and a free spirit.
Howard, who was a resident of Middletown, was born in London, England and was formerly married to J. Langdon Sullivan and later to John Babcock Howard of Newport, RI. She died March 6 in the John Clarke Nursing Center in Middletown, RI and is survived by her three children, Diana S. Spenski of Virginia Beach, Va, Margot S. Grosvenor of Newport and James R.O. Sullivan of Mass. She also leaves 13 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
Mary (Heins) Rommel
Mary (Heins) Rommel, who died at age 82, was a stay-at-home mother to her children and a supportive Navy wife to Captain Herbert F. Rommel, USN Ret.
A resident of Newport, Rommel was born in Philidelphia, PA on July 16, 1918 and was the daughter of the late William and Martha (Rogers) Heins. She died on March 1 at home after a one-year battle with pancreatic cancer.
Besides her husband, she is survived by two daughters, Dr. Victoria Rommel of Wadesboro, NC and Beth R. Graham of Newport, RI; one son, William Fox Rommel of Newport, RI; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Emilie M. (Anderson) Mello
EMILIE M. (ANDERSON) MELLO, who died at age 85, was the owner and operator of the former JemArt Store at the Aquidneck Shopping Center from 1959 to 1969. After her retirement she taught knitting and crewel embroidery at Thompson Junior High School evening classes and at the Edward King Senior Center.
A resident of Newport, Mello was the daughter of Emil and Mae (Rice) Anderson. She died on Feb. 28 at Newport Hospital in Newport. She is survived by a daughter, Barbara Rego of Portsmouth, RI; two sons, A. Grant Ringwood of North Kingston, RI and Charles Ringwood of Warren, RI; three sisters, Esther Martin of Newport, RI; Muriel McDonald of Phoenix, AZ, and Jane Connell of Newport, RI; 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Richard E. Updegrove
Richard E. Updegrove, who died at age 73, was a former Middletown Town Councilman and a former Commander in the US Navy.
A resident of Middletown, RI, Updegrove was born in Muir, PA on July 18, 1927 and died Feb. 27 in the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol, RI.
He was the husband of the late Elvera (Hultenius) Updegrove and is survived by two sons, Attorney Richard E. Updegrove of Portsmouth, RI and Dr. Randall L. Updegrove of South Kingston, RI; one sister, Doris M. Paxman of Alameda, CA and three grandchildren.
Thomas Wayne Ratkowski
Thomas Wayne Ratkowski, who died at age 49, worked for J.T. O’Connell’s for 25 years as a fork lift operator and for James Jackett as a contractor.
A resident of Newport, he died Feb. 27 at Bayview Ave in Newport. He was the husband of Gail Elizabeth (Farrell) Ratkowski to whom he was married for 32 years. He leaves one son, Thomas Richard Ratkowski of Tiverton, RI; one daughter, Kira Ratkowski of Newport; two sisters, Phyllis Fowler and Mary Shcobert of Cowpens, SC; two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Richard "Butch" Ratkowski.
Barbara Ann
Patterson Sleiertin
Barbara Ann Patterson Sleiertin, who died age 61, was employed for over 20 years by Fleet Bank as an Operations Supervisor and Customer Service Representative in Newport County. She was born in Bremerton, WA, and graduated with a degree in mathematics from Olympic College , where she was also Homecoming Queen. Sleiertin was a volunteer with the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island for over 25 years and an active communicant of St. Augustin’s Church in Newport, where she taught in the religious education program for many years.
A 27-year resident of Newport, Sleiertin died Feb. 27 at home after a 17-year battle with breast cancer. She is survived by Robert, her husband of 37 years; a daughter, Diana L. Placidi; three sons, Robert, Steven and Kenneth; and a grandson, Zachary Placidi. She is also survived by a sister, Mona Patterson Blessing, and brothers, Lloyd and Charles of Bremerton, WA and Francis of Traceyton, WA. She is survived by 30 nieces and nephews and 48 great-nieces and nephews.
Joseph A. Hassett Jr
Joseph A. Hassett Jr., who died at age 80, worked as a mechanic for the former Bove Enterprize Chevrolet of Middletown, retiring in 1986. He had also worked as a mechanic for the former Lawson Chevrolet. Prior to that, he was an owner, along with Ralph "Pete" Goddard and Joe Morgan, of the Fir Street Garage in Newport. Hassett was a Veteran of the US Army, serving during WWII. He was a graduate of Rogers High School in Newport.
Born in Newport on Oct. 19, 1920, he was the son of the late Joseph A. Hassett Sr. and the late Mary Jane (Hart) Reynolds Hassett, and was the husband of Josephine (Cappuccilli) Hassett.
Hassett died March 9 at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, Mass. Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Lisa J. Hassett of Newport; a sister, Alta Santos of Newport; several nieces and nephews and several grand-nieces and grand-nephews. He was the brother of the late Elmer Reynolds and Myrtle Pike, and uncle of the late Lorraine Roggero.
James McKenna
James Michael McKenna, who died at age 65, taught at St. Mary’s Catholic School from 1962 to 1970 and taught in the Newport school system from 1970 to 1995. Mr. McKenna was a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and was active in the Teachers Association of Newport. Mr. McKenna was a 1953 graduate of De La Salle Academy, received his B.A. from St. Bernard’s College in Rochester, NY in 1959 and was involved with the Rhode Island National Guard during the 1960s. He enjoyed cooking, tennis, skiing, golf and racquetball.
Mr. McKenna, a resident of Middletown, was the son of the late John J. McKenna and Julia (Doyle) McKenna. Mr. McKenna died on March 13 at Grand Islander Health Care Center in Middletown. He is survived by his wife of thirty-six years, Jeanne (DuBourdieu) McKenna of Middletown, one brother, John J. McKenna of Portsmouth, three nephews, Michael McKenna of Portsmouth, John McKenna of Portsmouth and Stephen McKenna of Stratford, CT.
