Mark  M.  Exum – 62, of North Reading and formerly of Lawrence, passed away on Thursday, October 24, 2024, after a lengthy illness.

Born in Melrose, MA on  December 25, 1961. He was the loving son of Frances A. (Grillo) Exum and the late Milton O. Exum. Mark was raised and attended school in North Reading and was a graduate of North Reading High School, Class of 1980.

Mark worked for many years as a Courier at Advanced Dental Technology in Stoneham.

Mark was an avid reader, he had a love of History, especially the World War II Era.  He knew a little about everything and had an incredible memory. He loved cars, especially restoring his  MG Midget. He enjoyed flying his remote control airplanes, kayaking, hiking and camping in Harold Parker State Park.

Besides his mother Frances, family members include his brothers, Peter J. Exum and his wife Dee Exum and David R. Exum; his nephew, Anthony “AJ” Exum and his wife Rachel; his nieces, Hannah, Grace and Cassidy Exum; great nephews, Aiden and George Exum.

Calling hours will be private. His Funeral Mass will be Celebrated on Wednesday, November 13 at 10:30 AM at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, www.croswellfuneralhome

Paul  J.  Catania – 62, of North Reading and formerly of Woburn, died Friday, October 11, 2024 at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, after a lengthy illness.

Born in Woburn, MA on December 8, 1961. He was the son of the late James F., Sr. and Nancy Ann (Best) Catania. Paul was raised and attended school in Woburn and was a graduate of Woburn High School; he later received his Associate Degree through military trained electronics. He also had Oil Burner and HVAC Licenses.

Paul was a U.S. Navy Veteran, he served from 1980 to 1987, he was a proud Navy Submarine Veteran, spending most of his time on the USS Shark. He later worked for many years as an Emergency Generator Technician for Kraft Power, until his retirement in January of 2023. He was a union member of Teamster 25.

He was a quiet and private man who lived by the motto: Run Silent – Run Deep. His friends say: “A true friend that assumed nothing and asked for nothing in return.” Paul was a great man and touched so many lives. Paul also had a quirky side which often slipped out. He’d sing  “To Sexy” to get his kids off to bed or clear a room in general. He participated in hairy chest competitions while cruising and won not 1 but 2 competitions. As their wedding song said, and will always be, “ The wind beneath my wings.”

He enjoyed working on his 1944 Military Jeep, attending parades, car shows and  4 wheeling in his 1961 CJ5. He enjoyed attending many Jeep Jamborees in ME, MA and VT with his wife Dianne and friends.  Paul enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He loved the outdoors; He enjoyed movies, especially war movies which made the house rattle. He volunteered at the Martin’s Pond Haunted Playground and ran the graveyard on the beach with his daughters, their friends and his nephew. He recently had taken interest in raising Crawfish

He was a member of the Burlington DAV, Military Vehicle Collectors Club and the Woburn Minutemen. He has been a resident of North Reading for the past 31 years.

Family members include his loving wife of 34 years, Dianne (Stewart) Catania; his daughters, Kathryn (Catania) Perry and her husband Ben and Amanda Catania; his son, David Hudson; his brothers, James and Jeff Catania and the late Andrew Catania; his sister, Leslie Catania.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday 12/8/ 2024 from 1-4 PM at The Lakeside Inn, 595 North Ave., Wakefield, MA 01880

 www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Scott Anthony Bruno- 34, of Huntington Beach CA died unexpectedly at his home on May 9, 2024. He was born in Stoneham MA May 27, 1989.

Scott was a graduate of North Reading High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from Johnson and Wales University in Denver.

Family, friends and music were Scott’s passion. Through the years you were likely to find him listening to music or sharing a new song with family and friends.

Scott enjoyed going to school, living and working in Colorado. One of his favorite activities was attending as many concerts, shows and festivals as he could . His favorite venue was Red Rocks Amphitheater. Whether he was seeing Slightly Stoopid, 311, or String Cheese Incident, his love of music was evident .

Leaving Colorado in 2017 wasn’t easy but he had an opportunity to be closer to the family in California. Scott and his brother Josh always dreamed of living at the beach and the move to California made that dream come true. They lived, worked and surfed together creating many wonderful memories. Being in California meant more time with family, especially his nephews. They were his greatest joy and their love for each other was obvious. Whenever they saw him, they ran to him and hugged him tight. The family was together again, after many years of living apart. Those 7 years created many wonderful memories for everyone.

Scott made friends wherever he went and kept his friends close. Today his friends are across the country, from Massachusetts to Colorado to California.

Scott leaves behind a legacy of genuine kindness and love for his family and friends. They will always remember his amazing smile and his contagious laughter. He brought positive energy to any gathering and he made sure everyone felt loved and welcomed. He was a gem of a human being. Scott’s smile, energy and light will be deeply missed.

Family members include his loving parents, Donna (Arsenault) and Paul Martell, and the late Peter J Bruno; his brothers Joshua, Christopher and his wife Nicole; his nephews Dylan and Evan Bruno and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

He was predeceased by his grandparents; Nancy and James Arsenault, Mary and Anthony Bruno and Edna and Joseph Martell.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 8 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading MA. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, November 9 , 10:30 am at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading MA. Interment will immediately follow at Riverside Cemetery in North Reading MA. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to: Pine Street Inn Attn: Development Office 444 Harrison Avenue Boston MA 02118 pine street inn.org/donate

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Virginia Lee (Cleveland) Wilen of North Andover on Saturday, October 12, 2024 at the age of 84 years.

She will be lovingly remembered by her children: Jim and Sandi Wilen of Nashville, TN and Jon and Amy Wilen of Andover, MA; grandchildren: Brooke, Hannah, James and his wife Kristin, Sean, Matt, and Aiden; brothers, Al and Richard Cleveland; sisters, Beverly, Judy, Betty, Darlene, Diane and Donna; as well as numerous relatives and friends.   Ginger was fortunate to have such amazing friends throughout her life.  She spoke of them often and they all came from different facets of her journey, but lasted forever.

She was predeceased by her loving husband of 36 years,  James George Wilen; brothers, Ronnie and  Jimmy Cleveland, and her parents: Al and  Inez Cleveland

Ginger was born in Chicago on May 7, 1940, her and her family moved to Phoenix, AZ where many of them have remained.  Ginger was in high school when she first was introduced to the Lord.   She spent her life faithfully serving and spreading love to everyone she crossed.  Ginger and Jim moved their family to the Andover area in 1977, just before the famous 1978 blizzard.   While in Andover, they were actively involved in NEBC (New England Bible Church).  Ginger loved her music and spending time with friends.  Ginger kept an immaculate home – from her very specific furnishings to every last detail, her home was welcoming and beautiful.  While not entirely certain if ironing could be considered a hobby but, if so, Ginger excelled at her hobby. Ginger also loved playing solitaire and completing puzzles.  Gingers smile was a warm welcome to all who crossed it and her laugh was contagious.   Nothing made her happier than being together with family reminiscing about the past and sharing funny stories.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 17th from 4-7 PM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, MA 01864.    Funeral services will be held the following day, October 18th, at 11 AM at the New England Bible Church,  60 Chandler Rd, Andover, MA 01810. Interment will be in Spring Grove Cemetery in Andover. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to the New England Bible Church.

CroswellFuneralHome.com

Constance E. (Peterson) Chepulis – 96, of North Reading and formerly of Reading, died on Thursday, October 3, 2024 at the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington. She was the beloved wife of the late Paul Peter John Chepulis.

Born in Reading, MA on October 20, 1927, she was the daughter of the late Evart E. and Persis Helen Gertrude (Ainsley) Peterson. She was raised and attended school in Reading.

Constance was a homemaker, she was a dedicated mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother. She liked to knit, sew and make crafts, she was an avid reader and enjoyed gardening. She had a porcelain doll collection, she loved the holidays and gnomes. She especially loved her dogs. Constance was known as the neighborhood mother to many. She has been a resident of North Reading for the past 73 years.

Family members include her loving sons, Edward Chepulis, David Chepulis and Christopher Chepulis; daughters, Dianna Clarke and Laura Anderson and her husband David; 10 grandchildren, Michael Clarke, Heather Myette, Jennifer LeMasurier, Stephen Anderson, Alex Chepulis, Amy Brown, Jason Chepulis, Tracy Chepulis, Samantha Knox and Paul Chepulis; 25 great grandchildren, Cameron, Charles, Ashley, Jenna, Katelyn, Tyler, Gregory, Jeffrey, Bradley, Katie, Alyssa, Kailey, Addisyn, John, Lucas, Hannah, Matthew, Luke, Lorelai, Ashlyn, Blythe, Owen, Colin, Aliana and Haiden; a great great grandson, Noah and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by brothers, Charles Peterson, Spencer and Raymond Henderson and sisters, Ruth Kenson, Edith, Doris, Laverne, Phyllis and Louise Peterson and June Nickerson.

Her Funeral will be held on Saturday, October 12 at 11:00 AM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Friday, October 11 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. www.croswellfuneralhome.com