Edward A. O’Brien – 66, of Andover and formerly of North Reading, passed away unexpectedly on January 8^th 2023, with his wife and children by his side. He was a Retired Fire Chief of the North Reading Fire Department.

Ed is survived by his wife Stacey, his son Sean O’Brien his fiancé Kate Maguire, his daughter Hilary Pennacchio and her husband Michael, and his brother William O’Brien and his wife Birgitta O’Brien. He is predeceased by his brother Nelson P O’Brien, his sister Gaye O’Brien. He was the son of Nelson and Mildred Messenger.

Ed was born in Bangor, Maine on July 9, 1956 and moved to North Reading as a young child. Ed graduated from the North Reading High School in 1974, and completed his education with a B.S. in Fire Science and Protection from Salem State in 1991. He was appointed to the North Reading Fire Department as a Call Firefighter in 1974, and appointed to the permanent department in 1977. He rose through the ranks becoming a Captain in 1991 and then Chief of Department in 1993 until his retirement in 2005. He was a local labor leader in that time and was the President of North Reading Firefighters Local 1857 from 1980 until 1988, he was very proud of his service as the local president. He was a founding member of the Metro-Boston Critical Incident Stress Management Team which provides peer assistance to first responders after traumatic events, he volunteered for the team for 20 years. As part of the CISM team Ed responded to the Worcester Cold Storage Fire as well as the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. Ed was a proud member of the Massachusetts Fire Chiefs Association, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts and International Association of Firefighters. He was also a member of the National Ski Patrol.

In addition to his professional duties, Ed was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing and surfing with his lifelong friend Vincent Vullo. He enjoyed spending time working on his home and spending time with his wife Stacey. He and Stacey had the opportunity to travel to many places in his retirement, in which time he also was the owner of Cambridge Used Bicycles, a popular bicycle store and repair shop on McGrath Highway.

He was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy in 2015, which is a rare neurological disorder of the brain. Visitation and memorial service will be held at Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Tuesday, January 17^th from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CurePSP, 1216 Broadway, FL 2, New York NY, 10001.

John R. Mannheim, passed away peacefully on December 23, 2022 in the presence of his beloved wife, Claire. He leaves his daughter Sidney and husband James, daughter Stacy and husband Ross, his brother Charles and wife Shirley, his brother Paul and wife Susan, as well as many nieces and nephews in our extended family.

John was a graduate of Amherst College and a fundraiser for the Class of 1953. He enjoyed the reunions and celebrations with many friends over the last 70 years. He also attended Andover Newton Seminary. John worked for the YMCA, taught at North Reading High School and negotiated teachers’ contracts for the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

From 1971 to 2001 John worked as a union negotiator for the Massachusetts Teachers Association. As an MTA advocate, John negotiated hundreds of teacher contracts and conducted organized campaigns to mobilize and activate teachers. He was a highly skilled negotiator who had the respect of both labor and management as a man with impeccable integrity. John was an inspirational and highly motivating force who played a major role in the growth of the teacher’s union movement in the northeast part of Massachusetts.

As a resident of Concord since 1976, John was a strong advocate for peace, justice and the environment. He was the first male member of the Concord Peace Vigil that began in 1991. Our banner read “We walk with those who suffer because of war”.

He was very active in the Cambridge branch of the Veterans for Peace and participated in all of their peace efforts beginning in 2003. John supported “grass roots actions for peace,” also based in Concord for many years.

He was an active member of CREW, “Citizens Research and Environmental Watch”. This local group challenged Nuclear Metals/Starmet to stop producing the depleted uranium penetrator that was used in all of the Gulf Wars and also used in Serbia. John helped CREW get the Starmet site declared a superfund site.

John so enjoyed his family and he always had humorous stories to tell his friends after the conclusion of the Concord Peace Vigil each Friday. He always had a smile on his face no matter how difficult the situation was for him. He loved the Cincinnati Reds and he also was a Boston Celtics fan.

His efforts and his energy will be missed by all of us.

John is a man who is easy for all of us to love.

A Celebration of John’s life will be held in the spring on April 29, 2023 at 10:00 AM at Holy Family Parish (formerly St. Bernard’s Church), 12 Monument Square, Concord, MA.  In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of John may be made to a charity of your choice. Burial will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

James B. Kane – 61, of North Reading and formerly of Reading, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Sunday, December 18, 2022.

Born in Boston, MA on January 10, 1961, he was the son of the late Richard B. and Mary Lou (Boardman) Kane. He attended Reading public schools and the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School in Wakefield.

James was a highly skilled lifelong Diesel Mechanic and was most recently employed by Greyhound Bus.

He was hilarious and had an outgoing personality. He had a huge love for cars. He was thoughtful and a giver by nature. He was loved by anyone who knew him, especially his family. He was an amazing father and grandfather.

Jimmy was a keeper of memories, collector of music, cars, and antiques. He enjoyed hanging out with his kids and his grandkids.

Family members include his loving son, Richard Kane; daughters, Mandi Kane and Caitlyn Person; sisters, Mary Lou Kane and Grace Kane; and grandchild, Eleanor Louise Person.

Services will be private and a celebration of life will be held at a later date to be announced. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692. www.heart.org  Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading.  www.croswellfuneralhome.com

John J. Firriello – 80, of North Reading, formerly of Wakefield and New York, passed away on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers.

Born in New York, New York on March 18, 1942, he was the son of the late Sebastian and Mary (Scelzi) Firriello. John was a graduate of Westinghouse Vocational School in Brooklyn, New York. He worked as a Purchasing Manager and then later worked as a Constable and a Healthcare Worker for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Family members include his loving wife Claire (Bauer) Firriello; his son Paul Firriello; his brother Michael Firriello, sisters Celeste Dew and Antoinette Muller and granddaughters Siena and Lyla Firriello.

John was a very giving, family oriented person. He always wanted and was willing to help them. He has been a resident of North Reading for the past 42 years. He has been a member of St. Michael Parish in North Andover, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister.

His Funeral Mass will be Celebrated on Wednesday, December 21 at 11:30 AM at St. Michael Parish, 196 Main Street, in North Andover. Everyone is to go directly to church. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 20 at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice.

Florence A. (Duggan) Wilson – 99, of Onset, East Wareham and formerly of North Reading, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, December 8, 2022. She was the wife of the late Edward J. Wilson, Sr.

Born in Cambridge, MA on September 22, 1923.  She was the daughter of the late Edward “Eddie” and Alice (Breton) Duggan. She was a graduate of the L.D. Batchelder School in North Reading and Reading Memorial High School. She spent her childhood growing up on Burroughs Road and she later lived 65 years on LeClair Street in North Reading. She has spent the last six years living in Onset, East Wareham with her daughter Kathy and her husband Walter Quigg.

Before having her children, Florence worked for Liberty Mutual and was transitioned from Boston to Andover, she later worked part time in Kline’s Department Store in Wakefield, she was a volunteer Receptionist at the North Reading Town Hall and an Avon Representative salesperson for over twenty years.

Florence was very special to her family. Her husband and father had built the house in North Reading where her family grew up. At age 40 her husband died suddenly and left her with five children to raise. Somehow, she managed to keep her children all together, she fed, clothed, and guided them, nurtured and kept a roof over their heads. The house was always clean and well maintained, not an easy task with five kids running around and limited funds.

She was an avid sports fan and encouraged them to participate in after school athletics. The Red Sox and Celtics were her favorites. She strongly believed in education both religious and academic. They attended church and celebrated Easter and Christmas as a family. When it came time for college she found ways to get funding so they could attend, even though it seemed impossible at the time.

Florence loved gardening, dancing, square dancing and sewing. She was instrumental in establishing the “Burroughs Road Playground”, as a member of the Recreation Committee and helped to form the morning activity and sports program at the playground. She was one of the first Girl Scout Leaders for the Martin’s Pond side of town. As a young senior citizen, she was an advocate in keeping the tax rate for seniors in town lower. Florence was proud to have been a North Reading taxpayer that built elementary schools and the first junior high school and high school in North Reading. She was also a member of St. Mary’s Church in Onset and a former member of St. Theresa’s Church in North Reading, where she was a member of the Sodality and she taught CCD.

She lived a long life and we are blessed to have shared it with her as our mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother. She will always be in our hearts and now we say, goodbye mom and thank you for being special.

Family members include her loving sons, Robert, Edward, Jr. and Dennis Wilson; daughters, Kathleen Quigg and Patricia Seluk; 11 grandchildren, Laura Carrillo, Michelle Hopping, Christine Wainwright, Walter E. Quigg, Daniel, Matthew, Michael and Katherine Seluk, Mary O’Donnell, Kara LeVan and Edward Wilson, III; 22 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild; she was the sister of the late Edward Duggan, Jr. and Alfred Duggan of North Reading and Richard Duggan of North Reading and Wilmington.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 15 from 9:00 to 10:30 AM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, followed by an 11:00 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading.  Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the charity of one’s choice. www.croswellfuneralhome.com