Casey, Leo Padraic, Jr.- Age 88 years, died peacefully on June 24, 2020 at his home in North Reading, MA in the loving care of his family.

Leo was born July 23, 1931 in Chelsea, MA to Mildred and Leo P. Casey. Leo and his siblings– Brian, Sheila, Donal and Carol–grew up in a household that appreciated both education and fun–literature and stickball, philosophy and touch football.

After graduating from Chelsea High School, Leo attended Boston College and graduated with a degree in Sociology.

Leo proudly served in the US Army from 1953 to 1955. After his time in the army, Leo obtained a Master’s Degree and advanced graduate certificate from Boston University in Counseling.

Leo’s first position in education was in Norwalk, CT as a middle school teacher, the start of a 37 year career in teaching and guidance. Leo spent many of these years as a guidance counselor in Melrose, MA Junior and Senior High School. Leo was a born listener and focused his energies on one student at a time. His non-judgmental presence helped many students at challenging times in their lives.

Early in his career Leo met and married Anne Hurley. The two were married on June 2, 1956 at St. Rose Church in Chelsea.

Leo always considered his greatest accomplishment to be his marriage of 64 years to Anne and his loving relationship with his 5 children and their spouses, 12 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Leo believed strongly that the compassionate care of children was the key to a peaceful life, and every baby that came through Leo’s life was graced by his gentle and deep love.

Leo enjoyed his many years of golf with close friends, and especially his weekly outing with his special friend Jimmy Morse. Leo thought deeply about social issues and enjoyed lively discussions with colleagues. He treasured his time with family at the beach and around the pool and he had a long-term and consistent love for Boston sports teams.

 Leo was predeceased by siblings Brian, Sheila, Donal and Carol. Leo is lovingly remembered by his wife Anne, his daughter Kathy DiTroia and her husband Mike of North Andover, MA, his daughter Maureen Henderson and her husband Steve of Hampton, NH, his daughter Diane Shen and her husband Andy of Andover, MA, his daughter Paula Sandusky and her husband John of Stony Point, NY and his son Mike Casey and his wife Anne Marie of Newmarket, NH.

Leo was loving Papa to his grandchildren Kevin, Dan, Casey, Kristen, Marisa, Nikki, Danielle, Rosie, Eric, Erin, Clint and Kelly, and to his great-granddaughter Alice.

Funeral services will be private and are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital at www.stjude.org

Robert  J.  Svehla – 61, of North Reading and formerly of Kentucky, died unexpectedly at his work on Monday, June 15, 2020.

Born in Lexington, KY on April 17, 1959, he was the son of the late William and Patricia (Sweeney) Svehla.

Rob was a graduate of North Reading High School, Class of 1977. He later attended the University of Kentucky and the University of Lowell.

He worked for the U.S. Postal Service in North Reading as a Mail Handler for 35+ years. He was a resident of North Reading for the past 49 years and was a member of St. Theresa’s Church.

Rob was a loving brother and uncle, who was up for anything and always making everyone laugh. When his nieces were younger, he was always playing sports with them in the yard or with beanie babies on the living room floor. His smile and red hair lit up a room and his silly jokes will be sorely missed.

Rob loved to cook and experiment with fresh ingredients. He could often be found watching Kentucky basketball games and cheering loudly for the Wildcats. He enjoyed listening to Jimmy Buffet and traveling to Key West with his brother. He loved to watch golf and would practice his swing often.

Family members include his loving sister, Carol A. Morrissey and her husband Phil; brothers, Michael Stanley Svehla and the late Richard William Svehla; nieces, Brenna and Rachel Morrissey.

In light of the current events, a memorial service for Rob will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made in Rob’s name to the American Heart Association, 300 5^th Ave., Suite 6, Waltham, MA 02451. Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Joseph G. Gigante – 89, of North Reading and formerly of Dorchester, died Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington.

Born in Boston, MA on March 18, 1931, he was the son of the late Gabriel and Rita (DeAngelosante) Gigante. He was a graduate of Charlestown High School, Class of 1948 and later attended Wentworth Institute in Boston.

He was a U.S. Air Force Veteran of the Korean War, he served from 1950 to 1956, he also served with the Army Air Corps from 1949 to 1950.

Joe was a retired Electrical Inspector for the Town of North Reading for many years and a retired Vice President of Burlington Engineering, a Division of Interstate Electrical Services in Billerica. He was also involved with the Hoist and Crane Industry. Joe was well known in the material handling business throughout New England.

He has been a resident of North Reading for the past 64 years and a member of St. Theresa’s Church. He was a former School Committee member for the Northeast Regional Metropolitan Regional School in Wakefield. Joe was a member of the North Reading Moose Lodge and served as a former Past Governor, he coached and umpired for the North Reading Little League and coached for the North Reading Youth Hockey League. Joe enjoyed being active in the North Reading Men’s Softball League where he coached for many years, he was a member of the North Reading Bowling League and was also an avid New England sports fan.

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and would always be there to lend a helping hand to anyone.

Family members include his loving wife of 64 years, Jean M. (Muller) Gigante; his sons, Joseph Gigante and his wife Christine and Stephen Gigante and his wife Tamara DerAnanian; his daughter, Gemma Gigante Alvarez and her husband Bob; grandchildren, Casandra and Tianna Alvarez, Joseph and Michael Gigante; brothers, Dino Gigante and his wife Doris, Anthony Gigante and his wife Anne and his sister, Mary Cincotta.

Graveside services were held on Thursday, June 18 at 11:00 AM in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to National Shrine of St. Jude Claretian Missionaries, 205 W. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60606. Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Florence “Bobbi” Confalone , 89 of North Reading, Ma. passed away on June 12, 2020. Born in Auburn, Me. on May 11, 1931. She was the daughter of the late Victor Beauparlant and Martha Montgomery. She was raised in Auburn, Me. She spent most of her adult life in Saugus and North Reading Ma. She had a long career as a waitress, but most of all as a homemaker. She loved her many pets she had through her life along with her gardening.   She loved going out to country line dancing with the girls and helping in the kitchen at the Lynnfield, Ma. Senior Center, but you could always find her out enjoying the pool with family & friends or just catching some sun for her famous tan. She is predeceased by her loving husband Joseph A. Confalone.   Survived by her family: daughter Jane Raymond of Greene, Me.; son Scot Carleton and wife Diane of Methuen, Ma., grandchildren Kimberly Shallow and husband Donnie of Fla., Derick Raymond and wife Shelley, Ehrin Raymond and Adam Raymond of Me; Zachary Carleton and Michael Carleton of   Ma.; great grandchildren Gavin and Gage Raymond of Me. The family has asked that there be no calling hours. A private family service will be held at Riverside Cemetery North Reading, Ma. In lieu of flowers, and in memory of Bobbi, the family request that memorial donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association https:act.alz.org/donate   . Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, MA  www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Joseph G. Jesso, 79, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Exeter Hospital in Exeter, NH on May 4, 2020.

Born in Denver, Colorado, he was the son of the late Ethel (Fravel) Jesso and the late Joseph Francis Jesso. He was raised on a family ranch in Orton Flat, about 40 miles North West of Ft. Pierre, South Dakota, by his uncle Clifford Fravel and wife Phyllis Fravel. Joe rode his horse or walked to the one room schoolhouse through 8^th grade before moving to Rapid City to attend high school. Joe enlisted in the United States Navy in December 1957 at the age of 17 and left South Dakota. He was ultimately stationed on the USS Aeolus at the US Naval Submarine Yard in Portsmouth, NH. Joe met his bride to be, Carol Wedge and they were married 6 months later.

Joe is survived by his wife of 60 years and the love of his life and best friend, Carol (Wedge) Jesso; daughters, Jo-Ann Jesso-Freeman of Derry, NH, Jan (Jesso) Herlihy of Atkinson, NH, Jacqueline (Jesso) Batchelder and husband Herb Jr. of North Reading, MA and Jerri (Jesso) Johnston and Scott Vezina of Plaistow, NH; 13 grandchildren: Jessica Bent, Joseph Freeman, James Herlihy, Jonathan Herlihy, Ryan Carrigan, Joseph Lovell, Morgan Carrigan, Brian Freeman, Amy Freeman, Nicole Johnston, Samantha Carrigan, Victoria Johnston and Richard Johnston; 4 great grandchildren, Savannah Freeman, Sadie Bent, Hunter Herlihy and Paisley Lovell; Brothers Robert Jesso of Rapid City, South Dakota, Ken Lange of Box Elder, South Dakota; Aunt Phyllis Fravel of Orton Flat, South Dakota; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

When Joe left the Navy, he went to work for his father-in-law Charlie Wedge in the oil business and driving school bus in North Reading, MA. Charlie sold the oil business and Joe went with the business to work for Country Gas Service (Eastern Propane) in Danvers, MA and in Rochester, NH where he worked for more than 30 years before going to work for Palmer Gas in Atkinson, NH where he worked for 10 plus years as their safety officer and where he retired from in 2015.

Joe was a US Navy veteran as well as a member of the Masons. He was also a member of the Hampstead, NH recreation department where he and Carol planned numerous trips for the Hampstead senior citizens. He and Carol enjoyed traveling as often as they could, seeing all parts of the country, and taking several cruises over the years to Hawaii, Alaska and several to the Caribbean, his favorite being Alaska. He and Carol enjoyed long rides all over the place, enjoying the sights and sounds of New England. Any day was a good day for a Sunday drive. Joe was a devoted husband and father. He taught his girls many things growing up, from using tools and how to fix things, to painting. He was always very involved and always supported his daughter’s sports and activities as they grew up, and as his grandchildren became active, he was always there watching them play sports or whatever activities they were involved in. He was a “super fan”.

Joe will always be known and remembered for his kind heart, caring and compassionate ways. He was always polite and kind to anyone he met and everyone who knew him would tell you he was a true gentleman. He was truly interested in what people had to say and had a way of immediately making people feel comfortable. He was well known for giving great hugs and having a strong, firm handshake. He had many stories to tell of growing up on the prairie of South Dakota and of his time in the Navy. Joe has said that he “wishes every child had the opportunity to live and work on a ranch or farm for at least one year of their life!” Growing up out on the Great Plains played a significant part in the values that Joe lived his life by. He had many wonderful and funny sayings or “Papaisms” as his grandchildren would call them. He would make everyone laugh when he would say one. Joe was a wealth of knowledge and his stories will be greatly missed.

ARRANGEMENTS: Due to the Covid pandemic, there will be a private burial at Riverside Cemetery in North Reading, MA at a date to be determined. A Celebration of Life will be held from 4 to 6 pm at Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street in North Reading, MA on Wednesday September 2, 2020 which would have been Joe’s 80^th birthday. We hope everyone who knew and loved Joe will help celebrate the beautiful, full and blessed life he lived. www.CroswellFuneralHome.com