Eleanor G. (Derry) Miani – 95, of North Reading, formerly of Ansonia, Conn., passed on Saturday, April 11, 2020 at CareOne of Wilmington.

Born in Seymour, Conn. on December 5, 1924, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Ethel (Gelston) Derry. Eleanor was raised and attended school in Seymour, Conn. She graduated Seymour High School and Greenwich Hospital School of Nursing, Greenwich, Conn.

Eleanor was a retired Registered Nurse. After graduating nursing school she served in the Army Corp of Nurses, stationed at Fort Devens, Ayer/Shirley, Mass. When WWII ended Eleanor returned to Conn. to work at St. Raphael’s Hospital, New Haven, Conn. In the mid-50’s she and her young family moved to North Reading. Eleanor worked at the John T. Berry Rehabilitation Center until her retirement in 1983. She was a resident of North Reading for over 62 years.

She was a member of the Union Congregational Church, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Serendipity Circle. She worked at the Church’s Christmas fair for many years devoting her time to the jewelry table. Eleanor also volunteered for many years at Winchester Hospital.

Eleanor loved reading and spending time with her family and friends. For 10 years she enjoyed traveling with her husband and friends to countries throughout the world.

She was the loving wife of over 66 years to the late Mario J. Miani who passed in May 2019. She was a proud and loving mother of three, Cathy Lynn Mizzell and her husband George of Birmingham, Ala., Barbara A. Bochart and her husband Thomas of Tewksbury and Thomas J. Miani Sr. and his wife Joan of Methuen. She was the loving “Mammy” to her five grandchildren, Elizabeth “Betsy” (Bochart) Colon, Andrew Bochart, Thomas Miani, Jr., Gina Miani and Robert Mizzell, and one great-grandchild, Tayla-Rae Colon. She is also survived by a number of very close friends and many nieces and nephews.

A private graveside service, due to COVID-19, was held at Riverside Cemetery, North Reading on Friday, April 17. A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at the Union Congregational Church at a future date.

Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Robert  A. Castine – 87, of Reading and formerly of North Reading, passed peacefully at Advinia Health Care in Wilmington on Sunday, April 12, 2020 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease and other health complications.

Bob was born in Reading, MA on October 2, 1932.  He was the son of the late Wilbur and Catherine (LeFave), Castine.   Bob was raised in Reading and was a graduate of Reading High School.  He was a U.S. Navy Veteran of the Korean War, serving from 1952 to 1956.  Prior to the Navy, he also served in the National Guard.

Bob served the town of Reading as a Police Officer for 26 years. He was also Past Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus in Reading.

Bob loved music from Perry Como to Johnny Cash, but not Tony Bennett!  His own singing voice rivaled those of the greats and brought much joy to his family, friends and the wonderful staff of healthcare professionals who cared for him during his last years.  Bob loved old black and white movies, John Wayne, John Candy, and anything Christmas-themed.  He loved his classic white Thunderbird, his dog Muffin, telling stories and jokes, making people laugh and his friends and family.  Bob even amassed quite a Facebook following, in his later years, with “The Adventures Of Bobert” – a sneak peek into his daily life, humor, and charisma.  Although he wasn’t always sure how the whole thing worked, he loved to be kept apprised to what was going on at “The Book.”  A very bright star who did it his way.

Family members include his loving daughter, Sarah L. Castine of North Reading; brothers, R. Allan Castine and J. Dennis Castine.  He was the brother of the late Kenneth W., Wilbur F. and David L. Castine; sisters, Marilyn A. Castine and the late Norma F. Castine; former husband of Norma (Lawrence) Castine.

A private graveside service was held in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading on Friday, April 17.  A memorial service and celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Nicholas A. DeCola Sr., -93, of Reading, formerly of Medford, died Thursday, April 9, 2020. A US Navy Seabee veteran of WWII, he was the devoted husband of the late Anna L. (Tarallo) DeCola, and brother of Joann (Jenny) Rich of Woburn. He was the loving father of James and his wife Catherine of North Reading, the late Nicholas A. DeCola Jr. and his surviving wife, Elaine DeCola of Malden, and the late Angela Marshall-Wantman and her surviving husband, James Wantman of North Reading. He leaves his grandchildren; James Marshall and Kasia Sokalla of Methuen, Jennifer Marshall and Deva Parkin of Longmont, CO, Elizabeth and James Fortuna of Huntington Beach, CA, Robert DeCola and Brigitta Patterson of Medford, and Trina and Tyler Wantman of North Reading. He also leaves 4 great-grandchildren; Maya and Nicholas Marshall of Methuen, and Sarah and Michael Fortuna of Huntington Beach, Calif. He was predeceased by 3 sisters and 2 brothers.

Nick attended Boston Public schools before enlisting in the Navy. Having already learned many building and construction skills from his father, Nick joined the Construction Battalion, or Seabees, which was the perfect fit. He proudly served in Guam during World War II as a WT3 in the 103^rd US Naval CB unit and often told the story of his chance meeting with Admiral Nimitz.

Nick’s time with the Seabees defined his career. After the war, he went on to work in the construction industry for close to 40 years and was able to point out many buildings in Greater Boston that he had helped construct. He also served as Clerk of the Works for the City of Medford.

Nick and his wife Anna raised their 3 children in Medford, where he lived for 70years. He was active in the Boy Scouts, participated in many real estate projects, and enjoyed hunting with his beagles, all named Pudgy.

In retirement, Nick remained active. He enjoyed skiing, range shooting, walking, swimming, gardening, and sailing his catamaran on Martins Pond with his grand-dog Barnaby. He was a collector of many things and loved to find new treasures at yard sales.

Nick also stayed very active in the Navy Seabee Veterans of America, Island X-6, Wilmington, Ma. He marched in many parades with the group and served 2 terms as commander of Island X-6.

Nick was a young, fun-loving grandfather. He played non-stop with his grandchildren and taught them at early ages to hammer a nail, shuffle and play cards, use a bow and arrow, and build all kinds of things. Although his grandchildren called him by many names — Popeye, Pa, Vazza — he always answered.

For many years he helped his wife Anna, who provided child-care inside their home, in caring for the children. It gave him even more opportunities for playing, joking, and enjoying little ones. His great-grandchildren will remember him as a loving, happy man who loved to tease them. They will keep his wonderful stories with them forever.

Nick was always smiling and happy. He never missed an opportunity to tease or joke with someone. He was notorious for stealing food, especially cookies, right out of an unsuspecting hand. He was always quick to remind those around him to be positive. His great smile and mischievous ways will be fondly remembered.

His family is grateful for all the wonderful memories and fun stories that they can continue to share. He lived a full and happy life and will be missed by all who knew him.

Nick’s family would like to thank the Staff at Artis Senior Living in Reading for providing a safe and loving home for him for the last 19 months. The kindness of the staff, along with their love and dedication, will never be forgotten. Donations in Nick’s memory may be sent to Artis Senior Living, 1100 Main Street, Reading, MA 01867. Services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow St., North Reading. WWW.CroswellFuneralHome.com

Laura A. (Voto) Salvo – 56, of Middleton, formerly of West Peabody and North Reading, died Tuesday, April 7, 2020, at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Born in Medford, MA on October 25, 1963. She was the daughter of Robert and Hellen (Belliveau) Voto. Laura was raised in North Reading and was a graduate of North Reading High School. She has been a resident of Middleton for the past 17 years. She was a spiritual person and has great faith in the Catholic Church, attending mass every Sunday at St. Agnes in Middleton.

She found her soulmate and partner for life at age 22, when she married David Salvo of Peabody. Together they owned the Hornet’s Nest Sub Shop in North Reading, with great pride and hard work.

Laura lived life to the fullest. She loved nothing more than spending time with her large family. Cooking delicious healthy meals fed her soul. She loved to travel the world but her favorite place was her Florida home. She was physically active and enjoyed being outdoors with her fur baby Bentley. Her positive outlook on life and strength let her enjoy every moment even while fighting her illness. She was a true inspiration.

Laura was deeply loved by her entire family, especially by her adoring husband of 32 years, David Salvo; her loving son Nicholas Salvo, a graduate of Stonehill College, pursuing a career in business, his soon to be wife Jude Theriault and her loving daughter Vanessa Salvo, an Oncology Nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital; her brother Robert S. Voto, and her sister Linda Voto. Laura will be greatly missed by both sides of her family and countless friends.

Her services will be held at a later date to be announced. In lieu of flowers please make donations in her memory to Lung Strong, a foundation whose mission is to raise funds for innovative research so that lung cancer is a treatable disease and no longer fatal. 100 % of these donations go to MGH Lung Cancer Research Program, P.O. Box 281, Amesbury, MA 01913. Arrangements are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Margaret W. (Jackson) Schell – 98, of North Reading, passed away peacefully in her home on April 4, 2020, with her four children by her bedside.

The daughter of the late Victor and Margaret (McElaney) Jackson, she was born in Boston, MA and attended high school at St. Mary’s in Brookline. Margaret was happily married to the late John L. Schell in September 1951 until his passing in 1996. The family moved to North Reading in 1966 and has resided there since. She was a member of St. Theresa’s Church.

Early in her life, Margaret was a factory worker wrapping whoopie pies (by far her favorite), she also worked as a legal secretary and as a bookkeeper. After having children, her primary and most important focus was that of a devoted mother and homemaker.

Margaret is survived by her daughter Margaret Hendriks and her husband Eugene of Westford, her sons, John Schell of Woburn, Daniel Schell and his wife Marcia of Wilmington and Robert Schell of North Reading. Sister of Mary Constantino of Wakefield, Dorothy Barker of Woburn, the late Catherine Stapula, the late Teresa McCarey. Sister of the late Victor Jackson. She also leaves behind her 11 grandchildren, Nicole Parmiter and her husband James of Rocky Hill, CT, Christine Hendriks of Woburn, Jacklyn Tabor and her husband James of Billerica, Robert Schell and his wife Julie of Woburn, John Schell of Las Vegas, NV, Brian Schell of Wilmington, Amanda Stasiowski and her husband Jared of North Reading, Jennifer Haupt and her husband Luther of Shamokin, PA, Robert Schell of North Reading, Gerard Schell of Pepperell, Danielle Schell of Manchester, NH; 15 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Due to the current Covid-19 directives, private funeral services will be through Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow St, North Reading. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled for a later date. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Margaret’s memory to the American Heart Association.