Brockton High School Class of 1960 Class Reunion Photos

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Complete Passings List

Kerry Harkins received an email from Janis Tilden to advise that her husband, our classmate, Kenneth Tilden passed away from Covid-19 in December. Our sincere condolences to Janis and her family. His Obituary follows:

Kenneth M. Tilden, 78, of Brockton Massachusetts, died on December 16, 2020 at Beth Israel Hospital in Plymouth after a short illness from Covid. He was the beloved husband of Janis E. (Crossman) Tilden for 56 years.

Born in Brockton, MA, in 1942, son of the late Richard and Clemetime Tilden, he graduated from Brockton High School in 1960. Before his retirement in 2010, he was employed as Deputy Director of Surplus Properties for the state of Massachusetts for approximately 20 years.

He was a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves from 1960 to 1966, serving two years of active duty from 1961-1963 on the USS Camp out of Newport, RI. He was also a member of the Central United Methodist Church in Brockton.

Ken loved to ride his motorcycle and was an avid Texas Hold'em poker player who enjoyed his trips to Las Vegas attending the World Series of Poker and also playing games in the area. He was an active member of the Vega Club in Brockton, MA. Family was everything to him and he had a real soft spot in his heart for animals. In his younger years, he loved to race his Siberian Huskies in MA and NH.

Ken and his wife enjoyed camping with their travel trailer in the past, traveling to several different states, with their most favorite trip being the 1982 World's Fair in TN.

Kenneth is survived by his wife, Janis and their two children, Karen R. Koslowsky and her fiance', Manuel Couto of Brockton and Michael R. Tilden and his wife Jayne of Dighton. Two grandchildren, Amanda S. Koslowsky and Olivia A. Tilden, one sister Suzanne Tilden of Brockton. Two nieces, Cheryl White and Lynn Bragdon and one nephew, Steven White, also four grand-nephews, one great-grand nephew and one great-grand niece.

Donations in his memory made be made to the One Step Closer Foundation for Cerebral Palsy, the American Cancer Society, St. Jude's Children's Hospital, the Shriner's Hospital for Children and the Hilltop Humane Society.

(His services were private, with interment at Pine Hill Cemetery in W. Bridgewater.)

Sheila (Purificato) reported that her cousin and our classmate, Janice (Marozik) Kelleher, wife of our late classmate Peter Kelleher, passed away from a 2-year battle with cancer... May she rest in peace...

Janice E. (Marozik) Kelleher of Brockton passed away December 14, 2020. Wife of the late Peter Kelleher. She is survived by her children Timothy Kelleher and his wife Patti of NC, Shawn Kelleher and his wife Kathy of Whitman, and the late Mary Kate Kelleher. Sister of the late Carol Perrault. Loving grandmother of Cody, Victoria, Casey, Collen, Joshua, Shawn, Jr, and Nicholas. Great-grandmother of Zachery.

Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Janice was born in Brockton. She loved the Red Sox. Most of all she loved spending time with her family, especially her great-grandson. - Services will be held at a later date.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Janice E. (Marozik) Kelleher, please visit the MacKinnnon Funeral Home website (https://www.mackinnonfuneral.com)

Judy Donohue came across an article about Sy Coleman and since we could not find an obituary we took some information from a few articles that were written about him and his passing.

Isaiah (Sy) Coleman, a physicist and software engineering whiz, fierce political activist, “lovable curmudgeon” died suddenly of a heart attack at his winter home in Cusco, Peru, on Monday, June 15, 2020, where he’s spent his winters for more than a decade.

Sy moved to Aspen Valley in 1978. He was 77. Sy was a founder of Aspen Public Radio (APR). Originally from Brockton, Massachusetts, Coleman’s intellect and passion for science was discovered at an early age, according to his cousin, Michael Eizenberg. Sy’s parents were Jewish immigrants from Ukraine, and his cousin remembers spending lots of time as a family member with Coleman and his other cousins in Brockton, fishing at lakes in the area and going through school together.

“Sy was different. He had wires strung up all over his house for his ham radio and was chosen for the smart kid classes early on,” Michael recalls. Sy went on to study at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute for two years after high school before starting work in spectroscopy as a consultant. He also helped create an integrated computer software program for his cousin’s company in Boston.

“He used to say, ‘It’s not my job to give you what you say you want, it’s my job to figure out what you do want.’ That was Sy,” his cousin said. He went on to say the cousins stayed close through adulthood, and that Sy was a unique character who will be missed by many.

If we find any additional information, we will amend this posting...” Here is a link to one of the News Stories about Sy Coleman and Aspen Public Radio - KAJX, Aspen

https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/aspen-public-radio-founder-sy-coleman-dies-at-77/article_1b12ca74-b105-11ea-bdea-b38160e62fcb.html

Tom, Judy & Kerry

Our classmate Kenneth Tilden reported to Kerry Harkins the sad news that our classmate Ann Marie (Perron) Gareau has passed on to everlasting rest... Her obituary follows below:

Ann Marie Gareau, of Manchester, born Ann M. Perron, in Brockton, MA on June 28, 1942 graduated from Brockton High School and the Chandler School for Women with a degree in Medical Health Care. She worked as a Medical Assistant, at Manchester Savings and Loan Bank, and at the Regal’s Men Shop in Manchester, CT as their bookkeeper for 19 years.

Ann leaves her husband Dennis and best friend after 57 years of marriage, her oldest son Michael, daughter-in-law Heidi and granddaughter Morgan Ann from Land-O-Lakes, FL, her youngest son Christopher, daughter-in-law Teri and grandchildren Jonathan and Sierra from Willington, CT. She also leaves behind many good friends and relatives who will miss her.

Ann died peacefully on August 24, 2020 at the Manchester, CT Hospital. Ann had a great love for Cape Cod and her hobbies were reading and gardening. Family and friends may call at the John F. Tierney Funeral Home 219 West Center St. Manchester on Thursday (September 3rd) from 9:00-10:30 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at St. James Church 896 Main Street Manchester. Memorial contributions in Ann’s name may be made to either Covenant House at www.covenanthouse.org or St. Jude Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org. For online condolences please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com

Calling Hours
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Thursday, September 3, 2020
John F. Tierney Funeral Home
219 West Center Street
Manchester, Connecticut, United States

Mass of Christian Burial
11:00 am
Thursday, September 3, 2020
St. James Church
896 Main Street
Manchester, Connecticut, United States

Judy Donohue reported that our classmate, John Duncan passed on to eternal life on August 8, 2020... the following is John's Obituary:

John William Duncan III passed away at the age of 77 on Saturday, August 8th, 2020. John was born on October 19th, 1942, in Brockton, Massachusetts to John and Ann (Driscoll) Duncan.

After graduating Brockton High School, John attended the John Newman Preparatory School and served in the US Coast Guard (Cape May, New Jersey). John received his Bachelor’s in Science from Western Michigan University (Class of 1968), attended the School of Packaging at Michigan State University and earned his MBA from Central Michigan University (1988). He had a 40-year career in the automotive industry, including working as plant superintendent at Fisher Body and Powertrain, as traffic manager at Lansing Car Assembly and as superintendent of plant engineering and maintenance for GM’s World Facility Group in Pontiac, Michigan.

John is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Ronette; four children, Todd (Tami), Cindy (Kurt), Jeffrey, and Jennifer (David); six grandchildren, Michael (Alyssa), Megan, Hilary (Neal), Kary (Scott), Alex, and Ella; niece, Robin; nephew, Robert; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, John, mother, Ann, sister, Virginia and stepson, William Joseph “Joe” (Jennifer).

John was an avid sports fan, antiques buff, car collector, and loyal friend. He regularly attended Michigan State football games with his wife and also enjoyed traveling to catch a game with friends - whether it was the Spartans, the Broncos, the Pistons, the Tigers, or the Red Sox. He maintained several longtime friendships and was a proud member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. John was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of sports trivia, and was quick to give a friendly smile and wink.

Although John lived a full and happy life, he was tragically taken away from his family and friends far too soon. His grandchildren mourn the loss of their “Papa John” and his sharp-witted humor, love and support will be forever missed.

In lieu of funeral services, celebrate John’s life by making a donation to the Trauma Care Unit at Sparrow Hospital (https://www.sparrowfoundation.org/give) in his name, in appreciation for the wonderful nurses and doctors who cared for him.

Tom Chew reported that our classmate Carla (Rounds) Medeiros passed on August 13th. Below is her Obituary:

Carla (Rounds) Medeiros, 77, of Bridgewater passed away on August 13, 2020. Beloved wife of the late George Medeiros of Brockton and companion of the late Robert Rosa of Stoughton, she was the dedicated parent of Leanne (Medeiros) Allegrini of Carver, wife of Michael J. Allegrini. Daughter of the late Carl and Florence Rounds. Predeceased by her siblings, Marilyn Holliday of San Diego, CA, John "Jackie" Rounds of Foxboro, Lois Finnin of Everett, and Virginia Roffey of Quincy. Devoted grandmother to Ethan and Morgan Allegrini. Carla also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Carla's greatest joy was her grandchildren. She could be found cheering Ethan on at his hockey games and Morgan at her dance recitals. Carla spoke about them often to anyone who would listen. Her laughter was contagious and she found humor in almost everything. For many years she enjoyed camping with her family at Canoe River Campground and watching pro-tennis matches with her sisters. As she grew older she cherished visits from her nieces Linda, Laurie, Janet, Jennifer and friends. Carla was retired from the Bridgewater Elder Affairs Office where she worked for 20 years. Due to current health concerns services for Carla will be private. For more information and online condolences, please visit www.HamelLydon.com.

Tom Chew reported that our classmate, John Wilkinson Jr. has passed on... His obiturary follows:

John F. Wilkinson Jr., 77, died Saturday, July 25, 2020, after a brief period of failing health. He was the beloved husband of 60 years to the late Shirley (Landry) Wilkinson. Born and raised in Brockton, he was the son of the late John F. and Stella (Hagopian) Wilkinson and a graduate of Brockton High School, Class of 1960. John had worked as a service manager for Nielsen Radio from 1965-1980 and then went on to earn his bachelor's degree and for over twenty-five years taught electronics at South Shore Votech, serving as department head from 1980-2006. And after his retirement in 2006, John attained his realtor's license, as well as volunteering for "meals on wheels" for over five years and always enjoyed the challenge of a good crossword puzzle.

He is survived by his daughters, Shirlee-Jean Adams and her husband Brian of West Wareham and Sharon Cox and her husband Johnny of Newport, N.C. He is also survived by four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Family and friends are invited to meet at the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Rte. 58 at the rotary), Whitman, on Friday, July 31, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a procession to his graveside service in East Bridgewater. His visiting hours will be held Thursday, July 30, from 4-8 p.m. For online condolences and directions please visit www.blanchardfc.com.

The following are updates that were found regarding the Passing of some of our Classmates without formal Obituaries:

George Bertulaitis: Passed away on August 4, 2018 & was waked by Dimond & Sons Valley View Funeral Home. There was no official Obituary. No further details are available.	Anthina Rita (Mullo) (Christi) Dowling, Passed away, at age 78. (no date given) Her last known address was in Pembroke, MA. No further details are available.
Eleanor Arleen Klim, (born on November 10, 1942), Died on February 1, 2002 at age 59. Her last known address was in Taunton, MA. No further details are available.	William "Bill" Jumpe, died July 28, 2014. Veteran of the USAF. He was survived by a daughter Misty Renee; pre-deceased by a son Michael Edward. His ashes were scattered at sea.

Tom Chew reported that our classmate Joyce Yuskevicz passed into eternal rest on April 10, 2020 Her obituary follows:
Joyce M. () Lucier, 77, of Brockton and Wareham, passed away April 10, 2020. Born in Brockton, she was the daughter of the late Peter Yuskevicz, retired Captain of Brockton Fire Department and Mary (Lankelis) Yuskevicz. She was a 1960 graduate of Brockton High School and a drum majorette. She began her career as a registered nurse at Brockton/West Roxbury VA Medical Center, retiring in 2010 after 27 years there, then at West Acres Nursing Home until 2018. She loved to travel and go on cruises and enjoyed dancing and teaching dance at Paula Coffey Dance Studio in East Bridgewater. Joyce was a member of Massachusetts Nursing Association and Pinehurst Beach Association in Wareham. Joyce was the beloved wife of Les Lucier for 55 years; loving mother of Lisa M. Green and her husband Edward of Whitman and Laura Lee Rand and her husband Steve of Avon; dear grandmother of Jason Green, and Nicholas and Christopher Rand; sister of the late Peter Yuskevicz; and an aunt of Renee Young and Rochelle King and her daughter Micayla. Her funeral services are private. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to American Heart Association.

Kerry Harkins informed us that our classmate James Norcoss entered eternal rest On April 2, 2020. His Obituary follows:

James Richard Norcross, age 77, died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his loving family on April 2, 2020. James is survived by his sister, Janet Norcross Long of Bridgewater. James married his childhood sweetheart, Gail Orr Norcross. They were married almost 60 years and shared a lifetime of true love and happiness. James is also survived by his four children, Charlotte Norcross Danielczyk of Weymouth, Christine Norcross Drew and her husband Richard Drew Jr. of Brockton, James Douglas Norcross of East Taunton and Todd Richard Norcross of Ohio. James leaves four grandchildren, David, Nicole, Jillian and Sara. Sara's mother, Kellie Cox is and always will be a cherished member of their family. James also leaves six great-grandchildren, Jordan, Alexiah, Brooke, Sophia, Kaylee and Camryn.

Born and raised in Brockton, he was the son of the late Richard Norcross and Doris Hamilton Norcross, both of Brockton. James, affectionately known as Norkie, attended DeMolay at a young age. He enjoyed golfing very much throughout his life. He was a Mason at the Baalis Sanford Lodge of Brockton. James was a Mason by trade and then went on to become a self-employed carpenter. He always enjoyed working with his hands and was a true craftsman. James enjoyed spending time with his many beloved animals and of course his family time was his greatest happy time. He was a kind, caring and loving man and will be missed by all that knew him.

There will be a private family service only. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Southcoast VNA at www.southcoastvna.org/donate or mail your donation to Southcoast VNA, 200 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA 02719. Arrangements are by the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham. For online guest book, visit www.ccgfuneralhome.com.

Judy Higgins Donohue reported last night that our classmate Martin Frankel passed. The following is his Obituary:

Martin Frankel, of Baltimore, MD, passed away on February 3, 2020 at the age of 77. Mr. Frankel was born in Boston, MA to the late Jean and Albert Frankel. He grew up in the Mattapan neighborhood before his family relocated to Brockton, where he attended Brockton High School. He then attended Boston University where he earned his degree in mathematics.

Upon graduation, Martin married Carol J. Smenton, whom he had been in school with since the fifth grade. The two moved to Washington, D.C., where Martin took a job with the Federal Government under the Department of Education. He worked as a Statistician, eventually becoming a supervisor. Martin was a man who loved numbers and making sense of data. His wife quipped that when their daughters were little, she read them bedtime stories, but when Martin would put them to bed, he would present them with a math problem to solve. He worked as a statistician until he retired at the age of 50, and then started a business selling collectable jazz records. He had a passion for music and extensive knowledge about the facts behind the music and musicians. He was often consulted to fact check books written about the topic.

In his spare time, Martin had many hobbies and interests. He was active in many sports, playing volleyball and meeting the guys several nights a week to play basketball. Martin also coached his daughters in softball, soccer and basketball. He loved to play bridge with his wife, raised guppies, built furniture and enjoyed gardening. When he and Carol relocated to Florida, Martin took to walking on the beach and swimming in the ocean, no matter how cold the water. He went to the gym regularly and stayed in great shape.

Martin was a caring, generous and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was completely devoted to his family and loved spending time with his daughters. He was a good man, honest and non-judgemental, and maintained many relationships with friends whom he had known for decades.

Martin will be missed greatly by his family and friends. He is survived by his cherished wife of 56 years, Carol J. Frankel (nee Smenton), children, Debbie (Shawn) Flynn and Lynn Frankel (Ted Levendosky), grandchildren, Shane Flynn, Matthew Flynn, and Elena Levendosky. He was predeceased by his parents, Jean and Albert Frankel.

Services at SOL LEVINSON & BROS., INC., 8900 Reisterstown Road, at Mount Wilson Lane on Monday, February 17, at 12 pm. Interment is Private. Please omit flowers. Contributions in his memory may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 405 Williams Court, Suite 120, Baltimore, MD 21220.

Judy HIggins Donohue reported that our classmate, Michael A. Beltsios, passed away on February 2, 2020. (There was no current photo) His obituary follows:

Michael A. Beltsios, 78, of Taunton, formerly of Brockton, passed away on Sunday, February 23, 2020, at home after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was the beloved husband of fifty-years to Shirley A. (Cummings) Beltsios. Michael was born in Brockton; he was the son of the late Alexander and Algina (Rea) Beltsios. Mr. Beltsios proudly served his country with the United States Army during the Vietnam War Era. He worked as an electrician for thirty years before retiring. Mike enjoyed fishing and camping, especially the trips to Old Orchard Beach and Plymouth. He loved reading, and was a “history buff”.

Survivors besides his wife Shirley are two sons; Robert and his wife Laura of Virginia, and Jeffrey and his fiancé Debra of Middleboro, six grandchildren; Amanda, Timothy, Hannah and her husband Tyler, Nicholas, Courtney and her husband CJ and Nicole, and one great-granddaughter Olive, and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Mr. Beltsios was predeceased by his sister Cynthia Adams.

His funeral service will be held on Friday, February 28, 2020, at 11:30am, in the Crapo-Hathaway Funeral Home, Taunton. Burial will follow in the Berkley Common Cemetery, Berkley. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Calling Hours for Mr. Beltsios will be held on Friday, February 28, 2020, from 9:30-11:30am, in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his memory may be made to Ascend Hospice Care, 275 Martine St., Fall River, Ma 02723, or to a charity of ones choice.

Tom Chew reported that our Classmate Edward Sampson passed away on January 2, 2020 Below is his Obituary:

Edward J. Sampson, Jr. age 77 of North Andover passed away peacefully on Thursday January 2, 2020 after a lengthy period of declining health and multiple hospitalizations with his devoted wife by his side. Born in Brockton, he attended Northeastern University, where he received Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degrees. He then embarked on a fifty-year career as a system engineer at Raytheon Company in Bedford and Tewksbury. He had a lifelong passion for classical organ music and organs. He served as President of the Board of Trustees of the Methuen Memorial Music Hall, home of the world-famous "Great Organ," for over 40 years. As a long-time communicant of Saint Patrick Parish in Lawrence, he was a lector and a member of several parish committees. Ed was the recipient of the prestigious Chevrus Award because of his great devotion to St. Patrick Parish and the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 50 years, Kathleen, and their fantastic feline "Ginger". He is also survived by his sister-in-law and brother-in-law Honor and Bill Jutila, sister-in-law Nancy Crowley, much loved nieces and nephews: Honor Marie and Jay Davis, Jennifer and Chris Grahn, Bill Jutila and partner Mindy Bregoli, Patrick and Karen Crowley and Susan Norton; his beloved grandnieces and grandnephews: Madison Davis, Meghan Davis, Emma Davis, Caitlin Grahn, Samantha Grahn, Michael Crowley, Dayna Crowley, Daniel Crowley, Arthur Norton, III and Taylor Norton. He was predeceased by his parents, Edward and Eleanor Sampson, his sister-in-law: Barbara J. Crowley and his brother-in-law: John F. Crowley, Jr.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home in Methuen. The wake will be held at the Methuen Memorial Music Hall, 192 Broadway in Methuen (see mmmh.org for directions) on Sunday, January 5, 2020 from 2:00 – 6:00 PM. Ed’s funeral Mass will be held on Monday, January 6, 2020 at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick Parish, 118 South Broadway (Route 28), Lawrence, MA. Interment to follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Waverly Rd, North Andover, MA. Funeral attendees are asked to please meet directly at the church on Monday morning. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a contribution in Ed’s memory to either the Methuen Memorial Music Hall, Inc., Post Office Box 463, Methuen, MA 01844-0463 or St. Patrick Parish, 118 South Broadway, Lawrence, MA01843-1427. For directions and online guestbook, please visit the funeral home website, www.pollardfuneralhome.com. The Kenneth H. Pollard Funeral Home is honored to serve the Sampson Family.