Frederick “Fred” Noonan

Loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend;

Frederick “Fred” Noonan of Chelmsford, died Thursday, July 4th at home surrounded by his loving family.  He was the loving husband of Gwendolyn (Ghareeb) Noonan who survives him and with whom he celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary on February 3rd of this year.

Born in Liverpool, England, June 13, 1925, he was the son of the late Frederick and Matilda (Mahoney) Noonan.
 
Fred was a member of the British Merchant Marines from October 1942 to March 1962.  Fred proudly served his country during World War II.  On March 13, 1943 he was serving on the SS Empress of Canada with his brother William when the ship was torpedoed at midnight and sunk by enemy action off the coast of Africa.  He spent five days on a raft and was eventually rescued.  At 25 years of age, he was in charge of the entire boiler room of the Cunard Mauretania.

After meeting Gwen in Bermuda, he moved to Lowell.  He was very proud to become a US citizen on his wedding anniversary in 1964.  In 1966 they moved to Chelmsford and have lived in the same house.

Fred was employed as an HV/AC Manager by Beacon Companies, Bedford, MA, until his retirement in 1992. 

He was an active member of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.  He faithfully served as an usher until his health prevented him from serving.  He served on the Parish Council for a short period of time.

Fred was very proud of his ability to build the room where his family spent many happy occasions and the same room where he sadly and peacefully passed.  He loved to cook, paint, draw, read, write poetry, watch Westerns, and share all his stories of worldwide travel and adventures over a beer.  Because of his love of soccer in his youth, he coached Chelmsford Youth Soccer for many years.  But most of all his happiest times were when he spent time with his family which included family vacations to Bermuda to the exact spot where he met Gwen in 1961.

In addition to his wife Gwen, Fred is survived by his daughter Kerri Lyn Noonan Steele and her husband Jonathan W. Steele of Arlington, MA; his daughter Lindsay Kathryn Noonan Kett and her husband Patrick M. Kett of E. Falmouth, MA; his grandchildren Alexander and Emma Steele of Arlington, MA; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews of both England and USA; his sisters-in-law Lillian Panagopoulos of Dracut; Beverly Ghareeb of Lowell; and Gale (George) Nikolopoulos of Salem.

He was predeceased by his eight siblings and their spouses.  William (Catherine) Noonan, Margaret (William) Evans, Robert (Winnie) Noonan, Elizabeth (Manuel) Zuniga, Frances (William) Brown, Anthony Noonan, Mary (Bobbie) Wright, and Terrance Noonan; and by his Godson, Stephen S. Skaff.

He was also predeceased by his loving father- and mother-in-law Joseph and Elizabeth Ghareeb; brother-in-law Paul Panagopoulos, Sr.; and Beverly’s loving soulmate Robert Sweet.

The family would like to thank Fr. Leonard Faris and Dr. Dimitre Sirakov for the love, special care, and attention they provided; Merrimack Valley Hospice; Commonwealth Nursing; the LGH volunteer and all our friends and neighbors who have provided love and support throughout the past several years.

Friends may call at ST. GEORGE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, 44 BOWERS ST. in LOWELL from 3 to 7 P.M. Wednesday. His Funeral Service will be held in St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Thursday morning at 10 o’clock followed by his Committal Services at the Westlawn Cemetery in Lowell. E-condolences at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in his memory to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 44 Bowers St., Lowell, MA 01854. Arrangements by the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME – LOWELL (978) 458-8768.   

Shirley M. (Vachon) FitzGerald

beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend;

Shirley M. “Chickie” (Vachon) FitzGerald, R.N., 85, of the Highlands section of Lowell died unexpectedly Sunday afternoon at Lowell General Hospital.

She was the loving wife of Leonard D. FitzGerald with whom she would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary yesterday, July 2nd, 2019.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, February 7, 1934, Shirley was a daughter of the late Joseph and the late Irene (McNamara) Vachon.

She attended St. Michael’s Grammar school and was a graduate of Lowell High School in the Class of 1951 where she was a member of the Girl Officers.

Shirley proudly spent most of her life raising her six children along with her husband Leonard. A communicant of St. Margaret’s Church, she was also a former member of the Blessed Virgin Sodality of her parish.

A member of the Lowell YMCA, Shirley was a great supporter of several environmental and preservation organizations in the Merrimack Valley.

In addition to quality time with her family, she enjoyed traveling with her husband, dancing, winters in Florida and trips to Hampton Beach.

Besides her husband, Shirley is survived by five children James P. FitzGerald, Kathleen FitzGerald, both of Lowell, Lynne M. FitzGerald RN, of Concord, Gail FitzGerald Ostendarp and her husband Carl of Ithaca, NY and Lisa F. Wagner and her husband Joe of North Chelmsford; 16 grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; a sister-in-law Virginia FitzGerald, of Lowell; and several nieces and nephews.

She was also predeceased by her daughter Mary C. FitzGerald and her brothers William Vachon and Donald Vachon.

Friends may call at the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME 276 PAWTUCKET ST. in LOWELL from 4 to 8 P.M. Friday. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her Funeral Mass to be celebrated Saturday morning at ST. MARGARET OF SCOTLAND CHURCH at 10 o’clock followed by burial in St. Patrick Cemetery. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in her memory to the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust 660 Suffolk St #120, Lowell, MA 01854. Arrangements by Funeral Director James F. O’Donnell, Jr. (978) 458-8768.

Robert G. “Bob” Maria

Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Brother, Uncle and Local Businessman

Robert G. “Bob” Maria fell asleep in the arms of our Lord on June 29, 2019.

He was a loving husband of 56 years to Elaine Morphis Maria. Bob was born on August 2, 1939 and would have celebrated his 80th birthday next month. He was the son of the late George and Faye Maria and was a lifelong resident of Lowell, the city he so loved!

Bob was educated in Lowell Public Schools; graduating from Lowell High School in 1957. He then traveled by train for five years, as he attended Northeastern University;  He graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. In 2013 and 2015, Northeastern University honored Bob as a “Golden Graduate”. He processed into the Graduation Ceremony  simultaneously as his granddaughters were also graduating.

After college, he began working for his loving brother Fred at Central Electric Company of Lowell, MA. In 1987, Fred passed away and Bob assumed the duties of President. He renamed the company Lowell Central Electric, and expanded the business to over 45 employees. He considered ALL of them an extension of his family.

1n 1984, Bob with Elaine by his side, opened Design Lighting in North Andover, MA. The retail lighting showroom served the residential and commercial lighting needs of clients across the Merrimack Valley and the North Shore for over thirty years. It now operates as a commercial lighting office in Lowell.

Bob was a lifelong parishioner of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church of Lowell, MA where he served in many capacities over the last 56 years as Board member, Officer, current Parish Council President and Generous Benefactor. In 1985 he was honored with an induction into the Order of St. Ignatius, of which he was an esteemed member.

Bob was known for his amazing mathematical mind. He could rattle off numbers as if they were on the back of his hand. His family, employees, and fellow parishioners valued Bob’s sound advice and will forever remember him as a clear forward thinker and generous spirit. He was a true Pillar of the Community.

Bob, with his wife Elaine, cherished family time. He especially enjoyed traveling across the globe with his children and grandchildren. As busy as he was running several businesses, he always made time for his family.

Beside his wife Elaine, Bob is survived by his four children:

Donna and her husband George Christopulos of Andover, John and his wife Stacie of Lowell, Lynda and her husband Dr. Nicholas Rizos of Bedford, N.H., Julie and her husband Mike Grillakis of Lowell.

His eight grandchildren which were his pride and joy:

Maria Christopulos and her fiancé Christopher Kaminski, Kanella Christopulos, Georgina Christopulos, Christopher Rizos, Robert Rizos, George Grillakis, Elayna Grillakis and Julia Maria.

He is also survived by his dear sister, Elizabeth Gavriel of Dracut, MA and his many nieces, nephews, godchildren and cherished cousins and Aunt in Indianapolis. Robert was predeceased by his brother Frederick Maria, and sisters Josephine Nackel and Mary Saba.

Our family would like to thank his amazing doctors at Lahey Clinic; Dr. Richard Patten and Dr. Beth Bouthot. We would like to offer a special thank you to the dedicated team at DaVita Dialysis in Burlington, where he received his treatments and polished his Sudoku skills!

Friends may call at ST. GEORGE ANTIOCHIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH, 44 BOWERS ST. in LOWELL from 3 to 7 P.M. Tuesday. His Funeral Service will be held in St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock followed by his Committal Services at the Westlawn Cemetery in Lowell. E-condolences at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in his memory to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 44 Bowers St., Lowell, MA 01854. Arrangements by the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME – LOWELL (978) 458-8768.   

Ann Marie (Kelly) King

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother;

Ann Marie (Kelly) King, a life-long resident of Lowell, MA passed away peacefully on June 17, 2019 surrounded by family, after a brief illness. Ann was the adoring wife of 62 years to Denis W. King, M.D., who passed away on April 19, 2019. Her passing, less than 2 months after her beloved husband, is a testament to their shared love, respect and commitment to each other.

Born May 16, 1933 in Lowell, she was the middle daughter of the late Leo F. Kelly and the late Helen (Cassidy) Kelly. She was educated in the Lowell school system and graduated from the University of Massachusetts with an education degree. She taught elementary students in the Lowell school system for a number of years. She had volunteered with the Garden Club, the Lowell National Historic Park, the Pollard Memorial Library, the Friends of St. Joseph’s Hospital and other charitable concerns.

A member of Vesper Country Club, she came to the game of golf late in life, cherishing the friendships she forged at the Club. She was a faithful friend to many including her Bridge Club with whom she played cards, vacationed, shared memories, and counted as her pillars of support for over seven decades. An avid cook, she relished any opportunity to entertain family and friends.

Ann is survived by her children to whom she was a loving mother: Ellen King McLaughlin (Robert) of Vienna, VA, Kathleen King Anderson (Mark) of Westborough, MA, Amy King DeMilt (William) of Bernardsville, NJ, and Michael W. King (Pam) of Portland, ME; her sister-in-law Phyllis (Crotty) King; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sisters Eleanor (Kelly) Lanoue and Patricia (Kelly) Sheehan.

Friends may call at the O'DONNELL FUNERAL HOME, 276 PAWTUCKET ST., in Lowell, from 4 to 6 PM, June 23, 2019. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend her Funeral Mass to be celebrated Monday morning June 24, 2019 at the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH, at 11 AM  followed by burial in St. Mary Cemetery in No. Tewksbury. E-condolences/directions at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in her memory to the Pollard Memorial Library Foundation, 401 Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Arrangements by Funeral Director James F. O'Donnell, Jr. (978) 458-8768.