'Family Came First': Western Mass Mom Killed In CT Crash Was Going Home For Daughter's Birthday 'Family Came First': Western Mass Mom Killed In CT Crash Was Going Home For Daughter's Birthday
'Family Came First': Western Mass Mom Killed In CT Crash Was Going Home For Daughter's Birthday For Paula Garcia, there was nothing more important than her family.  The Hampshire County, Massachusetts, mother of three lived for her children, her husband Joe Bock said in an interview with the Daily Voice.  Paula was killed Tuesday, Jan. 9, while returning to her Easthampton home after the car she was in was hit by a tractor-trailer in Hartford, Connecticut, state police said.  It was her daughter Alba's 13th birthday, Bock said. Paula's birthday was a day later.  Paula Garcia poses for a photo with her children — Alba, age 13, Matteo, 9, and Lia…
'Nothing But A Gentleman': Funeral Set For Braintree Man, 85, Killed In House Fire 'Nothing But A Gentleman': Funeral Set For Braintree Man, 85, Killed In House Fire
'Nothing But A Gentleman': Funeral Set For Braintree Man, 85, Killed In House Fire Friends of a Braintree man who died in an overnight housefire on Sunday, Dec. 30, shared their love of the 85-year-old 'gentleman' at a gathering earlier this week, but now they will say goodbyes.   A wake for John 'Sean' Sullivan has been set for Sunday, Jan. 7, at 4-8 p.m. at Cartwright Funeral Home in Braintree. His funeral will follow on Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church on Washington Street in Braintree.  Fire investigators have narrowed down the cause of the blaze at his Hobart Avenue home to either an electric fire or a space heater placed too close to combustible mat…
'Funniest Person In World': 70-Year-Old Man Dies Near Wellesley College 'Funniest Person In World': 70-Year-Old Man Dies Near Wellesley College
'Funniest Person In World': 70-Year-Old Man Dies Near Wellesley College A 70-year-old died while walking near Wellesley College on Wednesday morning, Dec. 27. Silas Logan was found unresponsive by officers who arrived at a slightly wooded area on Central Street near Weston Road shortly after 9 a.m., the Essex District Attorney’s Office told MassLive. A person who reported the incident was performing CPR when officers responded to the scene and took over lifesaving measures, Wellesley police said. The Wellesley fire department and paramedics continued medical care, but Logan died on the scene, authorities said. Wellesley police, state police, and Wellesley Co…
Murder-Suicide: Couple ID'd As Bodies Found On Dirt Road In Millis, DA Says Murder-Suicide: Couple ID'd As Bodies Found On Dirt Road In Millis, DA Says
Murder-Suicide: Couple ID'd As Bodies Found On Dirt Road In Millis, DA Says The bodies of a man and woman found by a Millis town employee on a remote dirt road off Route 15 have been identified. Investigators say the cause of death is a domestic murder-suicide.  Tanaia Wilkinson, 25, and Michael Fischella, 32, were found Sunday morning, Dec. 17. Both had been shot near their car in a desolate area away from the road, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said.  An autopsy determined that Fischella killed Wilkinson before turning the gun on himself, the prosecutor said. It's unclear why he did it.  Related: Man, Woman's Body Found In Remote…
'Kind-Hearted, Creative Soul': Theatre Community Remembers Boston Woman, Mom Of 3 'Kind-Hearted, Creative Soul': Theatre Community Remembers Boston Woman, Mom Of 3
'Kind-Hearted, Creative Soul': Theatre Community Remembers Boston Woman, Mom Of 3 A Boston woman who died shortly after giving birth to her baby boy is being remembered by loved ones and the theatre community she was heavily a part of as “a kind-hearted and creative soul.” Elise O'Hara, 37, formerly of Wellesley, died on Tuesday, Dec. 12, after the birth of her third child, Michael, at Beth Israel Medical Center. “The O'Hara Family has always been kind and selfless members of the Church and the community, please consider helping them pay for the necessary child care and funeral services in this incredibly trying time,” a GoFundMe created to help O’Hara’s family said. O’…
Fundraiser For Family Of Waltham Officer Killed In Line Of Duty Created Fundraiser For Family Of Waltham Officer Killed In Line Of Duty Created
Fundraiser For Family Of Waltham Officer Killed In Line Of Duty Created A fundraiser has been created for the family of a Waltham police officer who was killed in the line of duty earlier this month in a hit-and-run crash that left another person dead and two others hospitalized.  Officer Paul Tracey was killed on Dec. 6 while managing traffic at a National Grid job site. Utility employee Roderick "Kito" Jackson was also killed when a man crashed into them and kept driving.  Running 4 Heroes created the fundraiser to benefit Tracey's family. The organization raises money for first responders killed in the line of duty. The group has raised more than $…
Body Of Western Mass US Airman Returns Home; How To Take Part In Honor Procession Body Of Western Mass US Airman Returns Home; How To Take Part In Honor Procession
Body Of Western Mass US Airman Returns Home; How To Take Part In Honor Procession The body of a Berkshire County-born US Airman killed in Japan will return home on Friday, Dec. 15, and the community has planned a public funeral procession to honor his sacrifice.  Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher, age 24, of Pittsfield, died when the Osprey he was in crashed near the island of Yakushima, Japan, on Nov. 29 during a training exercise. He was one of eight American service members killed in the accident.  Galliher leaves behind a wife and two sons — ages 2 and a newborn.  Related: 'He Was The Best Of Us': US Airman, Pittsfield Native Killed In Japan Galliher's …
'Loyal, Genuine, Kind': Fundraiser For Family Of State Trooper Who Died Suddenly Nears Goal 'Loyal, Genuine, Kind': Fundraiser For Family Of State Trooper Who Died Suddenly Nears Goal
'Loyal, Genuine, Kind': Fundraiser For Family Of State Trooper Who Died Suddenly Nears Goal A GoFundMe for a Massachusetts State Trooper who died unexpectedly last month has raised more than $68,000 for his wife and two young children. The fundraiser hopes to generate $75,000 to help them as they transition.  Sgt. Gregory Furtado, a State Trooper since 2006, died overnight on Nov. 30. The cause of his death has not been released. Furtado had served as the leader of the narcotics task force for the Cape and Island District Attorney's Office.  Related: Active Duty State Trooper Sgt. Dies Unexpectedly His sister-in-law Anna Qualls created the GoFundMe to help her si…
'Forever Loved': Northeast Tech Senior Killed In Crash Remembered As Loving, Caring Friend 'Forever Loved': Northeast Tech Senior Killed In Crash Remembered As Loving, Caring Friend
'Forever Loved': Northeast Tech Senior Killed In Crash Remembered As Loving, Caring Friend Friends and family of an 18-year-old high school senior from Malden who died in a Middleton crash last week said he was someone you could always rely on.  Robert “Bobby” Giardino, 18, died Wednesday night, Dec. 6, after the pickup truck he was driving with three teens veered off the road into the woods, hit several trees, and rolled onto its roof, MassLive reported. Besides Giardino, another 18-year-old, and two 17-year-olds were rushed to local hospitals. Officials have not released their names or conditions.  Related: Northeast Metro Tech Senior From Malden Killed In Middleton…
'Taken Too Soon': Greenville Native, Northeastern Student Dies Of Meningitis 'Taken Too Soon': Greenville Native, Northeastern Student Dies Of Meningitis
'Taken Too Soon': Greenville Native, Northeastern Student Dies Of Meningitis The family of a 21-year-old Greenville native said their 21-year-old son had a bright future ahead of him that was snuffed out when he died unexpectedly of bacterial meningitis.  Shane McCarthy was a junior business administration student at Northeastern University who graduated from Deerfield Academy. He died on Nov. 30.  It's unclear where he contracted the deadly virus, but the school said his friends and those who may have come into contact with him have been tested and treated as a precaution.  "Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and loved ones of Shane McCarthy,…
Community 'Heartbroken' After Mass Woman Killed By Shark In Bahamas Community 'Heartbroken' After Mass Woman Killed By Shark In Bahamas
Community 'Heartbroken' After Mass Woman Killed By Shark In Bahamas Coworkers and friends of the 44-year-old Massachusetts woman who was killed by a shark while on vacation in the Bahamas say they are heartbroken and shocked by her death.  Lauren Van Wart, of Lowell, located northwest of Boston, was attacked by a shark on Monday, Dec. 4, about a mile from Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort while she was paddleboarding with a relative, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said.  Van Wart worked at Curriculum Associates, an educational material company in Billerica. Rob Waldron, CEO of the company, said she was a beloved member of the company.  …
Connecticut Native Norman Lear, Iconic Sitcom Producer, Dies Connecticut Native Norman Lear, Iconic Sitcom Producer, Dies
Connecticut Native Norman Lear, Iconic Sitcom Producer, Dies Legendary television producer Norman Lear died after a lifetime of laughter surrounded by family on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at his home in Los Angeles of natural causes, according to his obituary. He was 101 years old. Lear, known for creating such iconic situation comedies as "All In the Family," and "Maude," was born in Connecticut in 1922 in New Haven, the eldest child of Jeanette and Hyman "Herman" Lear, a traveling salesman. He grew up in a Jewish household. When Lear was 9 years old and living in Massachusetts with his family in Chelsea in Suffolk County, his father went to prison…