Remembering Patrick Fiorello

Patrick Fiorello and his wife Mary in their 1929 Ford Model A. Photo courtesy Joe Fiorello.

The following obituary was submitted for publication by Joe Fiorello, son of Patrick Fiorello.

Patrick J. Fiorello, 85, of Medford, Massachusetts and Sarasota, Florida and most recently of Rochester Hills, Michigan, died peacefully on November 4, 2007 with members of his family at his side.

Active in local politics, Mr. Fiorello was a three time mayoral candidate in the City of Medford. His political activism often sparked debate among local lawmakers. Of late, he was devoted to issues relating to senior citizens.

As an amateur filmmaker for more than 60 years, he chronicled both his family history and events both local and national with hundreds of hours of video and film which have been broadcast on local television in Medford, MA and Somerville, MA and Sarasota, FL.

For many years Pat and Tina hosted more than a hundred former residents of Boston’s West End Club on national and international tours and travel organized through Little Flower Travelers. He was an avid gardener and planted many trees and shrubs throughout the City of Medford. He could often be seen driving his 1929 Ford to community events and at antique auto shows throughout New England.

During World War II, he worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Boston. For more than 40 years he was employed in the in the aerospace industry, at M.I.T.’s Instrumentation Labs and later at Draper Labs in Cambridge, MA. He had been an employee of the Park Patrol Unit of the Medford Police Department. As a member of St. James Parish for nearly 50 years, he was active in the Holy Name Society and was a Boy Scout Leader for troop #426.

He was the son of the late Vincenza (Della Cava) and the late Giuseppe Fiorello of Boston, MA and Messina Sicily. In addition to his wife Mary C. Fiorello (Tina Di Francesco), he is survived by his daughter, Patricia and her husband Alan Wittenbach; his son, Joe Fiorello and his partner Brian Hyde; his grandchildren Ann and Greg Ehlert and Christine and Jonathan Wood and three Great Grandchildren: Clara Wood, Sean Wood and Catina Ehlert.

A memorial mass will be celebrated at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Mid-Century Fund at The Boston Foundation, 75 Arlington Street, Boston MA 02116.