Around Town

OBIT: Walter Maximenko, 73, Machinist at U.S. Army Arsenal

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Walter G. Maximenko, 73, passed away from COPD on November 2, 2024, at Northern Light Mayo Hospital, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1951. He grew up in Roslindale, MA and spent his teenage years in Williams, CA and then Reno, NV. He went to Watertown in 1976 to visit his parents, who were living on Bradford Road, where he met his future wife, Charlene. After being in the United States Coast Guard from 1977 to 1981, 3.5 years aboard the USCGC Chase, he became a machinist and worked at the U.S. Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center, also known as the Watertown Arsenal.

Around Town

OBIT: Elaine (Walsh) Conley, WHS Grad, Mother of Four

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Elaine M. (Walsh) Conley, 52, of Topsfield, died Saturday, October 26, 2024 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston following a year-long battle with leukemia. She was the wife of the late Chelsea Police Detective Scott M. Conley, who predeceased her on March 15, 2024. Born in Waltham on March 22, 1972, she was the daughter of the late William Walsh and Marie (Graham) Walsh of Burlington (partner John Aste). In addition to her mother, she leaves four beautiful children, Aidan, Max, Keira, and Shea Conley, all of Topsfield, whom she adored above all. She was raised and educated in Watertown, was a graduate of Watertown High School and furthered her education with a Bachelor’s Degree from Bridgewater State College and a Master’s Degree from Tufts University. She then went on to pursue a career as an Occupational Therapist.

Obituaries

OBIT: Mark Santamaria, 64, Animal Lover, Worked with Special Needs Adults

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Mark Santamaria

Mark Santamaria, age 64, of Watertown, Massachusetts, sadly passed away on June 22, 2024, unexpectedly. 

Mark is preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Virginia Santamaria of Monument Beach, Cape Cod, and survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Christine Mason of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, his aunt Joanne Santamaria Ferguson of Upton, Massachusetts, and his niece and nephew Michele Taylor and Daniel Mason of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mark grew up in Newton and went to Newton High School. He graduated from Worcester State College with a bachelor’s degree Human Services. He spent many years taking care of adults with special needs. Mark was an avid animal lover, but especially loved his cat, Little who will miss him very much.

Around Town

OBIT: Robert Weeden, 83, Vietnam Veteran, Longtime Volunteer, Worked at Polaroid

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Robert Weeden

Robert J Weeden of Watertown passed away on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, from a brief illness at the age of 83. He was born in September 13,1940 to Robert E. and Olga M. Weeden of Watertown. Beloved husband of the late Linda E. Weeden. Father to Paul Weeden and wife, Julie of Watertown and Erik Weeden and wife Lynn of Hopedale. Grandfather to Tage Weeden and Davin Weeden of Watertown along with Jenna Weeden and Ashley Weeden of Hopedale.

Around Town

OBIT: Henry “Herb” Applin, 86, Member of Bluegrass Hall of Fame

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Henry “Herb” Applin

Henry Herbert (“Herb”) Applin, 86, passed away peacefully on June 29th, 2024 at Sunny Acres Nursing and Rehab in Chelmsford, MA with his family by his side. Herb was born on April 10, 1938 in Boston to Herb and Hilda Applin of Watertown, MA. Herb graduated from Watertown High School, Class of 1956, and went on to earn his BA in Business at the University of Maine at Orono in 1960. He obtained a Certificate in Accounting from Bentley College and his MBA from Babson College in May of 1973. He was a member of the Massachusetts National Guard, serving for six years.

Around Town

OBIT: Raya Stern, 87, Watertown Library Trustee for More Than 3 Decades

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Raya Stern

Former Watertown resident and longtime Watertown Library Trustee Raya Stern died on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the age of 87. Born in Germany, she and her family fled to the United States in 1938. Stern earned degrees in mathematics and moved to Watertown in 1963, where she lived there for almost six decades. Stern served on the Board of Library Trustees for the Watertown Free Public Library for 32 years, and the trustees room at the library was named in her honor. She was also was a President and dedicated member of Watertown’s League of Women Voters of Massachusetts chapter.

Around Town

World in Watertown Remembers Board Member Susan Klaw

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Susan Klaw

By Chuck Dickinson

Former and current members of the World in Watertown Board of Directors were deeply saddened by the passing of their friend and colleague, Susan Klaw. Susan died peacefully at home at age 74 from ALS on December 23, 2023. There will be a memorial service on January 13th at 3 p.m. at the First Parish of Watertown Unitarian Universalist, 35 Church Street, Watertown. Susan was an active and engaged force with World in Watertown, and served on the Board of Directors for many years. She was always an active participant in meetings and many of World in Watertown events and programs (e.g., Unity Breakfast). She provided special leadership for World in Watertown’s sponsorship (with Friends of Project Literacy) of a naturalization ceremony and voter registration, a life-changing event for 200 immigrants from 50 different countries. She also played a key role in the transition of Board leadership from the “old guard” who had founded WiW to a new generation of community leaders in Watertown.

Around Town

OBIT: Carol Lee Hattaway, 80, Member of Board for Many of Sons’ Activities, Worked with Seniors

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Carol Hattaway

Carol Lee Hattaway, 80 years old, passed away Saturday, November 18, 2023 at Heather Glen in Arden, North Carolina. She was the daughter of the late William J. and Jeannette (Butterfield) Coumans of Needham and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Carol was born February 1, 1943 in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania and graduated from Needham High School in 1961 and then Vermont College, Montpelier, Vermont in 1963 where she began her career as an executive assistant and married her late husband Charles Leon Hattaway Jr., a Norwich University graduate, in 1964. Over the span of their 56-year marriage, they had lived in Massachusetts, New York, Maine, New Mexico, Sarasota, Florida, and Arden, North Carolina. Carol was very involved with raising her sons, Bradford and Douglas, supporting their numerous activities by participating on the governing boards of little league baseball, ice hockey, serving as a den mother in Cub Scouts, as well as, working within the Boy Scouts of America, their various community youth groups, Sunday school teaching, and school musical band.