Obituary of Angelo Caldarone

Angelo F. Caldarone, a retired employee of MIT Lincoln Laboratory passed away peacefully on Tuesday afternoon, March 8, 2016. He was 89 years old. Angelo was born in Boston, the son of Rocco and Lucy Caldarone. He grew up and was educated in the North End of Boston in a culture full of Italian traditions. He could speak Italian as easily as English. He proudly served his country in the Army during WW II. He served in the Western Pacific Theater of Operation and was the recipient of the WW II Victory Medal and Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal. He learned the importance of providing for one’s family, working hard at work and around your home. That was simply how Angelo lived his life. Angelo worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington as an Electronic Technician. Over the years he worked on many space related programs and other projects that are still classified. He enjoyed his work and his coworkers. It gave him great pride and satisfaction that his work contributed to the safety and well being of his country. Angelo’s life revolved around his “Girls” which was his wife Edith and three daughters. He worked extra hours and carefully managed his finances so that he could provide for them as well as give them the extra special items that he went without as a child. He moved to Burlington in the 1960’s. His home was always filled with music from great artists like Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and other great singers of that generation. Angelo was bit of a musician as well and loved playing his harmonica for family and friends. He was also a longtime loyal Red Sox Fan. He was so proud of his grandchildren who affectionately called him “Pop” and was so happy to become a great grandfather as well. Angelo was the beloved husband of the late Edith A. (Apperger) Caldarone. He was the loving father of Sonya Sicari & her husband Domenic of Lexington, Susan Reidy & her husband Robert of Woburn, and Alice McCaffrey & her husband Donald of Litchfield, NH. He was predeceased by his siblings; James and Constance Caldarone. He was the proud grandfather of Michael Reidy & his wife Christina of Woburn, Donald A. McCaffrey of Litchfield, NH, and Davina Sicari of Lexington and great grandfather of Lucy Reidy. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128/95, Woburn side) on Saturday, March 12 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Barbara’s Church, 138 Cambridge Rd, Woburn at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Friday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington. Retired MIT Lincoln Laboratory employee. Eulogy For Angelo Caldarone March 12,2016 On September 18,1926 two important events occurred. The Great Miami Hurricane,which to this day is the most costly hurricane in U.S. history and Angelo Caldarone was born in the North End in, Boston. We knew at this moment things were about to change. The world now had Angelo Caldarone. He grew up in very humble beginnings along with his two younger siblings, his sister Connie and his brother James. As a young child he attended St. Anthony’s Elementary School in the North End. As many young children of Italian immigrants, Angelo spoke Italian and English. During his years living in the North End he and his family moved to different addresses. Among them were Fleet Street, and Sheafe Street. He was close to his grandparents on his mother’s side. His grandfather was a fisherman and Angelo spent many hours with his grandfather. As is now many families are single parent families. Angelo too became part of a one parent family which changed his life forever. With only his mother and two siblings, Angelo became the family supporter at a young age. His life was now changed and it was not about him but it was about his family. He was now the person in charge of supporting them. With this new responsibility life changed and he could no longer go to school,because of his work duties. He worked long and hard at many jobs that did not pay much, but it was better than nothing. The value of hard work was something that was part of Angelo form a very young age. Life was not all work and no play. There were times when Angelo would be on roller skates with slippery metal wheels, in the streets of the North End with his brother Jim. There were other times when he would meet friends and they would sing together as he played his famed harmonica. He loved his harmonica. He and his friends also got a chance to record some songs. Other passions he enjoyed were the songs from the big band and swing era. His favorite stars amongst many were, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington,Ella Fitzgerald, Bille Holiday, as well as both Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey. It was during his engagement with music that Angelo was transported from his hard everyday world to a world that was perfect. His love and passion for his music remained with him to the end. As time progressed world issues were happening. One of them which was World War II. On December 7,1941 the United States was attacked in Pearl Harbor and we were now officially engaged in war. On January 30,1945 Angelo enlisted in the U.S. Army. His enlistment in Japan was for the duration of the World War II and other emergencies, plus six months. Fortunately World War II ended on August 6, 1945. After the war a new chapter began for Angelo. He completed his GED and got his high school diploma. Life was finally about to change. During the next few years he would work in warehouses and local businesses still supporting his family and saving every dollar he could to improve himself. At the same time his brother Jim,who was now older was contributing to the family finances taking some of the stress off of Angelo. In the mid fifties Angelo took an interest to electronics and decided to use some of his savings and take night courses in electronics which would help improve his living standards leading to a better job. He achieved his goal and was now professionally repairing tv’s and radios. As life was improving he bought a new 1958 Chevy Belair.The freedom of traveling out of Boston and exploring the suburbs was now possible. During one of his explorations to the suburbs he discovered Burlington.This was a far stretch from where he grew up in the North End. He stumbled upon a new subdivision that was being built and with the savings he had put aside, had done what everyone wanted. In 1959 “The American Dream” was now Angelo’s greatest achievement. He moved into his brand new home at 20 James Street. He had the half acre, the lawn and for the first time in his life he was very happy. For a while he had his sister and mom living with him, but being isolated and alone during the day when Angelo was at work, they missed the North End, where you knew everyone and could walk everywhere. They moved back to Boston and Angelo remained in Burlington. During this period and for many years in the future he supported his mother and sister. The house was empty as a bachelor. Angelo needed to make the house a home. Within a few months he met his future beautiful young German wife Edith who had been in the U.S. only a few years. They married and the house soon became a home. The next big storm came. Her name was Sonya. She was later joined with the birth of her sisters, Susan and Alice. Life was good, but the economy changed, it was 1972 the U.S. was in a major recession and inflation was high. Angelo got bad news. He was laid off from his job. What would he do? How could he pay his mortgage and take care of his family? As luck would have it, in 1972 he went to the barber to get a hair cut. As he was getting his hair cut someone mentioned there were job openings for electronic technicians at M.I.T.’S Lincoln Labs in Bedford. Angelo was hired immediately. Life was back on track and better than ever. His position made him proud. He now was involved building electrical harnesses and different electrical components that would be part of Skylab, many satellites, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and space telescopes. On January 19,1980 I met Sonya. It was finally on February 14,1980 I met the whole family. The following year they were all part of my family Sonya was now my wife. As the years progressed the family grew. Susan married Rob and along with Michael another family started. Alice married Don and along with Donnie another branch of the family formed. Later in 1991 Sonya and I had a beautiful daughter Davina in our life and we finally had our complete family. Angelo and Edith were now grandparents to two boys and a girl. In the many years I have known Angelo his strength was his wife Edith. She was a very caring and kind mother to her children, grandmother to her grandchildren, and very kind to me as her son in law. Most importantly she was the strength behind Angelo. I remember many occasions with Angelo one was the time when he and his brother Jim rented a small boat to go fishing off of Salem Willows. Guess who was with them ?Yes this was to be my bonding experience with my future father in law. As many of you know I love the ocean. But I can't swim. It is comical now but at the time I wanted to jump off the boat. Angelo wanted to go one direction and his brother wanted to go in another direction. PAGE 2 After literally going around in circles with the boat for an hour they settled their feud and we finally stated fishing. Another time on one of many family outings going to places like the White Mountains, or Story Land the same thing happened only this time it was in a car. These guys were to proud to ask for directions. As the years passed so did Angelo’s twenty years at Lincoln Labs. On June 17,1992 Angelo, of Lincoln Laboratory Group 72, retired. The following years would go by quick. Angelo would spend most of his time doing household chores, to do lists, mowing the lawn, and visiting Lincoln Labs occasionally meeting up with other retired coworkers at the “Officer’s Club” for lunch. On occasion he and Edith would take drives to Newburyport or Maine. They did get the opportunity to travel to Edith’s native Germany were they got to visit family. In the late nineties Edith would find herself getting in poorer health. She had suffered from multiple illnesses and needed to go to the doctor often for observation. On July 2, 2002 Heaven opened its gates and Edith was now its latest member. God had with him a very lovely and caring person who was too young to leave us. Life for her family and especially Angelo who he called her by her pet name his “Little Shoutzy” would never be the same. Angelo had his family, but his true love was no longer there. Like all normal couples, they had their spats. Has anyone seen an Italian and a German arguing? It was passionate, but when it ended you knew they were made for each other. Through the next years Angelo was still living alone in his house. The years were showing, but being stubborn he wanted to continue his life as usual, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, and cleaning gutters. Eventually after a long winter in 2010 he moved to Brightview in Woburn. There was an entire house filled with many years of items. Now began the caring part of his family to take care of him. This would not be an easy task. In Angelo like fashion he wanted to hold on to everything in the house. Moving into a one bedroom apartment that would be impossible. On one occasion he wanted to know where his lawn mower and snow blower were. He literally said we should have brought them to his living room. Eventually he settled in, but now a new chapter had begun in his life. He had to sell his car. He could no longer drive, and life as he knew it was changing. During some of my visits with him he would mention how “these old people” living at Brightview were coo-koo. Why am I with all of these old people? During the last 18 months life was getting difficult. The things that Angelo could do easily were getting hard or impossible to do. Realty was hitting. The calls from care givers were coming often. More time was being spent at hospitals and rehab. He moved to Sunrise in Burlington on September but as time progressed during his last few months he could here his “Little Shoutzy” calling for him. On Tuesday afternoon she took his hand and they walked to heaven together. PAGE