Obituary of Frederick Boyle

Frederick Thomas Boyle passed away after a long illness at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on Tuesday evening, June 22, 2010. The son of the late Charles and Martha Boyle, he was 53 years old. Fred was born in Cambridge. He was born with Down syndrome and despite his disability, led a full and active life. Fred loved sports. He followed the Patriots, Miami Dolphins Red Sox and the Yankees. He enjoyed playing softball and competed in the very first Special Olympics at Boston College. Fred loved listening to music especially the Beatles, Elvis, and music of the 50’s and 60’s. He loved being around his family and sharing in family gatherings, holidays, and special occasions. His parents devoted much of their life to Fred’s care and well being. His siblings, nieces, nephews, and many social workers continued to enrich his life. He appreciated those who assisted him and all those his life touched felt his warmth. Fred was the beloved son of the late Charles and Martha Boyle. He was the special brother of Charles Boyle & his wife Helen of Burlington, Kathleen Maloney of Barre, and the late William Boyle & his late wife Dianne. He was the uncle of Chris, Ed & Matt Boyle, Vicki McMahan, Mary Beth Helstrom, Pamela Orne, Bill, Fred & Jackie Boyle, David, Brian & Peter Maloney. He was also survived by many great nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Monday, June 28 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Sunday 3-7 p.m. Interment in the V. A. National Cemetery of Massachusetts in Bourne on Monday at 1:15 p.m. Memorials in Fred’s name may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Massachusetts Chapter, 311 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472. Eulogy On behalf of my father, and Aunt Kathy, I'd like to thank everyone for coming here today. We all know how much Uncle Fred enjoyed being at a gathering surrounded by all of his family and friends. I can just see him, sitting on a couch, after eating dinner (and properly thanking the chef for a job well done), a glass of root beer in hand, and his boom box and trusty duffle bag at his side. That duffle bag, always getting in his way, was chock full of the objects that made Freddie happiest: books, a softball and glove or a football, depending on the season, an electronic game, and of course cassettes, or later, thanks to the digital revolution, CDs, which made space for more books and CDs. Freddie loved music, from the 50s-60s and 60s-70s, Elvis and the Beatles most of all. I don't know how many times he must have asked, &quote;Do you think the Beatles will get back together?&quote; That question – “Do you think the Beatles will get back together?” – captures Uncle Fred's optimism, and the spirit and enthusiasm he put into whatever he did. Freddie loved sports. Playing softball, either at Emerson's Campground when he was a kid, or with the town of Burlington when he moved back up to Massachusetts. Let me tell you, there were few things as exciting, or terrifying, as a 10-year-old, then Uncle Fred charging at you with a football in his arms, wanting you to try to tackle him. And how many of us could go out and candlepin bowl over a hundred if we were legally blind? Freddie was proud of his educational accomplishments. The mention of his graduation from the Joyce Junior High was something that would bring out that big, beaming smile of his every time. And when he made his Confirmation, and the bishop slapped him on the face (for the younger folks, that's how it was done back then) Fred looked right at him and, with a straight face,(and plug for Aqua-Velva) said, &quote;Thanks, I needed that!&quote; I'm told the Bishop broke out laughing. Fred loved pulling practical jokes on people, sneaking up and tickling them, or planting a rubber spider or snake to give someone a scare. He always wanted to see others smile, too. He loved cradling a little baby in his arms, and giving a gentle &quote;coochie-coochie-goo,” and cracking everyone up trying to cheat at a game of Uno. Freddie loved to contribute and to help people. He might not have liked every job that he had at the ARC, but there was no doubt about how happy he was the first day he came home with a paycheck, telling everyone how proud his dad would be to see him bringing home the big bucks. I can tell you one thing, it wasn't just his dad that was proud of him. Freddie accomplished a lot in his time. They said he wouldn't walk. Well, they were partly right. He wouldn't walk—until after he had ridden his bike tires flat. Who knows how many miles he logged riding that tricycle around the block at 25th NW Court, with Jeff riding in the basket. They said he wouldn't talk. If you spent 10 minutes with Uncle Fred, you know how that turned out. It wasn’t all success, of course, but Fred could turn any experience into a positive moment. Whenever he met with a failure, his response was always, “That’s OK, I tried my hardest, didn't I?” That spirit—Fred’s spirit—meant that he was a friend to everyone. He touched people deeply, and anyone who got to know him was lucky. People loved him, and he had many families in his life. Of course, he was a brother to Chuck, his sister Kathy, and his late brother Billy; an uncle to his nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews and one of many, many cousins. He had a family in the Carrabinos, who welcomed him into their home, and a family in the many people at the ARC who worked with Fred, took care of Fred, or helped him take care of himself. All of these families will miss Fred, and are diminished by his passing, but today we can also be thankful for the gift of having known him.