Kevin A. Bilotas of Quincy passed away after a courageous battle with cancer on Sept. 27, 2023 at his home after much support from his family, he was 68.
Kevin A. Bilotas
He is survived by his husband Paul Keefe of Quincy. Son of the late Arthur L. Bilotas and Eunice H. (Wolfe) Bilotas. Loving brother of Terri White and her husband Bob White of Weymouth, Ron Bilotas of Boston, Laura Bilotas of Quincy and Rob Bilotas and his wife Kathy of Braintree. He is also survived by is brother in law Rick Keefe and his wife Tricha of Weymouth and John Keefe and his wife Jenn of Maine.
Kevin fought his cancer fiercely… chemo and experimental drugs in hope of adding a little more living and helping others with the research! He was always bribing the nurses with candy and muffins and small gifts hoping to get a window seat while receiving his chemotherapy. Kevin a strong work ethic and retired from the Marriott after 40 years. A strong swimmer, Kevin loved swimming at Wellfleet beaches, where he had a summer home. He also enjoyed swimming in Quincy Bay for hours, walking in any wooded area and breathing the fresh air, gave him peace of mind. Nothing was more important than his family and his friends! Kevin was quite the artist.
He enjoyed gardening and antiquing. His message to all is to live life! Life is not a dress rehearsal!
Arrangements were completed by Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., Quincy.
William A. Turner, age 79, a lifelong resident of Quincy, died peacefully, Thursday, September 21, 2023 at CareOne at Randolph, surrounded by his loving family.
William A. Turner
Bill was born in Quincy, to the late William A. Turner and Mary (Laplume) Costello. Raised and educated there, he was a graduate of North Quincy High School, Class of 1962. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Villanova University, Class of 1966, where he also played trombone in the band.
Bill had a lifelong love for technology and computers, and was employed as a systems analyst and IT professional for many years. He enjoyed working with his hands and was skilled at carpentry.
Beloved husband for thirty-nine years of Judith A. (Fellows) Turner.
Devoted father of Elizabeth Turner and her husband Seth Dewey of Nashua, N.H., Catherine Turner Willmunder and her husband Richard of Ladera Ranch, Calif., Timothy Klemp and his wife Debra of Wareham, and Jason Klemp and his wife Jessica of Onset.
Loving grandfather of Jackson and Dashiell Turner Willmunder, Patrick and William Klemp, Jason, Jr. and Jenna Klemp.
Bill is also survived by Finneas the cat.
Memorial Funeral Services will be conducted at the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Avenue, Quincy, on Monday, October 9, at 10:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Memorial Visitation prior to the service from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
For those who wish, donations in William’s memory may be made to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 or www.dana-farber.org.
You are invited to visit www.thesweeneybrothers.com or call 617-472-6344.
Marie L. (Duggan) Keefe, of Quincy, passed peacefully on September 26, 2023, she was 90.
Marie L. Keefe
The beloved wife of the late Arthur B. Keefe. Loving mother of Annie M. Dutton and her husband Scotty of Milton and Kathleen M. Sullivan and her husband David of South Boston. Sister of Robert Duggan and his wife Maryanne of Weymouth and the late Harry Duggan and his wife Pat Duggan of Squantum. Cherished Nanny of Haley Dutton of Milton and Patrick and Christopher Sullivan of South Boston. Sister in law of Jane Rinck and her husband Philip of Waltham.
Marie was originally from South Boston and proud of her Irish heritage. She had a special place in her heart for her Gate of Heaven Parish. Marie enjoyed sewing and crafting. She was proud to say she worked for more than 30 years at New England Telephone, but nothing was more important than her grandchildren, she was so very proud of each of them.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Monday 9-10 AM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:45 AM on Monday prior to the Funeral Mass in Sacred Heart Church, Quincy at 10:30 AM. Burial in Pine Hill Cemetery, Quincy.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Marie may be made to Gate of Heaven Parish, 615 East 4th Street, South Boston, MA 02127. See www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.
Adam W. DeBoer, of Weymouth, formerly of Quincy, died peacefully, surrounded by his family on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at the South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. He was 46.
Adam W. DeBoer
Adam was born in Weymouth on October 21, 1976. He was raised in North Quincy, attended local schools, and graduated from North Quincy High School with the Class of 1994. Adam was a member of UA Pipefitters Local 537.
Adam loved to travel and experience new places. He was also an avid sports fan.
Adam was loyal, determined, comical, and had a great sense of humor. He will be missed by all the lives he touched.
Adam was a cherished son of Robert “Gus” and Jeanne (Wood) DeBoer of Quincy. He was the devoted brother of Erik DeBoer and his wife Christine of Quincy and Todd DeBoer of Quincy.Adam was the loving godfather and uncle of Kyle DeBoer of Quincy, and is also survived by many loving extended family members and friends.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Thursday, October 5, 2023, 4-7 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., Quincy.
His funeral service and interment are private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Adam’s name to: Santa’s Helpers C/O Mike Falco, 44 Orchard Dr., Pembroke, MA 02359.
Carol A. (Chenette) Blowers, of Hingham, formerly Quincy, died September 26, 2023.
Carol A. Blowers
Carol adored her family and was a great cook and baker. She became a registered nurse after raising her 6 children. She graduated in 1989 and worked for Manet Community Health Center for 28 years ending her career as a school nurse at Holy Trinity Church in Harwich. Carol lived in Houghs Neck for 55 years before moving to Harwich for 16 years with her husband Bob. She enjoyed many great friends on the Cape and loved bowling on Fridays. She was welcoming, giving, and a compassionate woman who would do anything for anyone. She will be greatly missed by all her friends and all who knew her.
Beloved wife of 57 years to Robert Blowers. Loving mother of Robert Blowers and his wife Danielle of North Weymouth, Mark Blowers and his wife Wendy of Harmony, ME, Susan Mellor and her husband Kevin of Quincy, Pamela Campbell and her husband Edward of Quincy, Catherine Hinthorne and her partner Ray Lazcano of Norwell, and Patricia MacNeil and her husband John of Quincy. Cherished sister of Dan, David, Paul, Frank, Richard Chenette, and Elizabeth Lee. Sister of the late Robert, Jack and Mike Chenette. Loving “Nana Carol” to 15 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Also survived many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Monday 4-7 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:30 AM on Tuesday prior to the Funeral Mass in Holy Trinity Parish at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, Houghs Neck, Quincy at 10:30 AM. Cremation will follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Carol may be made to Alzheimers Assn., MA Chapter, 309 Waverley Oaks Rd., Waltham, MA 02452. See www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.
Marion F. “Sugar” (Driscoll) Flavin, of Quincy, died peacefully on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at the Grove Manor Estates in Braintree. She was 87.
Marion F. ‘Sugar’ Flavin
Sugar was born in Boston on June 22, 1936, and was the daughter of the late Joseph and Alta (Wheeler) Driscoll.
Marion was a long-time employee of the City of Quincy. She served in many roles, from working with early childhood education, to the teen mother program, and eventually retiring after many years with the Quincy Health Department. In retirement she also was an election official at the Thomas Crane library polling location.
Sugar was an active communicant at St. Boniface Parish in Quincy as a Eucharistic Minister and was also involved with religious education programs. She assisted the scouts, the annual carnival, and any other event where volunteers were needed.
Marion was an avid Red Sox fan and a proud supporter of any activity her children or grandchildren were taking part in. She would also never turn down a good game of Bingo, or a bus trip to Foxwoods.
Sugar was the beloved wife of the late Francis E. “Frank” Flavin, who died in 2022. The two shared 57 loving years of marriage. She was the devoted mother of James R. Flavin and his wife Joyce of Canton, Shaun M. Flavin and his wife Mary of Easton, and Edward F. Flavin and his fiancée Jennifer Fay of Quincy. Sugar was the loving grandmother of Keith, Ian, Kerry, Abby, Jack, Connor, Christian, Coryn, Caroline, and James. The loving great grandmother of Mason, McKenna, Jude, Ollie, and Nolan. Sugar was preceded in death by her siblings: Joseph J. Driscoll Jr., Alta Tatrault, Eleanor Hutchinson, Rita Driscoll, Francis Driscoll, John E. Driscoll, Roger T. Driscoll, Barbara Driscoll, Eileen Driscoll, and Paul Driscoll. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 4-8 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9 AM on Thursday, October 5, 2023, prior to the Funeral Mass in Holy Trinity Parish at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Quincy at 10 AM.
Services will conclude with interment in Pine Hill Cemetery, Quincy.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Marion’s name to Interfaith Social Services, 105 Adams Street, Quincy, MA 02169.
See www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.
Thomas J. “Tom” Heffernan Jr., formerly of Quincy, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. He was 60.
Thomas J. Heffernan Jr.
Tom was born in Boston on August 28, 1963, and was the son of the late Thomas J. and Mary Ann (Quinn) Heffernan. He was raised in Quincy, attended local schools, and graduated from North Quincy High School. Following high school, Tom went to work for the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company. He retired after 34 years of service to the community.
Tom was a friend of Bill W. and helped a countless number of people through their own journey! He was a loving and caring son, father, and brother, and will be missed by all the lives he touched.
Tom was the devoted father of Kelsey Heffernan of Alaska, Shane Heffernan, Abigail Heffernan, and Matthew Heffernan, all of Pembroke. He was the loving brother of Donna Steinbach and her husband Russell of Dorchester, William Heffernan of Hingham, and Kevin Heffernan of Middleboro. Tom was also blessed to have 8 nieces and nephews, one great nephew and one great niece that all loved him so much because of his loving heart and giving spirit. His spirit will live on forever inside anyone that came in touch with Big Tom.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 4-8 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9 AM on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, prior to the Funeral Mass at Divine Mercy Parish in St. Ann’s Church, Quincy at 10 AM. Cremation will follow.
Tom will be interred privately in St. Mary’s Cemetery, West Roxbury.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Tom’s name to Old Colony Hospice, 321 Manley St., W. Bridgewater, MA 02379-1022.
See www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.
RENOVATIONS are planned for the 19th century home at 47-49 Spear St. (pictured) and a home at adjacent 45 Spear St. to create new affordable housing units. The homes were purchased using $2.1 million in Affordable Housing Trust Committee monies and they will be renovated with Community Preservation Committee funding. Quincy Sun Photo/Scott Jackson
By SCOTT JACKSON
Quincy officials on Wednesday announced plans to renovate a pair of historic homes on Spear Street in Quincy Center to provide between eight and thirteen units of affordable housing.
“Today for me is a twofer,” said Mayor Thomas Koch. “We’re talking about doing some affordable units while preserving a historic structure.”
Plans for the properties at 45 and 47-49 Spear St. were unveiled at Wednesday’s announcement. The city acquired the properties earlier in September for a combined $2.1 million, using funds from the Affordable Housing Trust.
The home at 47-49 Spear St. was originally built in the early 1800s by Seth Spear and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, Koch said. The house at neighboring 45 Spear St. was built in 1910, according to the city’s online property records.
Speaking during the announcement, Koch said not every historic structure in the city can be saved, but it makes sense to do so in the case of the Spear Street properties.
“Spear Street is an interesting street. It’s got a mixture of types of housing and I know the neighborhood felt inundated when there was a proposal here just a few years back to put some 34 units on this site, and it would have had a dramatic impact on this site and the neighborhood,” he said.
“It’s not far from the historic district of Quincy Center or the transportation hub with Quincy Center station, but nonetheless it’s a little further into the neighborhood from the core of the center. Recognizing the sensitivity of that, recognizing the importance of the historic aspect of it and recognizing the need to continue to come up with workforce and affordable housing, we thought this was an easy one to pursue.”
ARTIST’s rendering showing conceptual plans for the properties at 47-49 Spear St. (left) and 45 Spear St. (right) once the renovations are finished. Work could begin on the buildings next spring and it is expected to take a year to complete.
With the buildings acquired, the mayor said the city would work with an architect to come up with plans to renovate the spaces. The city plans to use Community Preservation Committee funding to pay for the renovations.
“It’s early on in the process,” Koch said. “We’ve secured the building at this point and we’ll begin the process now working with the architect, getting the pricing down, the estimates down, going to Community Preservation Committee and then begin the process of the construction.”
The city hopes to begin work on the renovations in the spring and will take about a year to complete, Koch said. He added it was too soon to say what the price tag for the renovations will be.
Once complete, the new units will be for Quincy residents only, the mayor said.
“I’m really not interested in finding a house for somebody from Springfield,” Koch said. “This project is going to be Quincy people only.
“I said respectfully to the state there is no state money involved here, it’s all local money, so I think the people of our city should come first.”
The city will likely reach an agreement with the Quincy Housing Authority or an entity like NeighborWorks to maintain the properties going forward, Koch added.
Since the Affordable Housing Trust Committee was established in 2001, it has accepted a total of 125 on- and off-site units from private developments that are set aside for households making 80 percent of the median income for the area, said Sherry Zou, the housing programs manager for the city’s planning department. The committee has also accepted $38 million in payments in lieu of affordable units, she said.
“With that, we’ve funded affordable housing projects that directly resulted in the creation of affordable housing units, most of them occupied, some of them under construction and a few, like this project in front of us today, we have recently approved,” Zou said. “With this project’s current proposal…we would have a total of 600 units across the city as a result of the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance.”
Other projects receiving monies from the Affordable Housing Trust Committee include the Kiley Building and the Finn Building, both of which opened in Quincy Center last year and include a total of 54 units, Zou said. A total of $5.25 million in trust fund monies were allocated to those buildings.
Zou said that $1 million in trust fund monies were allocated to Father Bill’s and MainSpring for the construction of the new Yawkey Housing Resource Center. In addition, $1 million in trust fund monies were set aside to help residents impacted by severe winter storms in 2018 and another $1 million was used to provide rental assistance for service workers in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Koch credited Joseph Finn, the namesake of the Finn Building, for his work to pass the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance in 2001 while he was serving on the City Council.
“Joe worked very hard on this. That was his lifelong mission, really, to get people the help they need to get into a home,” Koch said. “Not necessarily a home – not everyone should be in a home with a white picket fence, but a home meaning they have somewhere to go at night…whether it’s a room or a couple of rooms to call their own.
“I want to certainly thank Joe Finn for all his vision creating the inclusionary zoning which led to today, the money and units that got poured in by the developers.”
Planning Director James Fatseas said the city would continue to develop new affordable housing.
“We haven’t finished yet,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do this mission.”
Faye A. (Patenaude-Tappa) Spooner, age 87, a former longtime resident of Weymouth, died peacefully, Sunday, September 24, 2023 at Harbor House Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Hingham, in the comfort of her loving family.
Faye Spooner
Faye was born in Rumford, Maine, to the late George and Josephine (Palleschi) Patenaude. Raised and educated in Quincy, she was a graduate of North Quincy High School, Class of 1953. She lived in Weymouth for thirty years, previously in Quincy.
She was proud to have served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the mid-1950s.
Faye was employed at the former Alumni Café in Quincy for over thirty-five years and later worked in food service at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth for ten years before retiring.
She was devoted to her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Beloved mother of Charles Tappa of Braintree, Kevin P. Tappa of Hampton, N.H., and Hope C. Spooner-King of Braintree.
Loving grandmother of Marc Tappa and his wife Cheryl of Whitman, Jessica Baker and her husband BJ of Mesa, Ariz.
Cherished great grandmother of Zacory, Benjamin, Gabriella, James, Daniel, and Will.
One of six siblings, Faye was the sister of Carole Merritt and Gary Patenaude, and was predeceased by George Patenaude, Jr., Lois Otis, and Robert Patenaude. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and their families.
Visiting hours will be held at the Sweeney Brothers Home for Funerals, 1 Independence Avenue, Quincy, on Sunday, October 1, from 2 – 4 p.m. Funeral Services will be conducted at the conclusion of the wake, promptly at 4 o’clock. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. On Monday, October 2, there will be a gathering at the funeral home from 10 – 10:30 a.m. Following this gathering, a procession will take place to Blue Hill Cemetery, Braintree, for her interment, with military honors.
For those who wish, donations in Faye’s memory may be made to The Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168 or to Beacon Hospice Care, 32 Resnik Road, Unit 3, Plymouth, MA 02360.
The developer behind Granite Links on Monday pressed pause on his request for a 99-year lease extension, citing the timeline for planned improvements to the intersection of Ricciuti Drive and Willard Street.
Mayor Thomas Koch in 2022 submitted a home rule petition to the City Council that, if approved, would have allowed the city and Quarry Hills Associates, the operators of Granite Links, to enter into a 99-year lease extension for the 242-acre property off Ricciuti Drive. Councillors held a pair of public hearings on the matter, one in November and the other in February, during which time a number of residents raised concerns about the lease extension.
In Monday’s letter to city councillors, Quarry Hills Associates President Thomas O’Connell said he “thought it best to pause the lease extension at this time.”
“Given the current projected timeline regarding the Ricciuti Drive intersection safety improvements, Quarry Hills has made the decision to request the withdrawal of QHA’s request for a 99-year lease extension,” O’Connell said.
“Over the past year QHA has attended and presented at numerous Quincy City Council meetings, conducted public on-site meetings and tours, met with citizens both from and outside Quincy and met with every city councillor individually. We have listened to the voices of our fellow citizens, our customers, and members of the City Council.
“There remains legitimate safety concerns regarding the Ricciuti Drive intersection that must be addressed as a component of the overall corridor planning efforts, and we look forward to participating in that public process. We recognize that it will take time for the MassDOT process of infrastructure study and planning to correct the Ricciuti Drive intersection deficiencies, and that time frame appears to coincide with the current challenging economic climate. As a result, I thought it best to pause the lease extension proposal at this time.”
(A spokesperson for the mayor did not immediately return a request for comment Monday afternoon.)
MassDOT held a community meeting in August to review plans to address the intersection of Ricciuti Drive and Willard Street, which is located at the bottom of the hill upon which Granite Links was constructed. Officials said the design of the intersection improvements – which will include a new traffic signal, changes to the geometry, bike lanes and other features – should be finalized by May 2025. The timeline for work on the $1.5 million project, the cost of which will be borne by the federal and state governments, has yet to be determined.
While O’Connell has withdrawn his request for the lease extension, on Monday he indicated that Quarry Hills Associates would honor the commitments it made to the community during the public process.
“Please know that we will fulfill our commitments to (i) upgrade the ballfields at the end of this playing season and (ii) install the enhanced hiking trail signage this year,” he wrote in the letter to city councillors, adding “We believe that all interested parties have a fuller understanding of the breadth of lease obligations that QHA delivers upon throughout the year, regardless of the season.”
In the future, O’Connell said Quarry Hills Associates “will invest the time to prepare a conceptual development plan with supporting data.”
“That will allow us to discuss potential development projects more comprehensively, as well as the resultant projected lease revenue increases to the city,” he said.
“We appreciate the open and candid conversations regarding the 99-year lease extension request and look forward to continuing those discussions in the future.”
The city’s current 50-year lease with Quarry Hills Associates was approved in 1994 and amended in 2002, city officials said previously. Under the current lease, the city receives 10 percent of all gross golf-related revenue the club generates and 10 percent of all other net revenue from the facility, including functions and food and alcohol sales. Between 2002 and 2022, the city received $7.6 million in rental payments from the club, including $825,000 last year, a representative from Granite Links told city councillors in February.
