Anthony “Yank” Rotondo, second son of Frank and Angelina Rotondo. Brother to John and Frank of Stoneham, died December 7th at the age of 88. He was fullback and captain of his High School football team and attended Bates College.
He Helped his Dad in the garden and was a life long lover of Hydrangeas, other flowering plants and hosta. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War Based in Alaska changing radios on jets. He lived with hearing loss resulting from working on the jets in hangars but he never complained.
He received an MBA from Suffolk University and worked at GE and other companies before finally working for the US Government, Department of Housing and Urban Development, from which he retired in 1997 after 29 years with several awards for service. He was a respected manager who encouraged his employees to advance in their careers. He met Annemarie O’Connor of Allston Brighton on a tour to Rio de Janeiro in 1974.
They celebrated 44 years of marriage, and had three children: Steven, Kathryn and Marcia. His greatest joy was raising them. He passed on a great love of music.
He was especially fond of the big band era. He loved playing with them and reading/telling bed time stories. He attended dance recitals with great pride.
He made sure that all of his children went to college and provided them all a start with computers. His great example of quiet courage and respect for people helped them all to become wonderful, caring and kind adults. In addition to his own family, he doted on nieces and nephews when they were small.
He was the loving uncle who took you to the park, came to your plays, and made sure you knew he loved you and cared for you. He attended their weddings and rejoiced in the birth of their children. He loved his brother John and his wife Theresa who he visited often in their final years.
He loved his brother Frank and his partner Peter, who have always been so loving in including us in their lives. He especially enjoyed the time spent with them in Palm Springs, CA. In his later years Anthony suffered from a variety of medical problems- he had numerous back surgeries, diabetes and end stage renal disease.
He was lucky to have wonderful doctors to work with. He was a great patient who appreciated all their efforts and knowledge to help him have a great quality of life. This was especially true of the folks at dialysis.
In his high school year book, they wrote “the stillest waters are the deepest”. Everyone who knew Anthony came to respect his judgement, his humanity, and his sense of humor. A lifelong Catholic, he attended Church every Sunday and many weekdays.
He supported food pantries, USO, Veterans, and many disaster relief funds in his lifetime. For this reason, we ask that you please omit flowers and instead honor his memory by giving a donation to either your local food bank or to the Reading Food Pantry, Old South Methodist Church, 6 Salem Street, Reading, MA 01867. A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, December 13th at 10:30 am in St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter St., North Reading.
Interment to follow with Military Honors in St. Pat’s Cemetery, Stoneham.
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