Louis E. Musto Jr.

1939 - 2019

Louis ("Lou") E. Musto, 80, of South Hadley died peacefully Sunday Nov 17, 2019 at Keystone Commons in Ludlow, following a long illness. He was born in Boston, MA on Aug 3, 1939, the son of the late Louis E. and Sophia (Shiroky) Musto. He was raised in East Boston and later Wakefield, MA. Lou was a graduate of Malden Catholic High School, Class of 1957. He received a B.S. in psychology from Northeastern University, Class of 1962, where he played on the football team. He went on to study philosophy at the graduate level at UMass Amherst.

Lou was employed for many years at B.L. Makepeace in Boston and later at Beyond Words Bookshop in Northampton. There he thoroughly enjoyed assisting customers and sharing his deep love of books. Lou was a devoted Buddhist practitioner for nearly 60 years, most recently a student of Dodrupchen Rinpoche of the Nyingmapa tradition.

In the sixties Lou lived at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in CA, which was founded by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and then at Antai-ji, a Buddhist monastery near Kyoto, Japan. There he was ordained a Soto Zen Priest in 1974 by the abbot, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi.

In 1983 Lou married his wife, Betsy, and they lived in the Boston area before settling in Western Mass, where they raised their two beloved sons, Douglas and James. Lou was an avid reader, a Boston sports fan (especially the Pats and C's) and in earlier years a competitive weightlifter. In retirement, Lou and his wife loved spending time in their new home in South Hadley, where he delighted in the antics of their Boston Terrier, "Rocky". He also enjoyed reminiscing, discussing current events, going out to eat and taking short trips around New England with his wife and son, especially to the Berkshires and Cape Ann.

Lou is survived by his wife of 37 years, Betsy Blish Musto of South Hadley; his son James Musto of South Hadley; his sister Diane Rawlins of Wakefield, with whom he had a special bond; his sister Julianne Allan of TX; his nephew Jon Rawlins of Georgetown and several cousins. Sadly, he was predeceased by his son, Douglas in 2012.

For the last six months of his life, Lou lived with his wife at East Village Place in East Longmeadow and then Keystone Commons in Ludlow. His family wishes to thank the staff at both facilities for their kindness and expert care, and fellow residents for their friendship and support.

Lou will be remembered for his keen intelligence, wit and devotion. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

Calling hours will be held from 9:30-11:00 a.m. followed by a service of remembrance at 11:00 on Mon. Dec. 9th at the Beers and Story Funeral Home in South Hadley. Burial will take place at the convenience of the family.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association (2451 Crystal Dr, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22202) or the Center for Human Development (332 Birnie Ave, Springfield, MA 01107).