Michael Gattozzi

Michael Thomas “Mike” Gattozzi (1937 – 2026)

Mike was known to enjoy a glass of hearty red and was often found cooking up something good in the kitchen or out on the grill. Michael Thomas Gattozzi, 89, formerly of Westwood, MA, Bellingham, MA, and Ocala, FL, died peacefully surrounded by family at Beaumont Skilled Nursing in Natick, MA, April 9, 2026.

He was born in Hyde Park, MA in 1937 to Joseph Anthony and Carmela “Millie” (DiMatteo) Gattozzi. While growing up in Hyde Park and throughout high school, Mike worked at DiMatteo Brothers’ produce market on Cross Street in Boston’s North End neighborhood, owned by his two uncles, Joseph Pasquale “Joe Pat” DiMatteo and Rosario “Cy” DiMatteo. He often reminisced about visiting his beloved grandmother, Sebastiana “Bessie” (Campo) DiMatteo, at her home in the North End with his brothers Joseph “Joe” and Edward “Eddie” Gattozzi. He graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1954 before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Northeastern University in 1961.

Mike met the love of his life, Joan Rita (Pettibone) at Adams Pond boy scout camp in Barnstead, NH where Joan’s father, Loren “Bud” Pettibone, was the camp director and Mike’s brother, Joe, was working as the camp cook. They married in 1958 and enjoyed 67 wonderful years together.

Throughout his extensive career in the computer industry, Mike worked around the globe for the Digital Equipment Corporation, undertaking extended business trips in England, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand. After leaving Digital in the late 1980’s, Mike became a founding partner for Sovereign Systems, a computer software company in Massachusetts. With Sovereign well-established, Mike retired and helped Joan and daughter Mary-Joyce grow their bridal business at MJ’s Bridal Emporium located in Westwood, Massachusetts. Mike and Joan built their dream home in Ocala, Florida and retired there in 2005 enjoying many years together in the warmth and sun. They moved back to Massachusetts in 2022 to be closer to family.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Joan, his brothers, Joe and Eddie Gattozzi, and his five children and their spouses, Loreen and John Meyer, Joseph “Joe” and Patrice (Matthews), Mary-Joyce “M-J” and Paul Licata, Karen Sorapuru, and Michelle and Steven McGee. Following their dad as a role model, they each inherited a love of cooking, devotion to family, delightful humor laced with sarcasm, and the knowledge that life was meant to be enjoyed.

Mike is also survived by his grandchildren and their spouses, Amanda (Meyer) and Nick Jesenof, Annie Meyer and their partner Sarah Kelley, Michael Gattozzi, Matthew Gattozzi and Kristina (Brennan), Danielle Sheehan, Nicole Sheehan, Jessica (Sweet) and Tim Waters, Courtney (Sorapuru) and Zach Sullivan, and Shilo-Rae (Sheldon) and Christian Lowe, and his great-grandchildren Penelope Jesenof, Carmy Gattozzi, Scott, Nathan, and Ryan Hamilton, Carmela “Millie” Wood, Ezra Waters, Everleigh and Luke Sullivan.

Food was central to Mike’s family culture; when not cooking and enjoying meals together, there were often lengthy conversations on the topic. In that spirit and in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Greater Boston Food Bank at https://www.gbfb.org/ways-to-give/.

A celebration of life for family and friends is being planned for a later date, to be determined.