EDWARD J. TEDESCO

1920 - 2016

TEDESCO, Edward J. "Ed" 96, of Gloucester, previously of Woburn, died peacefully at home on Friday July 22 surrounded by family. An architect, businessman, artist, writer and painter, he was the loving husband for sixty nine years of Loredana (Stenech) Tedesco who predeceased him on 4 December 2014.

Born Fortunato Tedesco on 2 March 1920 in San Pietro a Maida, Calabria, Italy, he immigrated to the USA aboard the SS Augustus at age 9 in March 1929 with his parents, Giuseppe and Emilia (Ferroviera) and sister Caterina. He attended elementary school in Woburn, MA and Copley Art School in Boston. In 1939, he headed out to Los Angles where he was employed by Warner Brothers Studios as a cartoonist. In 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the US Army, participating in the North African and European Theaters, where he was wounded. His service continued for the rest of the war as an Italian translator. Eventually stationed in Rome, he met his beautiful wife Loredana near the Tiber River.

Ed was awarded a Bachelor of Science from Boston College in 1949, after which he was admitted to Harvard School of Design where he studied architecture under Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School. Unable to complete his third year at Harvard due to financial responsibilities of his growing family, he was employed with architectural firms in Boston until 1956, when he, with three of his Harvard classmates, founded Edward J. Tedesco Associates (later Mount Vernon Group Architects.)

He was a registered Architect in Massachusetts; past instructor at the Boston Architectural Center; past Trustee of Woburn National Bank; past member of the Rockport Art Association; past President of the Italian-American Charitable Society; past member of the Woburn Planning Board; past member of the Bass Rocks Golf Club (Gloucester); past member of the Eastern Point Yacht Club (Gloucester); benefactor of the Boys Town of Italy; past member of many charitable organizations and the recipient of the "Man of the Year" Award in 1980 from the Circolo Letterario Italiano di Boston [Italian Literary Circle of Boston] for his outstanding contributions to architecture and painting.

Ed was always loyal to family and friends and was a life-long devout Catholic. He loved telling historical stories of ancient Greece and Rome, about which he was a scholar. He often amused his children and grandchildren with his deft drawings of people and cartoon characters. He always maintained excellent health, needing no medication of any kind. His mind and dry sense of humor remained sharp, as he continued his poignant quips up to the end. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.

Predeceased by his beloved wife of 69 years, Loredana (Stenech) Tedesco; two daughters: Mary (Tedesco) Stiglich and Margaret Mary Tedesco; his parents: Giuseppe Tedesco and Emilia (Ferroviera); his brothers: Walter Tedesco and John Anthony Tedesco; and his brothers-in-law: Keith L. Webb and Bernard L. Daly.

He leaves behind six children: Linda of Boston; Joseph (Sue) of The Woodlands, TX; Frank (Sally) of Gloucester; Peter (Julie) of Reading; Mark of Gloucester; and Christine of New York City. Seven grandchildren: Mary Tedesco of Gloucester; Kathryn Tedesco of New York City; Luke and Alex Stiglich of San Diego, CA; Nicholas and Anthony Tedesco of Reading; Christopher Brayton-Tedesco of Gloucester; and a step grandson Eric Kazmaier of Austin, TX. Two sisters: Catherine (Tedesco) Daly of Pocasset and Lilly (Tedesco) Webb of Woburn. Treasured cousins in Rome (Centocelle), Italy: Giuseppe, Maria, Angela and Franco Tedesco; Paola and Mariano Fantauzzi, Italy; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and their families.

His funeral will be held from the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, GLOUCESTER on Monday, August 1, at 8:45 a.m. followed by a Mass celebrated in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 142 Prospect Street, Gloucester at 9:30 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend.

The burial will be held in Calvary Cemetery, Winchester, MA.

Visiting hours in the Greely Funeral Home are on Sunday, July 31, from 4 - 8 p.m.

For online condolences, visit www.greelyfuneralhome.com.