MICHAEL L. BREEN

BREEN, Michael L. Died suddenly in Lynchburg, Virginia on July 3, leaving his two adored sisters, Nancy Lawton and Maura Leonard, dozens of nieces and nephews and many friends. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Jay, Mark and Peter. Mike Breen was at heart a non-conformist. Born and raised on Carruth Street in Dorchester with his five siblings, his friend Marty Nolan recalled recently, "Mike was always that way, beguiled by things beyond the ken of the average Ashmont teen-ager. Mike had bigger dreams beyond Boston. He became a fan of architecture and city planning, inherited, I think from his father, John A. Breen, who advised Boston mayors. Mike went to Canada for college, while most of his BC High colleagues trooped dutifully to Boston College. In Toronto, Mike saw a wider world. He saw even more of it in the U.S. Army. Engineering and contracting came naturally to him."Mike married the love of his life, Cathy Walsh, in 1969 in the MIT Chapel and they lived happily in Rockland for many years, until her untimely death from cancer in 1992. As Marty noted, "Cathy's tragic death strengthened Mike's sense of adventure. How many Dorchester guys have chosen to live in the mountains of Durango, Colorado or the sands of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina? " Although he and Cathy never had children themselves, they nurtured their many nieces and nephews and Uncle Mike took his role as uncle very seriously. When his brother Peter died suddenly at 48 leaving three young sons, Mike stepped up his commitment, making sure he was available if they needed him. He was deeply proud of his nieces and nephews and their families, and loved to brag about them to the staff at the Myrtle Beach State Park store, where he stopped every day after walking the beach. "He never met a stranger," was the consensus of his many friends and communities, from the folks at Peet's Coffee in Lexington, to the congregation at St. Michael's Church in Myrtle Beach where he was a member. His booming voice, legendary Boston accent, and quirky, inquisitive nature charmed a legion of fans, and his youthful energy will be deeply missed by friends and family. Funeral Mass in the Sacred Heart Church, Watertown on Friday, July 25, 2014 at 10 A.M. Relatives and friends respectfully invited to attend. Visiting Hours in the Stanton Funeral Home 786 Mt. Auburn St. (Rt. 16), WATERTOWN, on Thursday 4-8 P.M. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers, contribution to either a Veterans or Cancer organization in Mike's memory would be appreciated. www.stantonfuneralhome.com