Joseph M. Bonavita

HANOVER Joseph M. Bonavita, age 77, died unexpectedly on April 25, 2009. He was born in Roxbury on March 6, 1932 and moved to Hanover MA in 1972. He graduated from English High in 1949. After graduating High School, he enlisted in the United States Air Force and was stationed in Guam during the Korean War conflict. Upon returning home, he married his beloved Carole Munzert and began work as an ambulance attendant at Boston City Hospital. He attended Harvard University and graduated in 1959. He was the founder of The City Employees Union at Boston City Hospital in 1956 and shortly after, became the only Director of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) council 45. In 1978 he was appointed as the Executive Director of AFSCME joint council 93 representing public sector workers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. He remained in that position until his retirement in 1995. During his time as Executive Director, he was instrumental in achieving many improvements in the conditions for workers. In addition to being the Executive Director of Council 93, he was the International Vice President of AFSCME. He was a long time Trade Unionist and spent his entire life in the labor movement working tirelessly on behalf of workers. He was the recipient of the 1987 Cushing-Gavin Award. Since his retirement from the Union in 1995, he has given his time to the families of the Clarendon Hill Towers Learning Center. He was devoted to teaching and was especially fond of the homework club children. He is survived by his wife Carole, his sons, Joseph Bonavita Jr. and his wife Dianne Porter of Hanover, and Michael Bonavita, his wife Denise, and their children Michael Jr., Lauren and Matthew. He is also survived by his daughter Judy Collins, her husband Richard and their children, Ashley, Brittany, Madison and Shaun and his daughter Debra DeMeule, her husband Scott and their sons Scott Jr. and Noah. He was one of four children, and is survived by his brother Richard Bonavita of Cape Cod. He is the son of the late Sebastian and Alice Bonavita of Milton. Visiting hours in Sullivan Funeral Home, 551 Washington St., Rte. 53 in HANOVER on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. Funeral Mass on Thursday at 10 a.m. in St. Mary of the Sacred Heart Church, 392 Hanover St., Hanover. Interment in Hanover Center Cemetery. For directions and an online guest book, visit SullivanFuneralHomes.com 781-878-0920 Family Owned & Operated Since 1897