Michael Vincent Faiola

Michael Vincent Faiola, known as Mickey, Mick, Mike and "Poppa," of Lexington, Massachusetts, passed away at the age of 85.

Mike attended Arlington High School in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he was captain of the football team and graduated in 1958. He went on to Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, for a postgraduate year, continuing to play football and instigating shenanigans with his lifelong friend Joe Maggio.

A standout athlete, Mike was recruited to play football and lacrosse for Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he was also a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. As someone who liked to stay close to home (and nap – a Faiola trait), he only agreed to join the lacrosse team if he could skip the "away" games. When the Dean called the fraternity house looking for "Mickey," everyone refused to wake him up if he was napping, including the Dean. Mike graduated Colgate in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Directly following college, Mike enlisted as an Officer in the United States Air Force. He became a navigator for a B-52 Stratofortress crew in the elite United States Strategic Air Command (SAC) and obtained the rank of Captain while stationed at Ramey Air Force Base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. During this time, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Inter-American University in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Mike served in the Air Force until 1969.

After his military service, Mike became a small business owner and helped run the family printing business, Arlington Lithograph Company, Inc., in Arlington, Massachusetts, which was founded by his father Louis and two uncles Edward and Hubert. His aunt Helen was the company's office secretary. Helen's twin sister was Mike's beloved aunt Annie.

Mike is survived by his wife, Sonja (Kangas); his three children, Eric, Sara (Faiola) Eberle and Jason; and his five grandchildren, Kade (Katherine), Natalie and Elizabeth Faiola, and Evan and Mikko Eberle. He is also survived by his sister Linda Faiola, and his Faiola cousins Tom, Jimmy, Karen (Couillard), Lisa (Callahan) and Carol. He was predeceased by his parents Louis and Lina (Montemarano) and additional Faiola cousins Janice (Oliver) and Eddie.

Mike was an avid beachgoer, mariner, fisherman, scuba diver and gardener. He cherished the family's traditional seven fish dinners on Christmas Eve and gatherings for "manast" (soup) and casatiello (Easter bread) the day before Easter Sunday. The recipes for these occasions were handed down from generation to generation, and Mike always felt like he was "home" when he sat down at the table to enjoy the meals. He was especially proud of his mother's cookbook, Pasta, Etc., which he gladly handed out or mailed to everyone he met. Above all, he was devoted to his wife Sonja, to whom he was married for 63 years, his immediate and extended family and his close friends.

A combined wake and funeral service will be held at Douglass Funeral Home in Lexington on Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Home for Little Wanderers, which provides supportive care and opportunities for children and families in need. Donations can be made online at https://www.thehome.org/donate.