Frederic A. Santoro

1934 - 2020

Frederic A. Santoro of Norwell, MA, retired Quincy firefighter and brick mason, passed peacefully at home surrounded by his family on December 10, 2020, just two days after his 86th birthday. Fred was born in Waltham, MA in 1934. He was quite literally made of steel after having a metal plate placed in his forehead after an accident involving a metal barrel exploding near his face when he was just 14. He has escaped many near death experiences over his 86 years, a conversation usually beginning with how he had nine lives. Fred grew up on Uphams Corner in Dorchester and later in Quincy. He attended Boston Trade School and held many different jobs from dishwasher at Durgin Park, to metal welding and assembling, to owning his own restaurant in Dorchester while managing a waterproofing company. Fred really was a jack of all trades, dabbling in a little bit of everything from carpentry to gardening and cooking, to auto body and mechanics. In 1970, he joined the Quincy Fire Department and while he loved his career, he also used his creative talents as a brick mason and builder to construct many sets of stairs, walkways, patios, and fireplaces scattered all over the South Shore still in use today. In the 1960s, Fred bought a ski house in Intervale, NH with a group of friends where he spent many years skiing and having fun. One particular ski season he rented out rooms to a young nurse and her friends. Joan finally fell victim to his beautiful blue eyes and kind smile, becoming his wife. They later sold that house and together built a unique vacation home right around the corner from where they met. Fred spent many weekends, vacations and special events with family and friends at his second home in Bartlett, NH. He leaves his best friend and wife of 49 years, Joan (Cotter) and his children Frederic Santoro Jr and his wife Kristen of Norwell, his daughter Terri Schaffer and her husband Gary of Norwell, his son Christopher Santoro of Weymouth, granddaughters Aimee and Nicole Schaffer and Lillian Santoro and grandson Frederic (Eric) Santoro III. He also leaves his sister Nancy Carson of Murphy, NC and her two daughters Laurie and Cindy and her son Craig, as well as his nephew Steven Lukosius of NY. A Private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 in St. Helen Church followed by interment in Stetson Meadows Cemetery, Norwell. In lieu of flowers, donations to honor Fred may be made to EC Week, Camp Fatima, 32 Fatima Rd, Gilmanton Iron Works, NH 03837 (www.ecweek.org) or Norwell VNA and Hospice, 120 Longwater Dr., Norwell, MA. 02061. To sign an online guestbook, please visit www.mcnamara-sparrell.com