Charles A. Anderson – 95, of North Reading and formerly of Plymouth, died Thursday, November 23, 2017 at Winchester Hospital. He was the beloved husband of the late Edith A. (Smith) Anderson. Charlie was a proud U.S. Army Veteran of World War II and was a POW for two years.

Born in Plymouth, MA on August 25, 1922, he was the son of the late Albion and Agnes (Johnson) Anderson. He attended Plymouth Schools and was a graduate of Plymouth High School in 1940. He also was a graduate of the General Electric Apprentice Program and worked as a Machine Cutting Tools Specialist for the General Electric Turbine Manufacturing Department at the Riverworks in Lynn for 44 years, retiring in 1984.

Charlie was a member of the D.A.V. Post No. 37 in Reading, the GE Apprentice Alumni Association and the GE Old Timers. He was an avid reader and he loved traveling to Newfoundland and Norway. He has been a resident of North Reading for the past fifty years.

He is survived by several nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Russell H. Anderson and Marie Amaral.

Funeral services will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Thursday, November 30 at 11 AM. Calling hours will be held prior to the service from 10 to 11 AM. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Catherine V. (Witham) Birkmaier – 95, of Reading, formerly of North Andover and North Reading, died Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Winchester Hospital. She was the beloved wife of the late William B. Birkmaier.

Born in Ipswich, MA on December 18, 1921. She was the daughter of the late Zebulon and Annie (Comeau) Witham.

She was a graduate of Reading High School. She worked as a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher for the North Reading School System. Kay’s life was all about love for God family and friends. Her home was always open to all. Her children and grandchildren were the joys of her life. She enjoyed swimming, walking, gardening, watching the Red Sox and Patriots, playing cards, Scrabble and baking goodies for all. She was a member of St. Michael Church in North Andover and a former member of St. Theresa’s Church in North Reading, where she was a former CCD teacher for many years. Kay also was a Girl Scout Leader in North Reading.

Family members include sons, William Bradford Birkmaier, Jr., USN Retired and his wife Laura, the late Karl Joseph Birkmaier and his late wife Ursula Jezierski, the late Mark Hunter Birkmaier and his wife Kristin Davis; daughters, Lynne Heywood and her husband Ed, and Lori O’Rourke and her husband Jim;  sister, Pat Patterson Crosby, late brothers, Fred, Eddie and Charlie Witham; late sisters, Rose Chaput, Polly Baron, Alice Boudreau, Margaret Crosby and Louise Fortunato; grandchildren,  Sherry Eva Calderon, Cristina Maria Birkmaier, Kristen Sponring, Dr. Richard Heywood, Jonathan Heywood, Sacha Cote, Matthew Birkmaier, Pamela Boesch, Stephanie O’Rourke, Shannon O’Rourke;  great grandchildren, Oliver Butrymowicz, Nicolas and Luca  Calderon, Zachary, Joshua and Payton Sponring, Ella, Ned and Madison Heywood, Hunter Heywood, Dylan and Emma Cote, James and Ellinor Boesch.

Her Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, November 13 at 10:00 AM at St. Michael Church, 196 Main Street in North Andover. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to:  St. Michael Parish, 196 Main St., North Andover, MA 01845, North Reading Citizen’s Scholarship Foundation or Care Dimensions Hospice, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923. Arrangements are by Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Marie T. (Sousa) Lozzi  88, of Greenwood, formerly of North Reading and Wakefield, died Sunday, November 5, 2017 at the  Greenwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was the beloved wife of the late Feliciano P. Lozzi .

Born in Melrose, MA on March 22,1929, she was the daughter of the late Manuel F. and Marie E. (Peirira) Sousa. Marie was raised and attended school in Melrose.

Marie was a homemaker and dedicated to her family. She had a love for everyone and unconditional love. She enjoyed her Sunday dinners with the family. She loved her church, arts, crafts, bingo, music and dancing. She especially loved her grandchildren.

Family members include her sons, Philip Lozzi and wife Patricia of Reading, Daniel Lozzi and wife Yvonne of Malden; Michael Lozzi of Nebraska, Mark Lozzi and wife Lisa  of Topsfield; Joseph Lozzi and wife Laura of Kentucky; daughters, Renee Bladuell of Stoneham and Diane Forrest and husband John of Lynnfield; brothers, Daniel, Perry and Emund Sousa; she was the sister of the late Eugene, James, Manuel and Anthony Sousa and Ethel Collier. Also survived by 23 loving grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren.

Funeral service at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Thursday, November 9 at 10 AM, Calling hours will be on Wednesday, November 8 from 5 to 8 PM. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to Greenwood Nursing Home, 90 Greenwood St., Wakefield, MA 01880, Care of the Arts and Crafts Dept. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Elizabeth A. “Betty” (Sullivan) Rodgers – 79, of North Reading and formerly of Reading, died at her home on Wednesday, November 1, 2017. She was the wife of the late Alan E. Rodgers.

Born in Reading, MA on March 27, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Charles H. and Mary B. (Doucette) Sullivan. Betty was raised in Reading and attended Reading Memorial High School. She worked as a Real Estate Agent, a nursing assistant in a North Reading nursing home and home care aide.

She had a love for her family her faith and the Lord.  She was a devoted wife and mother. She enjoyed family gatherings with siblings, children and grandchildren. She kept current with politics and political discussions. Betty was a resident of North Reading for the past 57 years and a member of the Trinity Evangelical Church for many years.

Family members include her sons, Gary Rodgers of North Andover, Steven Rodgers and his wife Kristin and Michael Rodgers and his partner Susan Fino, all of North Reading and her late daughter, Linda Rodgers; brothers, Ronald, Richard and Russell Sullivan, late brothers, Charles, Jr. and Robert Sullivan; sisters, Janet White and Marilyn Healey, late sisters, Dorothy Lunt, Elinor Dooley and Judith Akin; grandchildren, Alida Rodgers, Greg Rodgers, Vanessa Rodgers, Sarah Gillespie, Erika Toronto and great grandchildren, Emma, William, Gabriel, and Lincoln.

Visiting hours will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, on Monday, November 6 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 7 at 10:00 AM at the Trinity Evangelical Church, 105 Haverhill Street in North Reading. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to  Mystic Valley Elder Services, 300 Commercial Street, No. 19, Malden, MA 02148. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

North Reading – Derwood Willis “Derry” Hughes Jr., 85, of North Reading MA and formerly of Whitman, MA died Thursday, November 2 at the Massachusetts General Hospital after a brief illness.   Born, on January 29, 1932 in Monson, Maine Derry was the son of the late Derwood W. Sr. and Bessie (Wright) Hughes.

Derry graduated from Braintree High School in 1949 and following his service in the Army worked for the Boston Edison Company for 34 years eventually serving as a senior nuclear watch engineer at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth.   Derry was a gentle and generous soul who found joy in life’s simple blessings whether it was watching the birds splashing in his birdbath, playing his organ or sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a crossword puzzle.  After his retirement from Boston Edison in 1991 he also loved to take trips in his RV with his “darling bride,” Germaine.  He loved Christmas and Thanksgiving because of his faith and because it meant gathering together for grace filled moments of love and laughter with his family.   Derry was a 63 year member of the First Congregational Church in Whitman and an associate member of the Union Congregational Church in North Reading.  Because of his great faith he taught his children the three R’s: Reverence for God, respect for others and responsibility for yourself.   His smile and unassuming manner meant that he was much loved by those who knew him.

Derry was married for 46 years to his wife Germaine (Berube) Hughes who predeceased him.  Family members also include his son, the Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes of North Reading, daughter Sandra E. St. Louis and husband Maurice of Abbott, Maine and son Daniel E. Hughes and wife Jacqueline of Newport, ME; a sister Elizabeth Kling of Boscowen, NH; grandchildren Sabrina Erickson, Robert, Jeffrey, Kayeigh and Justin Hughes and great-grandson Owen Hughes as well as many nephews and nieces who also adored him.

Visiting hours will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, MA on Sunday, November 5 from 3 to 6 p.m.   Visiting hours will also be held at the Blanchard Funeral Home, 666 Plymouth Street, Whitman, MA on Tuesday, November 7 from 4 to 7 p.m.  A service of sacred goodbyes celebrating Derry’s life and the promise of everlasting life will be held at the Whitman First Congregational Church, 519 Washington Street on Wednesday, November 8 at 10:30 a.m.   In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill Street, North Reading, MA 01864. www.CroswellFuneralHome.com