Anne (Leyden) Bernier – 85, of Boston and formerly of North Reading, passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. She was the beloved wife of the late Leon V. Bernier, with whom she shared 56 years of marriage, he died in 2018.

Born in Chelsea, MA on January 18, 1941. She was the daughter of the late Francis and Catherine (O’Rourke) Leyden. Anne was a graduate of U Mass Amherst and she received her Master’s Degree from Fitchburg State. She enjoyed a long career in education, serving as Director of Special Education at the North Reading Middle School.

Anne enjoyed playing tennis, she was a knitting club member and was a devoted Catholic. She was a former resident of North Reading for over fifty years.

Anne especially found great joy in being with her family. She cherished her six grandchildren.

Family members include her loving son, Kevin Bernier; daughters, Nanette Bernier and Cathleen Bernier-Garzon; 6 grandchildren, Jessica Fino, Anthony Fino, Nickolas Bernier-Garzon and Gabriel Bernier-Garzon, Nicole Bernier and Call Bernier; 2 great grandchildren, Julian Donald and Wrenn Fino.

At the family’s request funeral services and interment will be private. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

George E. St. Pierre – 89, of Methuen and formerly of North Reading, passed away on Thursday, July 30, 2026. He was the beloved husband of the late Virginia K. (Weeks) St. Pierre.

Born in Peabody, MA on February 17, 1937, he was the son of the late Adelard and Alice (Zelinski) St. Pierre. He was a former resident of North Reading for fifty years and was a former member of the Stoneham Elks.

He worked as a transmission specialist for Jim McLaughlin’s Transmission Center in Lynn for many years.

George was a hard worker and was very generous. He was extremely organized and fun to be around. He enjoyed taking his grandchildren to Salem Willows and fishing.

George loved bird watching and nature. He enjoyed fly fishing with his brother Bob in Errol, New Hampshire and he liked Johnny Cash. George enjoyed reading books, playing Cribbage, trivia games, Keno, scratch tickets and especially the Red Sox.

Family members include his loving son, Andrew “Chip” St. Pierre; daughters, Sandra St. Pierre Brice, Cynthia St. Pierre Kleckner and husband Burt, Wendy St. Pierre Trussell and husband Paul and Kathleen Spellman Verga Nancy Spellman Baker and the late Linda Spellman Noradki; 17 grandchildren and 15 Great grandchildren; he was the brother of the late Robert St. Pierre, Jeanne Shamp, Louise Nutter and Shirley Scribner.

His funeral will be held on Thursday, August 6 at 11:00 AM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, August 5, from 5 to 7 PM. Interment will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Peabody. Memorial donations may be mad e in his memory to the charity of one’s choice.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Beverly L. Sampson,  a long time resident of North Reading, MA, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. She was 90 years old.

Beverly was born in Webster, MA and moved quite often during her younger years.

She ended up attending UMass Amherst for Liberal Arts and earned her Bachelor’s degree which led to her career in education. She then devoted 33 years of her life teaching fifth grade students at the L.D. Batchelder School in North Reading. She took great pride in shaping young math minds and she is still fondly remembered for her donut math auctions.

She loved nature and was particularly fond of gardening, birdwatching and taking long walks. She loved to read and was a frequent patron of the library, usually checking out multiple books at a time. She could often be found sitting on her porch, drinking iced tea, book in hand with classical music playing in the background.

She very much enjoyed spending time at her house in Maine and was always excited to share the sights and sounds of mid-coast Maine with her family, especially her granddaughters.

Beverly is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, Albert Sampson; her daughter Kimberly Durgin and husband Scott Durgin of North Andover, MA and her daughter Julia O’Brien of Groveland, MA. She will be dearly missed by her four granddaughters and grand son-in-law, Nicole Durgin, Keri Durgin, David Lee, Amelia O’Brien and Lydia O’Brien. G’ma was their everything.

A celebration of her life will be private with her family and in lieu of flowers they welcome donations in her memory to the MSPCA Angell or The Mass Audubon Society.  Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

George F. “Fred” Damon – 85, of North Reading and formerly of Wakefield, passed away suddenly, after a brief illness on Friday, July 17, 2026 at the Lawrence General Hospital.

Born in Melrose, MA on Nevember 7, 1940. He was the son of the late George C. and  Dorothy  (Rourke) Damon. He was the brother of the late Virginia Hunneman and Barbara Titus.

Fred received his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University. He was a member of Engineering Honor Society Pi Tau Sigma.

Fred worked for 40 years as a Mechanical Engineer for AVCO / Textron in Wilmington. He has been a resident of North Reading for 58 and a half years and was a member of St. Theresa’s Church. He was a former North Reading Little League coach and President. Fred enjoyed golf, sports and collecting stamps.

Fred was a good man – kind, gentle and always ready to help. He had a quiet way of making things better and could always be counted on to fix a problem, lend a hand, or offer steady support.

Family members include his loving wife of nearly 61 years, Fran (Dobeck) Damon; his sons, William Damon and Michael Damon. Also survived by 3 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

His visitation will be held on Saturday, July 25 from 9:30 to 11:00 AM, followed by a service at 11:00 AM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to the North Reading Food Pantry. The family would like to thank the Prescott House in North Andover for all of their care and support.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Christopher J. Fuccione – 60, of Salem, MA, and formerly of North Reading, passed away on July 14, 2026 at the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington.

Born in Boston, MA, on October 9, 1965, he was the son of the late Thomas F. and Emily G. (Johnson) Fuccione. He was raised in North Reading, and graduated from North Reading High School, Class of 1983.

Chris overcame addiction and adversity to dedicate his life to working tirelessly for the homeless and disability community as a fearless activist, ensuring everyone was treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. He most recently spent much of his time volunteering with The League of Mercy in Salem, MA to help the homeless community on the North Shore.

Chris worked with the Salem Democratic Committee to support community members in registering to vote, especially advocating for Salem’s homeless community to do so. He also volunteered with many political campaigns, served as the Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator for the Salem Democratic Committee, and ran for City Council in Salem, MA in his beloved Ward 2 neighborhood. Chris worked closely with his neighbors and friends in the Greater Endicott Street Neighborhood Association. He also worked with his friends Jess Tower and Caitlin Tricomi on distributing KN95s, N95 masks, and COVID tests to community members. He volunteered with members of the St. Peter/San Pedro Church in Salem, MA to give out winter jackets annually.

He served on the board of North Shore Community Health Center up until his death, often joining meetings from his hospital bed. With his history of homelessness, living with disabilities, and experience working with the unhoused residents of Salem, he brought a unique perspective to NSCH’s mission of providing health care to the Northshore community. Chris gave up smoking when he joined the board, but with a twist: “At the last board meeting I attend, I’ll light up a cigarette AS SOON as it’s over.”

Chris worked in restaurants in the past, most notably as a dishwasher at The Barnside, Danielas, and Kitty’s. He also worked at Lil Peach, from where many people fondly remember him. More recently, he did online survey work, worked with Tufts CTSI, and worked on various clinical trials to ensure marginalized communities were centered in clinical research. Chris also often entered online contests, and the biggest prize he won was a free celebrity cruise to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In the past, Chris volunteered at animal shelters, including the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, MA, and with various animal rights groups. Chris was also a member of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church in North Reading, participating in Aldersgate Church Mission trips. 

Chris was a genuine human rights advocate who gave with all of his heart, and cared about the underdog, including, but not limited to animals, immigrants, and the homeless community. He made friends everywhere he went, including with many dogs. In his spare time, he loved watching musicals, listening to Radio Caroline, and Celtic music, as well as Lofi Girl, and many other musical artists. Chris was an avid coin collector. He often watched Jackie and Shadow, the Eagles in Big Bear Valley on YouTube, and tended to leave them on in the background while he was doing his survey work. He was deeply funny, ate like a child, and loved his Zero Sugar Mountain Dew!

Family members include his loving brothers Thomas Fuccione and his wife Lori, Joseph Fuccione and his wife Danielle, his sister Joanne M. Fuccione, nephews Jacob T. Dillon and Thomas R. Fuccione, and nieces Kristina M. Fuccione, Julia G. Dillon and Jaclyn R. Dillon. He also had close friends including, but not limited to Caitlin Tricomi, Jessica “Jess” Tower, Theodore “Teddy” Reale, Pastor Barbara Otto, Pastor Rachel and Pastor Sam Fisher, and Jill and Robb Wilkinson. He was also honored by Jess Tower and Teddy Reale, who named their kitten Muffy Fuccione to honor Chris’s “greatness” (in Chris’s own words). He also had a beloved stuffed teddy bear named Robert who joined him everywhere.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 31, from 4 to 7 PM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. The memorial service led by Pastor Barbara and Pastor Rachel will be held on Friday, August 7, from 6 to 7 PM at Riley Plaza, 1 -21 Margin Street in Salem, MA 01970. Feel free to share a story, poem, or memory of Chris. In lieu of flowers, cash donations may be made in his memory to The League of Mercy, a group he was a part of that helps the homeless on the North Shore.