George E. Thomas, Jr. – 76, of North Reading, formerly of Medford, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday July 1, 2026.

Born in Medford, MA on August 24, 1949. He was the son of the late George E. Sr. and Marcella J. (Adams) Thomas.

He attended North Reading Schools and was a graduate of North Reading High School, Class of 1967. George was a U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, he was a SP4 and he served from 1970 to 1971 where he printed maps and learned his lifelong profession of printing and retiring from Minuteman Press of McLean, VA.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 29 years,  Irene C (St. Amand) Thomas. His children, Trina M. (Thomas) Boullion of Lafayette, LA, son Michael A. Robinson and predeceased by Christine M. (Robinson) McGowen formerly from Stoneham, MA, Stepdaughter Amanda Barnes-Cooper of Mountain Grove, MO.

He also leaves his sisters, June A. Kindler of Mendon, MA and Marcia D. Surette of Derry, N.H.; 5 cherished grandchildren , Cyanna, Cierra, Kristen, Larissa and Starr; and 10 beloved great grandchildren. He was also a loving uncle to Nadine, Jessica, Michelle, Michael, Nicole, Kimberly, and predeceased by nephew Adam Palmer.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 18th from 11AM to 12:45PM, at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Military Honors will follow at 1PM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice.

Joan A. (Buckley) Hanley, 89, of North Reading, formerly of Burlington, Stoneham and West Roxbury, passed away peacefully at Winchester Hospital on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 24, 1937, Joan was the beloved daughter of the late John and Julia (Sullivan) Buckley. She spent most of her life in West Roxbury, where she attended and graduated from Catholic school.

Joan enjoyed a long and dedicated career as a buyer and telephone operator, working for Polaroid, Lahey Clinic, and Coldwell Banker.

For the past 12 years, Joan made her home in North Reading. She attended St. Theresa’s Church in North Reading and was a member of St. Joseph’s Church in Wakefield. Her Catholic faith was a constant source of strength and guided the way she lived her life.

Above all else, Joan was a devoted and loving mother who cherished her family. She was courageous, compassionate, welcoming, a wonderful listener, and a steadfast advocate for those she loved. She delighted in spending time with her grandchildren, traveling with her sisters, golfing, playing cards, watching classic television shows, and shopping for Christmas. An avid reader, Joan embraced life with gratitude, faith, and joy.

She is lovingly survived by her children: Walter Hanley, Daniel Hanley, Timothy Hanley, Catherine Hanley, Karen Hanley-Maki, and Joanne Hanley. She also leaves her brothers, Michael Buckley and William Buckley; her 11 cherished grandchildren; and 10 beloved great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her brothers Patrick, John, Thomas, Joseph, and Timothy Buckley, and her sisters Mary (Buckley) Austin and Sheila (Buckley) Shruhan.

Her Funeral will be  held from the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Tuesday, July 7 at 9:15 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Monday from 4 to 7 PM.  Burial will be in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Stoneham.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Joan’s memory to the Columban Fathers, 65 Ferry Road, P.O. Box 65, Bristol, RI 02809.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Vinnie G. Ruschioni

1982 – 2026

Vinnie G. Ruschioni –44, of North Reading, Massachusetts, died in a car accident on June 24, 2026.

He was born in Gardner, Massachusetts in 1982 to Judy and Glenn Ruschioni, the eldest of three brothers. Vinnie attended The Winchendon School, where he played hockey, and Bentley University, where he majored in finance. He eagerly charged into the business world, starting his career at John Hancock, moving on to State Street, and finally settling in at BNY Mellon as a financial analyst, until he “retired” in 2017 to take on the biggest and most important job in the world: full-time Dad.

And that was the job he was born for. Vinnie loved his family above all else, and his two sons, Michael and Leo, were his greatest pride and the very center of his world.

Vinnie is preceded in death by his mother, Judy; his Grandpa Dino; his Uncle Jim; and his father-in-law, Mike — who all surely welcomed him, drink in hand, into a warm embrace of eternal love and peace.

He leaves behind his beloved wife, Kylie; his adored sons, Michael and Leo; his Grandma Doris; his brothers, Tony Ruschioni and wife Morgan, and Cody Ruschioni; his mother-in- law Joanne Catlin; his brothers-in-law, Michael Catlin and wife Leah, and Jake Catlin and wife Allie; his father, Glenn; and his dear nieces and nephews: Bella, Finley, Eli, Michael, Luci, Gus, Samantha, Lorenzo, Sophia, Sadie, Will, Giovanni, and Lilianna.

If you weren’t Vinnie’s friend, it was only because he hadn’t met you yet. He was active in the North Reading community as a Little League coach and previously served on the Town’s finance committee. He served as head coach of the Boston Junior Rangers hockey club and returned to the Winch to serve on their Board of Trustees. Vinnie cared deeply for his family, friends, and community, and made everyone he met feel loved and welcomed. He more than made up for his lack of volume control with his pure love of life, laughter, and camaraderie.

His funeral Mass will be Celebrated on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 11:00 AM at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading. There will be no calling hours.  In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to the Ranch Teammates for Life https://theranchteammatesforlife.org/ or the Light Foundation https://www.mattlight72.com/ or a charity of your choice.   Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Joseph J.  Murphy, Jr. – 82, of Dover, NH, and North Reading, MA passed away at the Cedar Health Center in Portsmouth, NH on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Born in Stoneham, MA on January 8, 1944, he was the son of the late Joseph J. and Alberta C. (Dodge) Murphy.

Joe grew up on Martin’s Pond and was proud of his North Reading roots. He graduated from North Reading High School in 1963 and played on the early Hornet football teams. After high school he served in the Army National Guard.

Joe was never afraid of learning new skills or exploring different challenges or work. He owned and operated Maria’s Sub Shop and Pizzeria in North Reading in the late 1960s. Maria’s was famous for its excellent Italian food – not bad for an Irishman!

As a general contractor, he built several homes in the North Shore area.

In the 1970’s, as a Federal officer, Joe was tasked with guarding Judge W. Arthur Garrity during the contentious Boston desegregation “busing” crisis. He continued his federal employment at the less volatile Boston Coast Guard base where he was able to utilize his carpentry skills and construction knowledge.  When he retired, Joe was a Base Operations Manager.

Joe believed in giving back to the community. He served on the North Reading Planning Board of Appeals. After retirement, as a resident of Port St. Lucie, FL, he volunteered for the Florida Ombudsman program where he advocated for residents of nursing care facilities.

Joe loved woodworking, Jazz, and old horror and science fiction movies. He was a big fan of the Patriots, but a bigger fan of his own children and grandchildren.

Joe is survived by his sons Shaun M. Murphy (Sarah) and Joseph C. Murphy of Kingston, NH. He leaves behind grandchildren Benjamin, Shaun, Sophia, Alison, and Zachary, as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins, near and far. He is also survived by his former spouse Cynthia (Wedge) Murphy, brother Kevin Murphy (Linda) of Andover, and life-long friend, Stephen Eramo. He was predeceased by his sister, Nancy Murphy Townsend, who passed away in 2015.

There will be no service or calling hours. Memorial donations may be made in Joe’s memory to Cornerstone VNA, 178 Farmington Road, Rochester, NH 03867 (https://cornerstonevna.org).

Sally A. (Lord) Maker– 83, of North Reading, passed away at home with her loved ones on Thursday, June 11th, 2026, after a brief illness.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on October 20th, 1942, she was the beloved daughter of the late Wilbur C. and Edith F. (Kitchell) Lord.

Sally was a lifelong resident of North Reading, graduating from North Reading High School, Class of 1960.

Sally worked for many years at Analog Devices, retiring early to care for her mother Edith. For the last 15 years, she kept busy working at Market Basket in Reading up until October of 2025.

She loved her grandchildren with all her heart and treasured their time and memories together, especially a trip to Disney World with her two grandchildren Nicole and Paul in 1999. She was blessed in life to become a Great Grandmother to Harper in 2018. Harper was truly the highlight of her day, every day. “Nanny” to Harper, and “Nana” to Nicole and Paul, Sally had a gift for making people feel loved.

Sally loved cooking meals for her family, like her famous chicken pot pie, a now legendary family heirloom recipe. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, camping, bingo, and trips to Foxwoods, but she loved nothing more than to be surrounded by family and her adored pets.

She leaves behind her loving family members, including: her husband George E. Maker Jr., daughter Diane Saraceno and her late husband Arthur, son Chris Maker, her beloved grandchildren: Nicole Saraceno, Paul Saraceno and his wife Catie Murphy Saraceno, and her favorite girl, her great granddaughter Harper, daughter of Nicole. Sally was surpassed in death by her brother George Lord and his wife Roberta, and her sister Nancy Porter and her husband Richard. Sally was also loved and survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 18th from 4 to 7pm, followed by a service at 7pm at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the North Reading Food Pantry. Thank you. https://nrfoodpantry.org/donate