William  J.  Murphy – He was the Son of Margaret (Regan) and Walter Murphy and a longtime resident of North Reading. He died at his home on Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 86 years old.

William was a graduate of Watertown High and Merrimack College and worked in real estate with his Mother for many years starting with the Wayside Inn in the 1950’s. This evolved into the Wayside Garden Apartments which is now known as the Wayside Realty Trust with William the Trustee.

He leaves his longtime companion Marilyn Huttunen whom he named Co-trustee of same. His favorite saying was “less is more”.

A private memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers please donate to a Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 235 Park Street, North Reading, MA 01864. Arrangements are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral  Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Gladys B. (Murrin) Emmons – 92, of Reading, formerly of Stoneham and Falmouth, died at her home on Monday, February 1, 2021. She was the beloved wife of the late Irving Emmons.

Born in Brooklyn, New York on December 30, 1928. Gladys was the daughter of the late Edward and Bridget (Walsh) Murrin. She was a graduate of St. Patrick’s High School in Stoneham.

Gladys was a homemaker and had a great love for her family. She had a love for animals, especially Jasper her dog and Tiffany her cat. She had enjoyed Cape Cod and her quaint picketed white fence colonial home.

Gladys enjoyed going down by the water with her niece Sharon, who could take her on adventurous field trips.

Family members include her loving sister, Myra (Murrin) MacDonald of Newton, Anita (Murrin) Dorsey and her husband Paul of North Reading, Shirley(Murrin) Brown and her husband John of Danvers; the late Theresa (Murrin) O’Brien and Kathleen Connolly Murrin; brothers, Eddie Murrin and his wife Barbara of Stoneham, Bobby Murrin and his wife Fran of Tewksbury and the late Daniel Murrin; also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street (Rt. 62), North Reading on Friday, February 5 at 11:30 AM. The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed (sttheresanreading.org). There will be no calling hours. Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to the charity of one’s choice. Arrangements are by Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Dorothy E. (McAvoy) Costello – 102, of Reading and formerly of North Reading, died at her daughter’s home in Pelham, NH on Monday, January 25, 2021. She was the beloved wife of the late James Costello.

Born in Cambridge, MA on February 26, 1918. She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Carolyn (Kidney) McAvoy. She was a graduate of Cambridge High School.

Dorothy worked at Instrumentation Laboratories for 25 years as an office manager. She later worked as a baker for 10 years for the North Reading Public Schools.

She was a former resident of Reading for 30 years. She was a member of St. Theresa’s Church in North Reading and an active member of the North Reading Senior Center, where she taught an exercise program there when she was in her eighties. She was an avid baker and continued to present us with treats  well into her nineties.

Dorothy was tiny but very strong. She lived alone and took care of herself until she was 101 years old. Her strong faith in God shone in all she was, a caring loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend to all who knew her.

Family members include her loving daughter, Carolyn Pierce and her husband Donald; grandchildren, Ian McMahon, Joshua McMahon and Lanna Pierce; great grandchildren, Elyse and David McMahon; late sisters, Helen Harris, Mary Hamlin, Veronica Barrett and Margaret Hatten.

Her funeral will be held from the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Saturday, January 30 at 9:15 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter St. (Rt. 62), North Reading. Visitation on Friday, January 29 from 5 to 7 PM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to the charity of one’s choice. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Eleanor (Billharz) Fritsch – 92, of North Reading and formerly of Seaford, Long Island, NY, died Saturday, January 23, 2021. She was the beloved wife of 64 years to the late John G. Fritsch.

Born in New York, New York on June 14, 1928. She was the daughter of the late Henry and Martha (Curley) Billharz. She was a graduate of Astoria High School in New York. Eleanor has been a resident of North Reading for the past 55 years and a member of St. Theresa’s Church.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Eleanor loved travelling, playing bridge and entertaining her many friends.

Family members include her loving son, Michael E. Fritsch and his partner Laura McLaughlin of North Reading;  late son, John H. Fritsch and late daughter, Martha E. Fritsch; her brother, Robert Billharz and his wife Joanne of Naples, FL  and sister, Jeannette Atkins of Phoenixville, PA; daughter-in-law, Eileen Fritsch of Milford, NH; grandchildren, Dana Fritsch and his wife Lindsay and their daughter Haylie of Las Vegas, NV, Mikayla Fritsch of Somerville and Madison Fritsch of North Reading; step grandchildren, Sean O’ Brien and his daughter Emma and Robyn Smith and her husband Bob; In-laws, the late Margaret and William Chabina of Syosset, NY and Helen Layng and her late husband William of Smyra, GA .

Her funeral will be held from the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Friday, January 29 at 9:15 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading. Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 28 from 5 to 7 PM. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed (sttheresanreading.org). Social distancing and mask wearing protocols will be followed. Memorial donations may be made in her name to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or to the charity of one’s choice. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Irene F. (Atkinson) Ivester – 103, of Tuftonboro, NH, formerly of Sarasota, Florida and North Reading, died at her home on Sunday, January 17, 2021. She  was the beloved wife of the late Kenneth R. Ivester.

Born in Cambridge, MA on August 12, 1917. She was the daughter of the late Samuel and Hilda T. (Thomas) Atkinson. Irene attended North Reading Grammar Schools and was a graduate of Reading High School. After High School she worked at the front desk of the New England Sanatorium in North Reading (a Tuberculosis Hospital). After her children were grown, she worked for her husband, Kenneth R. Ivester Insurance Agency in North Reading.

After the death of her husband, she lived in Sarasota, Florida for 23 years and had fun in the sun, playing golf, swimming and then she moved  to an apartment, with her daughter, JoAnn for 13 years. Irene was an American Red Cross Volunteer for 30 years.

Family members include her loving daughters, JoAnn Andrews and her husband Chad of Center Tuftonboro, NH and Diane Bumford of Lebanon, Maine; 12 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 4 great great grandchildren. She was the mother of the late Kenneth R. Ivester, Jr. Also survived by her sister-in-law, Jeanne Ivester of Salem, NH and her daughters-in-law, Cecilia Lawton and Susan Ivester.

Funeral service will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North  Reading on Thursday, January 28 at 11 AM, Calling hours will be held prior to the service from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the Lakes Region Humane Society, Ossipee, NH or to the Tuftonboro Fire Department. www.croswellfuneralhome.com