Mechele C. (Pothier) Cronin – 51, of North Reading, died Monday, May 8, 2017 at the Lowell General Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Born in Winchester, MA on December 23, 1965, she was the daughter of the late Joyce Marie Pothier. Mechele was raised and attended school in North Reading and was a graduate of North Reading High School, Class of 1983.

Mechele has been the Van Driver for the Edith A. O’ Leary Senior Center in North Reading for the past 12 years. She was kind, compassionate and caring. Mechele touched many lives and hearts with her incredible sense of humor and her boundless energy. She cared deeply about her children and her “peeps” from the Senior Center.

Family members include her children, Kelsey Cronin and her fiancé Kyle Desrosiers, Mackenzie Cronin and her significant other Matthew O’Riordan, Connor Cronin and his significant other Roslyn; uncles, Francis Pothier and wife Maria, Charles Pothier and wife Louise; Joseph Pothier and wife Dale, James Pothier and wife Paula; aunts, Linda Homan, Patricia Pearce, Elizabeth Murphy and husband Richard. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Calling hours will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Friday, May 12, from 4 to 7 PM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Mechele’s memory to the Edith A. O’Leary Senior Center, 157 Park St., North Reading, MA 01864.  www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Stephen  J.  Stella – 70, of North Reading and formerly of Andover, died Sunday, May 7, 2017 at Winchester Hospital.

Born in Lawrence, MA on December 16, 1946 he was the son of the late Salvatore and Rose (Catanzaro) Stella. Steve was a graduate of North Reading High School, Class of 1966.

He was a U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran. He served from 1967 to 1969 and he received 5 Bronze Stars.

Steve worked for many years as a dispatcher for Lynch Materials (formerly Heffron Materials) in Wilmington. He was a resident of North Reading for the past 62 years. He was a member of the Moose Lodge in North Reading, the VFW and DAV.

He was a true friend to many who knew him. He loved golf, gardening and taking Sam to the Park.

Family members include his loving wife of 40 years, Wendy (Wilson) Stella; his brother, Gerald Stella of Georgia; his brother and sister-in-law, Cliff and Lynn Wilson of Rowley;  3 nieces, Jennifer Chavez of Swampscott, Bethany Duggan of Haverhill and Kristina Perez of Georgia;  a nephew, Jeffrey Wilson of Rowley; 3 great nieces and 4 great nephews.

His Funeral will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Friday, May 12 at 10 AM. Calling hours will be on Thursday, May 11 from 4 to 7 PM. Burial will be in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Peabody. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Mary  Jo  (Ford)  Hohl –  of Webster, New York and formerly of North Reading, died on May 01, 2017, at age 59, following a rapid health decline due to multiple myeloma and amyloid  osis. Predeceased by her mother Patricia, sister Lisa, in-laws John & Ruth Hohl, sister-in-law Mary Beth (Hohl) Janisse, grandparents Violet & Robert Ford, Agnes & Willard Whitney, great-aunt and great-uncle Geraldine and John Kelly. She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Lawrence Hohl; children: Patricia (James Wells), Elizabeth (Christopher Svendsen), John (Erin Shambo), Daniel (fiancé Nicole Gilbody), and Michael; father Roy Ford; brothers: Robert (Catherine), Thomas (Lisa), Daniel (Susan), and John (Sandy); sister-in-law Ruth Anne (Jim) Borger; brothers-in-law Robert (Michael Kelly), and Daniel Hohl, Richard (Wendy) Janisse; loving Aunts and Uncle Jacqueline Bleakney, Beverly Lowrey, Barbara & Charles Symonds; cousins, many nieces and nephews, and many many dearly beloved friends.

Born in Charleston, SC on July 21, 1957, Mary Jo lived in North Reading where she graduated from North Reading High School in 1975. Mary Jo received a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from The College of the Holy Cross in 1979, a Diploma in Nursing from Newton-Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing in 1986, and a Bachelor Degree in Nursing from the University of Rochester in 1992. Mary Jo was a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps 1979- 1980, serving as a counselor in a group home in Bethel, Alaska. She was director of the Harvard-Radcliffe Catholic Student Center in Cambridge until entering the nursing profession. Mary Jo held nursing positions in the Rochester area which included labor and delivery, high-risk obstetrics, community health, long-term care, director of care for the uninsured at Mercy Outreach Center, and for the last eight years – school nursing at Schlegel Road Elementary School in Webster. She was an active member of St. Rita Church since relocating to Webster from Cambridge in 1987. An avid supporter of her children’s myriad of activities, Mary Jo was a loyal volunteer with Webster High School Marching Band, Girl Scouts, and Cub/Boy Scouts. She loved to travel, especially to visit or with family, and greeted each sunrise with her motto “Every Day’s an Adventure!”

Family and friends are invited to call at Willard H. Scott Funeral Home, 12 South Ave., Webster on Sunday, May 7, from 2 – 6 pm. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 8, at 11:15 AM at St. Rita Church in Webster, NY. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, North Reading and will take place privately. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Mary Jo’s memory by donating online at Boston University Amyloid Research Fund and practice random acts of kindness to help the world become a better place for all. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Frances Thornton– May 1, 2017

Timothy  A.  Douglas – 46, of Andover, died unexpectedly on April 27, 2017.

Born in Andover, MA on June 6, 1971. He was a lifelong resident of Andover and was a graduate of the Lawrence Vocational School.

Tim worked for the Massachusetts School of Law, Essex County Sheriff’s Office and for Scrap Metal Management in West Newbury.

He was a generous and loving person, with a fantastic sense of humor and heart. He was loved by many friends and relatives. He was an avid fisherman, he enjoyed bow hunting for deer and loved riding his Harley Davidson.

Family members include his loving mother, Marjorie L. Douglas of Andover and his late father Larry R. Douglas; his children, Brandon Douglas, Cameron Douglas and Owen Timothy Douglas; his sister, Robin Douglas Boucher, her husband Cary and their children, Kyle, Ryan, Colin and Caroline Boucher of North Reading.

Funeral services will be private and are under the direction of the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in  Owen Timothy Douglas’s  name to American Diabetes Association., P.O.  Box 15829, Arlington, VA 22215. www.croswellfuneralhome.com