Mission Hill lost a kind-hearted man when Peter Flynn passed away on Christmas Eve.
Peter loved Mission Hill and he was instrumental in many Hill activities. Peter was devoted to the Mission Hill Softball League and he was the league’s commissioner and also the player-coach for the Tremont Pizza team. Peter organized the annual Mission Hill Golf Tournament, which raised funds for the Wounded Warriors Project. Peter was a terrific chef, having learned the trade at Johnson & Wales’ culinary college.
Three or four years ago, before he became ill, Peter was the cook at Flann O’Brien’s. I’d come to Flann’s every Sunday morning and Peter would cook me a fine breakfast, heavy on the home fries. Peter was also the bartender at the Mission Hill Post. As a patron and a jokester, I would give Peter my best shot, but often my jokes would lay eggs. One time after one of my quips, Peter laughed heartily and said, “Your jokes are so bad they’re funny.” I last saw Peter in early December at The Crossing on the night there was a party for him. The place was packed as folks showed their love for Peter. Peter had a big smile on his face.
Congrats to Ken Kern, a rugged fullback for Xaverian High School, who was recently chosen to the Catholic Conference All Star team. Kern, a junior, will be captain of next year’s football team, and he is currently the captain of Xaverians wrestling team. Ken is the son of proud parents, Ed Kern and Beth Kern. Ed Kern grew up in Mission Hill and he was also an outstanding football player for Xaverian, Class of 1981.
Happy New Year to Patricia Mceachern, a former Mission Hill resident, now living in Quincy. There were many Mceacherns in Mission Hill and they are a fine breed. Patricia keeps up to date on neighborhood news, being an avid Mission Hill Gazette reader.
Happy 65th birthday to Butch Narotski. Butch,who is from Roxbury, became friends with us Mission Hill guys when we rented a cottage in Falmouth in 1969. I hadn’t seen Butch since that wonderful Cape Cod summer, until he recently stopped in Mike’s Donuts. Butch says hello to his venerable Mission Hill friends, Jack Todd, Kevin Buckley and Bill Mullin.
A tip of the hat goes to Robert Merner and his colleagues at the Boston Police Department for their large drug bust last month. Merner, head of the BPD. drug unit, and his officers arrested 11 people, incredibly, all from the same family, who are accused of supplying drugs to people in Hyde Park, Roslindale and Dorchester. Merner was a cornerback on the Killilea Club Park League Football championship team in 1979. There is talk of a 35th year football team reunion in October of 2014.
The Gazette welcomes Frank Pedersen, who hails from the Mission Hill projects, as a new subscriber. Pedersen was a hard-boiled middle linebacker for the Killilea Club during the glorious days of Park League Football, when hundreds of Mission Hill fans would flock to Fens Stadium to watch their beloved team.
Hockey Heaven: Nine-year-old Sam Deraney displayed his talent on the Garden ice last month. Sam’s youth hockey team played at intermission of the Bruins game. Sam is the son of Rich Deraney and Mary Ellen Deraney. Mary Ellen is from the distinguished Mission Hill Sheehan family.