Condolences to the family of Joe Corsetti, who passed away last month.
Joe was a graduate of Villanova University, where he was a terrific football player. Joe was welcomed to Mission Hill in the late ’60s, when he thrilled local football fans with his spectacular catches from Killilea Club quarterback Dan Breen in the Boston Park League.
As good as he was on the gridiron, Joe was a better family man. He leaves his wife Stephanie, his beautiful daughter Dawn and his twin sons Joe Corsetti Jr. and Marcus Corsetti.
Joe Jr. and Marcus inherited their dad’s football talent, as the pair starred for Trinity Catholic High School in Newton a dozen years ago. I last chatted with Joe last October at the Boston Park League reunion in Dorchester. Although he was ailing, Joe displayed a terrific spirit. Joe held a captive audience, just as he did in the old days when he was a bartender at Travers Tavern (currently The Squealing Pig) and at Mission Hill’s famous watering hole, Ed Burke’s Tavern.
Joe will be dearly missed.
Happy birthday and God bless Kay “Big Red” Ryan, who celebrated 92 years last month. Kay, from 31 Tobin Court in the Mission Hill projects, was surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren when she blew out the candles.
Carmen Pola will celebrate a milestone birthday on May 11. I appreciate the hugs Carmen bestows on me at Mike’s Donuts.
The Red Sox will pay tribute to retired Lt. Col. George Rollins for his military service after the fourth inning of the Sox-Tigers game on May 17. I made an error of omission last month by not mentioning the date.
The Mission High School Class of 1964 will hold their 50th reunion June 14 (Flag Day) at the Holiday Inn in Dedham. For info, call Paul Carroll at 781-545-1289. The ’64 Mission hoop team was magnificent, as the team advanced to the Tech Tourney semifinals before losing to Braintree at the Boston Garden in overtime. In that game, with 13,909 fans at the Garden, Mike Foley, Mission’s great center, who would later graduate from Harvard, narrowly missed a jump shot at the buzzer before the overtime.
It was nice seeing Jack Moynihan, who was around the Hill visiting family and friends during the Easter weekend. Jack, who lives in New Jersey, grew up in the Mission Hill projects, and he is the brother of “Big Jim” Moynihan, the father of the Mission Hill Road Race.
Speaking of Easter, I was pleasantly surprised to see the full house at Mission Church at the 9 o’clock Easter Sunday Mass. I immediately took off my sunglasses to make sure God would recognize me.
Former Mission Hill resident Kevin Todd was featured on the popular Channel 5 program “Chronicle” last month. Kevin, an employee of Blanche P. Field in South Boston, displayed his talent, designing antique lamp shades and other old pieces of furniture.
(from left) The late Joe Corsetti joins James Cosby, Janet Earley, Mossy Martin and Ricky Keefe at a 1999 Killilea Club reunion at the Mission Hill Post. (Courtesy Photo)