By Maurice ‘Mossy’ Martin
Former Mission Hill entrepreneur Robert ‘Robo’ Payne passed away last month in Billerica.
Robo, along with being a skilled air conditioning and heating worker, was a great guy who employed dozens of Mission Hill workers at Mechanical Cooling, his shop on Pontiac Street in the 197’s and ‘80s. At that time Robo sponsored the popular “Owl’s Nest’ softball team in the Mission Hill Softball League.
Robo loved Mission Hill, and I enjoyed chatting with him when he occasionally stopped by Mike’s Donuts for a visit.
Donations in Robo’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association
Spotted near courtside at America Mutual Pavilion in Providence, R.I., for the thrilling Kansas-Arkansas ‘March Madness’ game were Mission Hill’s Anthony ‘Amps’ Pitts and his grandson, pro hoop player, Wayne Selden.
Wayne, who played in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Knicks, last played professionally in France. Wayne is an excellent role model, and he is generous with his time, organizing his yearly basketball clinic for our neighborhood kids.
I fondly recall attending an N.C.A.A. tournament game with Amps and my son, Rob when it was held at Boston Garden when ticket prices were somewhat reasonable back in 2003.
I love college basketball, but the NCAA is heading in the wrong direction. The term ‘student-athlete’ in many cases is a misnomer and numerous players are frequently changing schools.
In one instance, 23-year-old Deivon Smith played for four different Division 1 schools, most recently St. John’s.
Dan Shaughnessy the excellent Boston Globe writer calls the NCAA tournament “unregulated pro basketball” and wrote, “I’m not sure if I’d watch the men’s championship game if they played it in my driveway.”
Long before Shaughnessy became a household name, he covered the BNBL (Boston Neighborhood Basketball League) and he often watched the Mission Hill games up the Hill.
Mission Hill lost one of its greatest old-timers last week when John ‘Jake’ Lyons, from the Mission Hill project passed away at age 90.
Jake graduated in 1953 from Mission High School, where he was an All Scholastic football player. He earned a scholarship to Boston College, after which he served in the U.S. Army as a medic. Jake later taught History and English at Mission High and Catholic Memorial High School.
Jake also coached football at Mission High.
Mission had some great football teams back then, and Jake was tough and demanding on his players who loved him. Politically Jake was a diehard Democrat, and he appealed to his children” “Never cross a picket line, always vote Democrat and drink your coffee black.”
Donations in Jake’s memory may be made to Mission Grammar School www.missiongrammar.org.
Good luck in retirement to outgoing New England Baptist Hospital President Dave Passafaro, who is a great guy, and he was always there to lend a helping hand to his Mission Hill neighbors. I attended the terrific sendoff dinner party for Dave.at the Tobin Community Center last week. Thanks to NEBH and Public Relations Director Chrissy Dwyer and all the volunteers for supplying and serving the food to the appreciative crowd.
Anna Corley, a beautiful Mission Hill woman, passed away last week.
Anna graduated from Mission High in 1945, and she worked as a nurse at Parker Hill Medical Center for many years. Anna loved Mission Church, and she would never miss the Novenas back in the Church’s glory days when thousands of congregants would attend Father Manton’s Wednesday’s Novenas.
Anna recorded the Novenas, and they would later be broadcast on Boston Catholic TV.
Donations in Anna’s memory may be made to Mission Church.
Condolences to the family of Mike Dineen who passed away last month.
Mike loved his country, and he was a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam. As a hulking lineman Mike was a great football player at Mission High in the early ‘60s.
RIP, Mike.
A tip of the hat to Laura Adams and the other workers at Roxbury Tenants of Harvard for coordinating the awesome St. Patrick’s Day party, attended by 130 Mission Hill seniors at the RTH gym.
There were many sponsors, particularly The Mission Bar & Grill, which catered the delicious corned beef and cabbage dinner. Appropriately the joyous party ended with Mission Hill crooner Mark Coyle bringing the crowd to their feet with his great rendition of “Danny Boy.”
Maurice can be reached at [email protected]