By Maurice ‘Mossy’ Martin
Mission Hill lost a wonderful, revered man last month, when retired Boston Police Officer George Higgins passed away.
Before George joined the Police Force and served in the U.S. Army, he bartended at Ed Burke’s Tavern, where his gifted personality and dry wit were on display.
George was a tough fullback for the Killilea Club during the golden years of Boston Park League Football when thousands would pack Fens Stadium. The team disbanded in the early ‘70s, but after a six-year hiatus George and John ‘The Baron’ Harran restarted the Killilea Club in 1978. I was the left end on that team, and we took our lumps, but the following year, we won the Boston City League championship.
George was a great guy and a terrific coach. George leaves his beautiful wife, Susan and three children. A celebration of George’s life will be held at a future date.
Alfreda Harris stopped in Mike’s last month for her favorite lemon donut. Alfreda, a 1955 graduate of Girls High School in Roxbury, is a pioneer in women’s basketball, having coached locally for 45 years.
Known as “Boston’s First Lady of Basketball,” Alfreda was also a distinguished educator. The gym in Shelburne Community Center is named in her honor.
In the late ‘80s when Alfreda was coaching the Shelburne Smokers, two of her players, Medina Dixon and Michelle Edwards, went on to play in the U.S. Olympics.
Said Alfreda: “I’ve always said there was gold on the hills of Roxbury.”
Condolences to the family of Jimmy McLean, who passed away last month.
Jimmy was a retired Construction Engineer for the MTA and a great family man who leaves two sons, Clifford and Joseph.
Jimmy was an All Scholastic basketball player at Mission High, Class of ‘66. Jimmy honed his skills playing at the Tobin Court hoops, often with his close friends, Kevin Fitzgerald and Jimmy Daley.
After high school Jimmy joined the Air Force and served in Vietnam. Paul Kelly, also a Vietnam veteran from the Hill, recalled a chance meeting with Jimmy in Vietnam at Bien Hoa Air Base, and the two soldiers had a quick beer. Mission Hill is everywhere.
Happy birthday (May 12) to Laura Adams. Laura loves Mission Hill and with her delightful personality she has the perfect job working with Roxbury Tenants of Harvard, advocating for and socializing with our senior citizens.
Mission Hill lost another great guy from the project when Paul Daley passed away last month.
Paul was a Naval Veteran who served two tours on the USS Henley. I spent much of my youth hanging around with Paul and John Clarke playing cards and listening to the radio on the project benches, where Paul gave me a thousand laughs.
Shortly after high school, Paul and Clarke decided to walk to Sears and Roebucks to apply for a job.
Quipped Paul: “In 10 years, they’ll be renaming the place ‘Clarke and Daley.’
Paul didn’t get the job at Sears, but he became a driver on the MBTA Green line, supporting his wonderful family, the late Hellen Costigan and daughters, Jessica and Paula.
Donations in Paul’s memory may be made to Crohn’s Colitis Foundation.
The Mission Hill Post 327 held a meeting last week at Victory Point Restaurant in Quincy.
It was nice meeting our special guest Col. Paul Murphy, who hails from Hyde Park.
Also four local college youths attended our meeting. These great kids volunteer for the Boston V.A. Fisher House, which assists veterans and their family members. It was heartwarming to meet this group, and the four joined us for dinner.
Anyone interested in joining our Post may contact our Commander, Col. George Rollins at 703-209-2124. The M.H. Post supports Mission Grammar School and several of us will attend the 136 year old school’s ‘Road to College; fundraiser Thursday May 15 at Emmanuel College starting at 5:30 p.m..
Brian Fitzgerald, a licensed athletic trainer, was at the finish line at the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day, which was the 48th year he has volunteered his services at this famous race.
Brian, a 1968 Mission High graduate, has volunteered his time for hundreds of sporting events, including athletic trainer for the Killilea Club, when I played. He is also a fixture at the annual Mission Hill Road Race.
Last month, Brian was the Medical Committee Chair and Medical Coordinator for the World Figure Skating Championship held here at TD Garden.
Brian was the Head trainer at the old Boston State College which merged with UMass Boston, and in 2007, he was elected to the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame.
Maurice can be reached at [email protected].