By Maurice ‘Mossy’ Mratin
The Mission Hill Post 327 held a meeting last week at Victory Point Restaurant in Quincy, and among the items discussed was Veterans Day, Nov. 11, when M.H. Post members will convene at Brigham Circle at 11 a.m. to salute our veterans. (An incorrect time was listed in my last column.) All are welcome to this great event, which will be preceded by complimentary coffee and donuts, courtesy of Maria from Mike’s Donuts.
Mission Hill Main Streets held a fun ‘Bites & Brews’ Awards Celebration last week at the Mission Bar & Grill.
A nod of approval goes to M.H.M.S. Executive Director Courtney Wright and President Eric Alden for organizing the time. The New England Baptist Hospital was among the main sponsors of the event, and it was nice meeting the N.E.B.H ‘s newest President, Katie Gallbraith.
When I wasn’t chowing on the delicious chicken and pasta, thanks to Mission owner, Harry Walsh, I chatted with Chynah Tyler, a nice woman who is my State Representative.
On this evening you could feel the Mission Hill spirit, and nobody exuded that vitality more than the late Kevin Fitzgerald and Kevin’s friend, Richie Rouse, who passionately orated about Kevin.
Other notable faces at the event included Tricia Fitzgerald, Mike Fitzgerald, Laura Adams, Chrissy Dwyer, Mitch Hilton, Mary Ann Nelson, Pat Flaherty, and Adam Sarbaugh.
Mission Hill last week mourned the death of Charlie Kelly, who was a superb family man, friend, and a tremendous basketball player.
Charlie played for Catholic Memorial, and I fondly recall being among the 14,000 Boston Garden fans 55 years ago cheering my lungs out for Charlie and his C.M. team against Boston English in the Tech Tourney.
Charlie later starred at Babson College and went on to be a successful businessman.
I loved it when Charlie would visit Mike’s Donuts and we’d often reminisce about the old days, especially our bus trip to New York in 1973 for Game 4 of the Celtics-Knicks playoff game.
That memorable weekend trip with a busload of beer and Mission Hill characters was organized by Charlie’s close friend, Chap Shaughnessy, and fortunately there were no arrests but a few close calls.
In the summertime, Charlie coached the 15 and under B.N.B.L. team up the Hill. He also took many Mission Hill kids to the Babson campus to play tennis, basketball, and to swim.
Around the neighborhood, I often saw Charlie quietly slip Mission Hill guys who were down-and-out a $20 spot.
That was typical Charlie, who leaves his beautiful wife, Cheryl, his son, Charlie III, and daughter, Melissa.
On Dec. 4 at Mission Church, The Boston Conservatory of Music at Berkeley will perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto #3. This terrific event is free.
Condolences to the family of Bobby Geary, who passed away last month.
Bobby, a retired Boston Globe worker from Mission Hill, was a super nice guy. I didn’t know Bobby well, but I always would stop by his table at the Corrib in West Roxbury to greet him.
RIP Bobby.
Bobby O’Malley from Mission Hill passed away suddenly last month.
Bobby was a great guy, and a talented and hard worker who was a Surgical Technologist. Bobby worked for many years at the New England Baptist Hospital.
RIP Bobby.
A few months ago, I forgot to mention a wonderful evening at ‘West on Centre’ in West Roxbury.
The occasion was a milestone birthday celebration for lovely Ellen (Daley) Napolitano from the Mission Hill project. Perhaps because I had a few beers to celebrate Ellen’s birthday, I addressed the Mission Hill throng, reminiscing about taking many boat rides to Nantasket Beach with the Napolitano clan back in the day.
Recently at Mike’s Donuts, we were rehashing the name change from Dudley Station to Nubian Square.
At that time in 2020, if a name change was imminent, I advocated to change the name to ‘Haynes Square’ to honor the legacy of the Haynes family from Roxbury.
Roy Haynes was a renowned drummer who was part of the famous, seminal Charlie Parker jazz quintet.
Charlie’s younger brother Michael Haynes, a pastor in the 12th Baptist Church in Roxbury, was a fierce advocate for civil rights and a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. since the 1950s, when they were youth pastors in Boston.
Michael also served in the Mass. House of Representatives for his Roxbury district.
I didn’t know these great men, but I’m proud to say I was a close friend of their brother, Vinnie Haynes, a World War II veteran. I got to know Vinnie 35 years ago, when I worked at Mission Hill Liquors, where Vinnie often came to play his numbers and chat. I
was honored when Vinnie invited me to his Roxbury home for Sunday dinner. Vinnie, who became a big time college football referee, was great at spinning yarns.
Vinnie told me the story when he officiated a Boston Park League football game in South Boston in the ‘50s, when things weren’t going well, with several arguments, as well as fights on the field and in the stands, laced with racial overtones.
Vinnie had parked his car in the South Boston neighborhood across the field, and at the game’s conclusion, his friend offered him a ride home for his own safety and so Vinnie could get his car later.
Vinnie insisted, saying, “I didn’t go fight in a war to come back here to be intimidated by a few punks.”
Vinnie, still wearing his striped referee shirt, crossed the football field into the neighborhood and was about to enter his car when he heard a loud voice shout, “Hey, Ref.”
Vinnie turned and saw a bunch of kids. The one with the loud voice, and who had a handsome Southie face, shouted again: “Good game.”
“Thank you,” said Vinnie.
Maurice can be reached at [email protected] . .