Michael Megna
Family & friends are invited to visit on Thursday, March 31st in the Vertuccio & Smith Home for Funerals, 773 Broadway (Rte. 107), Revere, beginning at 10:00 a.m. for Michael Megna, who died on Thursday, March 24th, at the Cambridge Hospital, after a life-long valiant battle with cerebral palsy and all related complications. Following the visitation, a funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.
in St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 670 Washington Ave., Revere, followed by interment at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Jamaica Plain.
Born & raised in Boston, Michael’s birth was afflicted with cerebral palsy, which he fought fiercely and intently to gain a place in the real world. After being orphaned at age 1 his dear Grandmother brought him up & raised him to very best of her capability, until he reached the age of seven. Because of the times, he was institutionalized at Lakeview Hospital, until moving to the Walter Fernald School for the Care of Retarded Adults. Michael was not retarded. He suffered from speech palsy: the inability to communicate. After a fierce debate with the Administration at the Fernald School & intervention from the “Boston Globe Spotlight” team, he won his fight, and was placed in a Watertown half-way house with 6 other adults, where he began his life a new with joy and excitement. For the past 37 years, he has enjoyed the opportunity of living within the Cambridge City environment, at Jackson Road Apartments. Michael involved himself in many activities, including, CCT (Cambridge Community Television. Michael was presented the Joseph Sakey Award for outstanding contributions to the development of access to the Media in Cambridge, in October of 1991. He was also presented an outstanding member-worker Award from the Cambridge Food Co-op in May of 1992. In June of 2015, he received his Certificate of Completion from the Commonwealth Care Alliance & Senior Care Options Program: “My Life, My Health”, the Stanford
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program.
He is the son of the late Salvatore & Filomena (Blonde) Megna. He leaves his devoted cousins, Rosalie Cunningham & her husband, James P. Jr.of Revere, Joseph V. LaRosa & his wife, Louise of Taunton & Vincent LaRosa of Bridgewater N.H. Francis A. Smith of Marshfield & several other cousins. He also lovingly by a sister, Maryanne and 2 brothers. The large extended family at Jackson Road, Cambridge will indeed, including the residents, staff, care-givers will long miss Michael for the the extraordinary care and love they
showered on Michael, all these years, may they be richly blessed with splendid health of mind and body.
Services
Visitation
Thursday, March 31st beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Funeral Mass
Thursday, March 31st at 11:00 a.m. in St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Revere
Interment
St. Michael Cemetery, Jamaica Plain
In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to the Jackson Road Residents’ Activities Fund, 27 Jackson Rd. , Somerville, MA, 02145
To Michael’s family, friends, and community I send my condolences. Working with Mike as a nurse practitioner for the past five years was a joy and a privilege. Through our many conversations about life and his experiences I learned so much about the meaning of living with a disability. I loved his wide ranging mind, his curiosity, his sense of humor. He loved to hear me tell others hilarious stories about my attempts to understand his speech. But I kept trying and “got it” every time. He was a generous teacher – always eager to share his own story. One of our experiences led to him presenting at a BMC Family Medicine Grand Rounds which was well attended and warmly received. Mike loved Rosalie and Jim and his entire family. I will miss him so much,