Robert Andrew Ricci III, son of Pawtucket’s Maryanne (Daley) Ricci and Robert Ricci, began his stay on Earth back on this day in La Jolla, CA. Robert Andrew’s maternal grandparents were the late Joan (Riley) Daley (1929-2019) and Frederick “Nick” Daley (1927-1991).
Robert Andrew has already met with success in life. So far, he’s been a member of the National Honor Society at La Costa High School, a four-year member of the school’s golf team, its team captain in his senior year and the individual league champion!
A graduate of California Polytechnic, Robert Andrew’s now building a productive career and life out in Colorado.
Here’s to a great birthday weekend, Robert Andrew. Have an IPA on us!
California born and still California cool, Happy Birthday, Robert!
Sad news to post today. Connie Mulligan Welsh, daughter of Kathleen (Riley) Mulligan (1899-1988) passed away this past Wednesday, the 22nd of July.
Connie might have been petite, but her personality and warmth were enormous. You always felt special in her presence.
For years, Connie and her late husband Joe (1921-2003) hosted an annual Mulligan – Riley family cookout at their home in Foxboro. Grandma, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins and 2nd cousins, in-laws, and maybe an outlaw or two, all gathered for a noon to dusk party. Joe would liven up the group with pronouncements punctuated with creative usage of some Anglo-Saxon phrases, until Connie ruled the day with a “we’ll have no more of that” stare.
All who knew Connie will miss her charming ways and lovely manner.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her daughters, Brenda and Beverly.
Constance M. Welsh October 18, 1924 – July 22, 2020
Constance Marie (Mulligan) Welsh of Foxborough, MA passed away on July 22, 2020 at home. She was the loving wife of the late Joseph D. Welsh, who predeceased her in 2003.
Born in Pawtucket, RI, she was the daughter of the late William and Kathleen (Riley) Mulligan. She graduated from Foxborough High School in 1942, received her Secretarial Certificate from Pawtucket Business School and was employed at the Foxboro Company. While raising her family, she assisted in the family business, Welsh’s Dairy. After her family was grown, she was employed at Foxboro State Hospital and Wrentham State School in the medical records department.
Of all the places she visited or things she had done in her 95 years, Connie’s greatest enjoyment was being with her family. She is survived by her daughters Brenda Fayed and her husband Toman of Glastonbury, CT, and Beverly Pini and her husband A. Ross Pini, Jr. of North Attleboro. Also, her grandsons: A. Ross Pini III and his wife Meghan of Roslindale, MA, Ryan Fayed and his wife Brianne of West Hartford, CT, and Timothy Fayed of Jamaica Plain, MA, and her great grandsons, Grant and Nolan Fayed.
Also survived by her sisters, Marjorie Pacelli of Franklin and Janet Cushing of Tiburon, CA. She was the sister of the late Wm. Russell Mulligan.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 AM on Tuesday, July 28th in Saint Mary’s Church, 58 Carpenter Street, Foxborough. Burial will follow in Saint Mary’s Cemetery, Foxborough. Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the RJ Ross Funeral Home, 135 South Street, Wrentham Tuesday morning prior to Mass from 9:30-10:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Connie’s memory may be made to the Friends of North Attleboro Animal Shelter at www.fnaas.org
William Leo Riley, Sr. (1912-1985) was born in Pawtucket. With the exception of his 3 1/2 years in the US Army during WWII, Bill lived his life residing within a mile of where he was born.
He married Helen Manning in September of 1952. The couple had three children, Patricia, William L. (Bill), Paul, and later three grandchildren.
I always called him Uncle Bill. Smart, knowledgeable on many subjects, and ready to engage in conversation. When you’d see him come into the house on Pond Street, or the home on Wilton Avenue, he’d gently doff his soft felt Fedora hat, nod his head, say hello to everyone, and chime in on the news of the day.
Uncle Bill, a second generation Irish-American, was a hard working family guy and a combat infantry soldier in France and Italy. Here is my favorite picture of him in his soldier kakis.
Not sure where this was taken, maybe just before he shipped out to the European Theater.
Check out the April 28, 2014 blog entry to see a portion of a hand written letter Bill sent to my father from somewhere in France while conducting his combat missions.
Brian Lightfoot Brown, son of Patricia Riley Brown and Keith Romaine Brown, grandson of William Leo Riley (1912-1985) and Helen (Manning) Riley (1921-1994) was born in Westerly, Rhode Island but grew up in Pawtucket.#
Brian is now living in the Phoenix, Arizona area, but as you can read from a recent posting, Brian still feels Pawtucket’s strong emotional tug. I thought it would be nice to include his own words in today’s birthday acknowledgement. Brian’s words not only verify the adage, “A house is a home,” but are a loving reference to his grandfather, William, who was born 108 years ago on July 24th.
“So the house I grew up in is for sale. The house was perfectly placed between Memorial Hospital and McCoy Stadium. I grew up on Arch Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. My maternal grandparents bought this house in March of 1954, when my Mother was just 6 months old. Both grandparents were from Pawtucket, but this house was more in my Grandfather’s stomping grounds. My Grandparents added 2 sons to the household and raised their family at 81 Arch Street. I recall many visits to see my Grandparents. In 1979, my parents got divorced and my Mother moved back in with my Grandparents, but with my younger brother and I in tow. My Mom’s youngest brother still lived at home, finishing college at that time. This was my home, my Mother’s home before that. My Grandfather built a shed in the backyard, literally finishing it merely 2 weeks or so before his death in 1985. This was the house where I was raised. The backyard where I played baseball with friends and where my high school graduation party was held in 1992. My Grandmother held on to the house until her death in 1994. My Uncle then moved out, it was just my Mom, my brother and I in the house now. My brother and I were just getting into our young adult years, cracking into our 20s. But then in 1999, we had to give up the house and move. This has honestly disturbed me ever since. A few months after we moved out, a high school acquaintance of my brother’s bought the house. It was unnerving to see someone living there, but what could we do. Years later, it appeared that the owners moved out and were renting the home but made some renovations and yesterday, my brother showed me photos and that our childhood home is for sale. Oh how I wish I could afford it. I have vowed that if I ever come into enough money, I will buy this house back. It will be a chip on my shoulder until the day comes when my family owns this house, or until I take my last breath on this earth. There is no “getting over it, I will always long for reconnection to this house, end of story.”
Happy Birthday, Brian! May you be blessed with a powerful air conditioner. In Phoenix, the high temp is expected to be 100 with a low of 85 on your special day.
A proud Narragansett, Brian Lightfoot Brown at Scorpion Gulch, Phoenix, AZ
Emerson Arthur Fleury was born on this date in Providence to Karen Serpa Fleury and Timothy Fleury. On Emerson’s paternal side, his grandparents are Richard “Rick” and Darleen Fleury; great-grandparents the late Richard B. Fleury (1928-1992) and Barbara (Riley) Fleury (1927-2015) and his great great-grandfather, Patrick J. Riley (1900-1985).
Emerson can trace his Riley bloodline back 6 generations to 1862, which just happens to be the same year that his namesake, Ralph Waldo Emerson transcended into the afterlife.
Happy Birthday, Emerson! May your life be as sweet as your birthday cake and may your adventures be as rich as its frosting.
May Emerson always have some Irish luckPrepping to color those Easter eggsEmerson proudly showing off his little brother Eliot
Paul Christopher Riley came into this world in Providence, but lived his younger years in Pawtucket within earshot of the cheers and jeers of McCoy Stadium.
Paul is the third child born to William Leo Riley (1912-1985) and Helen Frances Manning (1921-1994). His paternal grandparents were Patrick Leo Riley (1875-1955) and Marguetta E. Greenhalgh (1876-1962).
A double Saint and a Friar (St Joseph’s, St Ray’s and Providence College), Paul could, and probably still can, play an effortless second base. Just about everyone of a certain age in Pawtucket knows this “Riles.” The type of guy who stands with you, stands for you and stands by you.
Have a good one today, Paul!
Here is Paul (on the left) with his sister Patricia and brother Bill.
Caroline Ricci was born on this date in La Jolla, CA to Maryanne (Daley) Ricci and Robert Ricci. Caroline’s maternal grandparents were the late Joan (Riley) Daley (1929-2019) and the late Frederick (Nick) Daley (1927-1991).
Although growing up a Southern Californian girl, CC, as she is known, has plenty of Pawtucket and Little Rhody running through her veins. Aunts, uncles, and cousins galore are scattered throughout her East Coast family tree. Her dad is a Pawtucket guy and her paternal grandfather, Robert L. Ricci holds a commanding position with the Rhode Island State Senate.
Competitiveness in both academics and athletics have been CC’s hallmarks since she was in elementary school. In high school Caroline was a member of the National Honor Society, as well as a varsity field hockey and lacrosse player. In her senior year, she was captain and led her teams to the number 1 ranking in California. Following high school, Caroline graduated from Marist College where she continued with lacrosse and studied abroad in Florence, Italy.
Happy Birthday Caroline! Keep enjoying life amongst the vineyards.
Timothy M. Fleury, son of Richard (Rick) and Darleen Fleury, was born on this date in Providence, and grew up in Bristol, RI.
Tim’s had a pretty good couple of years lately. Married the lovely Karen Serpa, began married life in Cumberland and welcomed two sons into the world, Emerson and Eliot. But, that’s not all, today he got a new quarterback!
Karen and Tim in front of the Rhode Island StatehouseAll three Fleury boys
Andrew McNaught, son of Tammie (Daley) McNaught and Peter McNaught was born in Providence on this date.
This past year has been a pretty good one for Andrew. He completed his Masters Degree requirements at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and received a very nice promotion at National Grid. Let’s just say that when you mention Andrew’s name to someone, the response is, “Ah, you mean the guy with his hand on the power switch.”
It was just about 10:15 am 50 years ago today on June 20, 1970 that Paula Marie Mulligan and John Steven Kostycz were united in the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony.
St Joseph’s Church on Walcott Street in Pawtucket had a pretty good turnout to see the Mulligan girl marry this John fellow from the Mid-West. The sky was clear. The temperature was a nice 66 degrees and the humidity was quite low. They said it was a perfect day for the perfect bride! The Mulligans, the Rileys, friends and even those Kostyczs from Chicago were there. I wasn’t there (finishing up at college in Wisconsin), but I bet Walter was.
Here are some photos from from Paula and John’s special day.
On the steps of St Joseph’s – how many faces do you recognize?Doing the “walk around” at the reception at the Lord Fox in Foxboro, MA
Let’s all lift an appropriate libation to Paula and John on this occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
The 10:15 am temperature this morning in Florida, where the Kostyczs now live, is 87 degrees with a humidity reading of 70%. Just goes to show that John and Paula can still bring the heat!
Special thanks to Paula’s niece, Susan Moore and to Kevin FX Mulligan for the heads up and the pictures.
Sean Fleury,* born in Warwick and raised in Massachusetts, has himself a Birthday today. His parents, Karen Ann Matteson and Timothy Patrick Fleury, and his paternal grandparents, the late Richard B. Fleury (1928-1992) and the late Barbara Hope Riley (1927-2015), gifted Sean with some intelligence and athletic ability.
After achieving some “moderate success” with his high school academics and soccer, Sean enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and played some soccer. By the time he graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, Sean had experienced a four-year varsity career with the RPI soccer team, had a captaincy under his belt, plus he was an ESPN Magazine Academic All-American selection.
Presently, Sean and his bride Mollie Knake** are in Costa Rica on a work assignment and trying to adjust to the “harsh” conditions.
Patrick Leo Riley,* was born on June 7th in 1875 and passed away on April 7, 1955. “Grandpa Riley” was one of 8 Riley First Generation Americans. Later on, Patrick Leo and Marguetta Greenhalgh (1876-1962) contributed 9 new Americans, and aren’t we glad that occurred!
Rose Riley,* shared her June 7th birthday with her brother, Patrick Leo, but she was born twelve later, in 1887. Rose lived her life in Pawtucket and passed on April 5, 1973.
Patrick Leo with Marguetta and three and half year old Dennis – August 1951
see post of June 7th, 2019 for more complete information.
Several weeks ago, 19pondstreet completed a year of posting the birthdays of its past and present family members. Hopefully, you have enjoyed reading these vignettes. I think it’s nice to re-acquaint with relatives both near and far, especially when it can be done in true Riley fashion, by not having to engage with anyone face-to-face.
If you know of someone’s birthday that is missing, please, let me know. Then, that special day will be posted on his/her appropriate upcoming date.
When this site initially launched, there was some trepidation concerning posting references to family members under the age of 16. But given the prevalent use of social media, that anxiousness now seems a bit pointless, so it is time to make amends.
During the last 6 months, we have had two new additions to the 6th generation of the Riley family tree. As best as I can determine, we now have 6 members of the 6th generation. They should be acknowledged and celebrated! So let’s begin:
Born on this Date – June 7th
Theodore Francis Murzycki was born on this date in Worcester, Massachusetts way back in 2017 to Elizabeth (Mulligan) Murzycki and Nicholas Murzycki. Teddy, as he is best known, has Gail (Benoit) Mulligan and Kevin Francis Xavier Mulligan as grandparents. Besides being a big brother, a toy truck foreman and possessor of a great smile, Teddy shares his birthday with his aunt Susan and his great-great grandfather, Patrick Leo Riley (1875-1955).
Ray Matthieu, one of our cousins from the Greenhalgh family branch, has passed away. Ray Matthieu was a great nephew to “Grandma Riley” (Margaret E. Greenhalgh Riley 1876-1962).
Raymond S. Matthieu
His Obituary follows:
“Raymond S. Matthieu Jr. passed away Sunday May 17th with his family by his side, at his home in Attleboro, MA. He was 71.
Ray was born in Pawtucket RI, the son of the late Raymond S. and Margaret (Greenhalgh)Matthieu. He grew up in the Pinecrest neighborhood of Pawtucket and attended Pawtucket Vocational high school.
Ray was a decorated veteran who served in the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne from 1967 to 1969. During that time, he saw active duty in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze star before his honorable discharge. For many years, Ray served as a firefighter and EMT for the city of Pawtucket. In 1989, he was honored by the Pawtucket City Council for his heroism in saving the life an unconscious elderly resident from a large apartment building fire. Later, Ray enjoyed working as a bus driver for RIPTA where he drove routes in Newport, RI.
Ray was an avid athlete and elite runner, having run in several marathons and finishing in the top 200 of the 1986 Boston marathon with an astounding time of 2 hours 37 minutes. A long-time hockey player and devoted member of Rhody Oldies hockey league in Pawtucket, he delighted in playing his favorite sport with his closest friends.
Ray is survived by his wife Jean, his sons Raymond [Trisha] Matthieu and Mark [Li] Matthieu, his step-sons Timothy [Sally] Doyle and Kevin Doyle, his beloved grandchildren Ian and Neve, and his devoted dog Molly.
Respectfully, Ray’s services will be private.”
I went to St Leo’s Grammar School with Ray, and saw him in and around Pawtucket all through our high school years. Ray was really a nice guy who always called me “Cuz.”
19 Pond Street 