Obituary for Mr. Michael J. "Geeka" Cappuccio

Michael Joseph Cappuccio, 76, of Stoneham, MA passed away on Monday September 21, 2020 surrounded by his loving wife and children.

Mike was born in Boston, MA, growing up with his family in Roxbury, a proud Roxbury Red Raider. He met his wife, Jean, at Odee's in Cambridge MA . Given the choice between two men who wanted her number, she luckily chose wisely and went on a date with Mike to see Dr. Zhivago and Nantasket beach. He knew this night that they would be together forever. This was the beginning of a beautiful love story that lasted over 53 years. We will keep out the juicy details, but they went on to have 3 of the greatest children that ever lived. He provided them with hours, days and years of laughter, wrestling, "the hand", sports, lots and lots of hours freezing his butt off at the ice rink drinking bad hot chocolate. He taught them the importance of integrity, hard work, the importance of a great nickname, never giving up and the strength of family.

Some of our happiest memories center around the cottage that he built from the ground up at Stinson Lake. It will serve as the legacy for the Cappuccio family for generations to come. Anyone who knows Mike knows that the house will be standing literally for generations because of the great craftsmanship he put into every inch of the house. He put so much pride and planning into every project he and Jean dreamed up. He always had a notebook in hand, tape measure on his belt and pencil behind the ear, ready to plan the next project in mind. The lake was his refuge from the work week, his little piece of heaven and his church. He found peace, late night swims, a slow ride on the boat and the joy of looking up at the milky way in the clear skies over the mountain.

He put a roof over our heads through his years of extraordinary hard work as a Boilermaker for Local 29. After a short stint at UMass Boston, he realized that the Brotherhood was a better fit than hitting the books. He finished 4 years of an extensive apprenticeship before earning his wings and spending his time in blazing hot boilers or the outside of a giant smoke stack. He took pride and integrity in every weld, every teaching moment as a mentor and leadership for the union. He proudly stood for the rights of all workers in his local and every union in need. He lead with his quiet, humble style that brought out the very best in his fellow worker. He retired after 35 years of back and knee breaking work, the union never far from his mind.

Retirement was his opus. After a pair of new knees, he was able to fully enjoy a life of travel, dancing, more house projects and his grandchildren. He and Jean lived out their dreams with trips to Florida, Italy, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, England and a river boat trip through France and Germany. There was still time for "stolen moments" to Portsmouth, the Mount Washington Hotel and Boston and fixtures dancing at the Continental Lounge. His charm won over every person he met from tour groups, waitresses, bus drivers and desk staff. He was the life of the party even in foreign lands.

Somehow he had enough time to spend as much of his energy with his true pride and joy - his grandchildren. He always told us that he loved being a father, but being a grandfather was the greatest job he ever had. He was there from their first breaths and through every triumph and tragedy of all four of their lives. He is their hero. He will always be their hero. He rocked them to sleep, took them for walks, snuck them their favorite treats, was early for school pickup and planned the greatest adventures. He is the starring role in all of their greatest memories. He was the ultimate coach, cheering from the sidelines, praising every improvement. He took quiet joy in seeing them throw an extra hard check or sink a basket, throw strikes and was front row to their concerts and art shows.

His generosity was profound, integrity was paramount, humor infectious all while being truly humble. He taught his children and grandchildren that your work ethic one of the most important defining characteristics and lived all that he taught. There is no easy way to sum up the life of a great man like Michael. His legendary status proceeded him and all that loved him cherish the colorful stories of his life. He will be terribly missed but remembered forever and his spirit and love lives deep within our hearts.

Family and friends are kindly invited to gather and share memories with the family on Friday September 25th from 4 pm to 7 pm in the Barile Family Funeral Home 482 Main St. RT(28) STONEHAM. Parking attendants and elevator available. Per MA regulations, face coverings must be worn while at the funeral home and not more than 40% capacity will be allowed in at one time.

Please consider donations in memory of Michael to Dana/Farber's Jimmy Fund Tribute Program, 1 Harvard St., Brookline MA 02146-9795.