APPRECIATION
By Josh Resnek
I first met John Ricci in the year
2000, right after the Independent
Newspaper Group launched
the Everett Independent. As
part of the ownership team at
the Independent then (I am not
now, obviously), I was at my
desk when I received a call quite
out of the blue shortly after we
issued our first edition.
It was John Ricci. He said he
was reaching out.
He said he was excited by the
new newspaper in town.
“I want to help deliver your
paper. I loved it. I want to help
you folks out,” he said.
Thus began about
a 7 year relationship
with Mr. Ricci who
I came to know well.
For that period
of time he was part
of our delivery
t e a m a n d a l s o
gave insights into
the city, which were always
appreciated.
Mr. Ricci died on March 19 at
the Benchmark Senior Living
Home in Woburn.
He was 86.
John Ricci was
born in Everett to
old time Everett
residents, Pasquale
and Genoveffa
(Falco) Ricci. He
a t t e n d e d l o c a l
public schools and
graduated from the
Everett Vocational
High School.
He showed an early interest
in everything electrical or
mechanical and went on to
Wentworth Institute where he
received a degree in mechanical
engineering. He was a US Army veteran
of the Korean War and a proud
member of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers for 67 years. Mr. Ricci
also served on the Board of Fire
Commissioners for the City of
Everett.
The vast bulk of his time as
an electrician was not spent
installing electrical services in
homes. Rather he served as the
chief electrician for the Red
Sox during the Tom Yawkey
ownership era.
It was during this time that he
came to know every nook and
cranny inside the park – which he was always happy to share with
this writer whenever I attended a
Red Sox game with him.
Traveling inside the park’s
hidden spaces was his specialty.
He even took me inside the
Green Monster!
His time with the Red Sox also
left him with about the finest two
box seats a Red Sox fan could
ever hope to sit in much less to
own.
Mr. Ricci’s seats were directly
behind the first base dugout,
about three rows back.
You could literally touch the
players!
I sat in those seats many a time
thanks to Mr. Ricci’s generosity.
As a proud Catholic with a
deep faith in his religion and
God, Mr. Ricci was proud to help
out at St. Theresa’s Church when
the Archdiocese closed it down.
He stood watch inside that
church for many months of his
life when some parishioners
were holding a vigil there. Now
the church is being converted
into housing, something that
might very well disturb Mr.
Ricci.
He loved his late wife Mary,
and he adored his children,
whom I know so well, and he
was generous and faithful to
them throughout a long life.
He loved the city he grew up in
and where he spent his life.
To him, for him, Everett was a
great place.
Funeral arrangements were
handled by the Cafasso and Sons
Funeral Home.
Mr. Ricci was interred with
military honors in the Holy Cross
Mausoleum in Malden.