Lucinda Franks, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist raised in “manicured suburb of Wellesley,” dies at 74

May 14, 2021 by Bob Brown 2 Comments

A Swellesley reader this week brought to our attention the recent passing of Lucinda Franks, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who grew up in Wellesley. While we weren’t familiar with Franks’ work, in hindsight it’s hard to figure out how we missed all this.

A New York Times obituary describes Franks as a “tough and scrappy reporter with an eye for the hot story.” The Times would know, since she wrote for it, among many others, including The Atlantic and The New Yorker. She won the Pulitzer in 1971 for reporting a series on the Weather Underground, which the Times described as a “domestic terrorist organization.”

She also wrote books, including “My Father’s Secret War: A Memoir” about her father’s work as an American spy during World War II. In her bio for the memoir “Timeless: Love, Morgenthau, and Me,” Franks describes Wellesley, where she grew up in the 1950s and 1960s

She wrote in part:

I was born near Boston, in the manicured suburb of Wellesley, a universe away. It was a town, like many others, of wealth, social status, and women who often had raised noses. Wellesley College, one of the famous ‘Seven Sisters,’ was a separate entity, hardly spoken of. Instead, the guilty pleasure of this upper middle class Republican enclave was the paranoid John Birch Society, mother to the paranoid Tea Party decades later. In my memory, the town remains a collage of slouchy bobby sox (pity to you if you wore thin skinny sox), ‘make-out parties’ where stubby hands groped underneath shirtwaist dresses the color of popsicles, and boy’s big football cleats swinging absurdly from their girlfriends’ necks.

Franks lived in New York at the time of her death.

Subscribe to Swellesley’s daily email

Wellesley mourns Barry Hoberman, longtime Wellesley Books employee

April 28, 2021 by Deborah Brown 31 Comments

We just heard the sad news that Barry Hoberman, longtime bookseller at Wellesley Books, passed away suddenly on Friday, April 23rd. He would have turned 70 next month.

Barry Hoberman, Wellesley Books — Barry Hoberman, in his station behind the counter at Wellesley Books. Photo credit: Wellesley Books

Wellesley Books announced Barry’s passing in their newsletter saying, “Beloved by staff and customers alike, Barry held court at our front register for over twenty years—he was proud of having been hired on the very first day the bookstore opened on Central Street in 1999. Considered by many the unofficial mayor of Wellesley, he took a genuine interest in those around him, warmly greeting customers (and their dogs) by name and recalling every detail of previous conversations. Barry was a gifted writer and a formidable scholar, possessing a deep knowledge of history, religion, baseball and music. He always relished the challenge of helping a customer track down some esoteric and often out-of-print treatise on one of his favorite subjects. We will miss his sense of humor, his affectionate banter, his freely-expressed opinions, his extraordinary intellect and his kind heart.”

Barry published a scholarly book, The Early Jews in China; the Origin of the Jewish Community of K’aifeng; articles on Middle Eastern and Central Asian history including one for Harvard Magazine on the origins of Good King Wenceslas of the Christmas carol fame; and poetry for Spitball, the Literary Baseball Magazine, and other publications.

He also was a huge baseball fan. As a kid growing up in Brooklyn he cheered for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and caught fireflies on summer evenings. To find out more about Barry the writer, the thinker, the intellectual, read his essay that appears in The Rumpus (the online publication’s tagline—”nothing says adulthood like a well-stocked refrigerator). In it, he reflects on how, “I’ve lived through more than one quarter of our country’s history.”

If you want to know who Barry was, read every word of that extraordinary, impeccably researched, and imminently readable piece. In it he covers religion, civil rights, feminism, sports, and world events in a tone that juxtaposes the serious with the frivolous. His well-reasoned and backed-up argument that he was not—repeat, not—older than rock ‘n roll is priceless.

Our deepest condolences to Barry’s family, friends, co-workers, and customers.

Donate in Barry’s name

Book Industry Charitable Foundation provides financial support to booksellers in need. Your donation in Barry’s name will go to bookstore and comic shop owners and employees with unforeseen emergency financial needs.

No word yet on services, but we will update this post as information becomes available.

Wellesley’s Lee Delaney, CEO of BJ’s Wholesale, passes away at age 49

April 12, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Lee Delaney, a Wellesley resident who served as president and CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club, died unexpectedly last week at the age of 49. He suffered a medical emergency while on a run.

While Mr. Delaney is remembered as a successful businessman, his formal obituary stressed his well-rounded life: “Lee was an absolute original for those who had the chance to share their lives with him. His compassion, generosity and love for the people in his life were always paired with his special knack for ensuring that happiness, excitement and fun were ever-present when spending time together. He was many things to many people: giving.a tour de force as a leader of industry, a deep intellectual, a friend with an exquisite wit and sense of humor, but most importantly he was a wonderful son, loving husband, and an awesome Dad.”

He is survived by his wife, Robin, and sons Max and Zachary.

Mr. Delaney’s employer, BJ’s, issued a statement from Christopher Baldwin, executive chairman of the Board of Directors: “We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the passing of Lee Delaney. Lee was a brilliant and humble leader who cared deeply for his colleagues, his family and his community. We extend our most heartfelt condolences and sympathy to his family, especially his wife and two children. We will honor his legacy and remember the extraordinary impact he had on so many. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time.” Delaney joined BJ’s in 2016 as executive vice president, chief growth officer, and was promoted to president in 2019.

A remembrance of Lee’s life for friends and colleagues will be announced at a later date.

We share our condolences with family and friends.

Town mourns Wellesley High Building Manager Tom Zinck

April 7, 2021 by Bob Brown 4 Comments

Those in Wellesley and beyond this week mourn the passing of Tom Zinck, a proud Wellesley High Class of ’72 graduate who served as the current school’s only building manager. The ubiquitous town employee, who worked more than 32 years for the town, died at the age of 67 after a short-term diagnosis of peritoneal cancer (see full obituary).

Mr. Zinck is survived by his wife, Diane, who is secretary to the principal at the school, and daughters Katherine and Elizabeth. The family resides in Holliston.

Wellesley High Principal Jamie Chisum informed the WHS community on Tuesday of Mr. Zinck’s passing. “I’m writing to you this evening to share sad news that impacted our school community today and that many of us will be grappling with in the foreseeable future… Not only is [Tom’s] position one that touches every corner of this building and every event that takes place within it, but he was simply one of the kindest, most hard working, and most thoughtful members of our community. Diane is equally loved and equally integral to all that we do here. This news will challenge the high school for a long time to come.”

Wellesley Public Schools Supt. Dr. David Lussier wrote in his weekly bulletin that “I’ve always believed that great teachers can be found both inside and outside of the classroom. Tom Zinck clearly belongs in this latter category. For those of you who knew Tom, I think you would affirm the impact he had within our high school community. Unfailingly kind, I’m not sure Tom ever used the word, ‘no.’ He just wasn’t wired that way.”

An online fundraiser has been launched to help the Zinck family with expenses.

Visiting hours for friends and family are 4-8pm on Friday, April 9 at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home 477 Washington St., Wellesley. Private funeral at the Church of Saint Paul, Wellesley, Saturday, April 10. The funeral will be available to view at 10am via live stream at sjspwellesley.org by clicking on the St. Paul Live Stream link. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, immediately following funeral – 11am, 148 Brook St., Wellesley, all are welcome to attend burial.

We share our condolences with the family and friends.

Wellesley mourns passing of Toby Stover, a dedicated protector of the environment

March 4, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The sudden death of Wellesley’s Toby Stover this past weekend in a mountain biking accident has given rise to tributes from those in town who were his friends and who worked alongside him on town government matters.

Here’s the formal obituary for the 46-year-old Stover.

His passing was acknowledged Monday toward the end of the Planning Board meeting. And a statement was read at Thursday night’s Natural Resources Commission meeting that cited Stover’s scientific expertise, which he put to work with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Impaired Waterways Division and locally with Wellesley’s Wetlands Protection Committee, which he joined in 2017.

“Toby Stover was a quiet but confident professional both in his career and service to the town. He was a gentle and thoughtful person who was dedicated to protecting our natural resources and a true advocate for our earth and its inhabitants. Toby will be greatly missed by everyone who knew and worked with him,” said Brandon Schmitt, director of the Natural Resources Commission.

We share our condolences with Toby Stover’s family and friends as well.

Wellesley man dies while mountain biking in Ipswich

March 1, 2021 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

A Wellesley man died Sunday while mountain biking at Willowdale State Forest in Ipwich. The man’s identity has not been disclosed by authorities.

According to the Salem News, the 46-year-old man had been biking with a friend, and the cause of the crash and death were under investigation.

Ipswich police and fire, as well as state and environmental police responded to the accident, which took place on Department of Conservation and Recreation land, according to the report.

We’ll provide an update on this sad story when we learn more.

Wellesley remembers Tony Lumley, Sr., as “such a present parent”

January 4, 2021 by Bob Brown 1 Comment

In reviewing five years of texts with her friend Anthony “Tony” Lumley, Sr., Wellesley’s Betsy Komjathy says it was all about him being “proactive, supportive and in good humor” about his kids, as well as their schoolmates. “He was such a present parent,” Komjathy says.

Wellesley and beyond are now mourning Mr. Lumley, a Boston resident who passed away from coronavirus on Dec. 22 at the age of 56.

A fundraiser has been launched to support the family during this most difficult time. All funds raised will be used to help support the Lumley children with unforeseen medical and living expenses, as well as college tuition.

Mr. Lumley is survived by his four children, who like himself, all took part in the METCO educational program for Boston residents, as well as two grandchildren and his fiancee Gwen Johnson. His oldest son, Eric, graduated from Wayland High School; Nykia and Anthony, Jr., graduated from Wellesley High, and Samone will graduate from Wellesley High in the spring. Lumley’s aunt, Carla Lumley, works for the Wellesley METCO program.

According to the fundraiser, organized by Mr. Lumley’s mother Beverley and Wellesley High’s Diane Zinck, “To say ‘Mr. Tony’ was a loyal family man is an understatement. As a loving single father, his entire world centered around loving, providing for and taking care of his beloved children and grandchildren. Mr. Lumley was a father who seemed to have the power to be in three places at once. He supported all of his children at all times, attending every single cheerleading event, football game, basketball game, and educational ceremony.”

Mr. Lumley’s mother told us that “My son Anthony had a huge presence in the Wellesley school system and the community. He and his children were quite well known.”

According to Anthony Lumley, Sr.’s formal obituary, the Annual Caribbean Festival was among his yearly highlights, when he opened his home and shared a BBQ “that gave us all an opportunity to gather at the end of the summer and enjoy each other’s company.”

Komjathy, a Friends of Wellesley METCO board member, says when she recalls Mr. Lumley she thinks of the pride he had in his kids.

“He went to all of their activities that he possibly could, and if he wasn’t at something, it was because he was at another kid’s event,’ she says, fondly recalling sitting near him and family members at sports events. Mr. Lumley epitomized being part of the two-way community that the METCO program hopes to foster, she says, as he felt part of both the Boston and Wellesley communities.

Services for Anthony Lumley, Sr., take place on Jan. 11 in Mattapan at Davis Funeral Home.