Elizabeth G. English, a longtime Jamaica Plain resident, died on July 7. She was 97. Daughter of the late Thomas H. Skinner and Esther (Jennings) Skinner. She married Edward Wesley English, Jr. (deceased) of New Bern, North Carolina. She is survived by five children: Deborah A. (English) Rippy, Mai Chang (formerly Joyce I. English),...
Robert Burchmore Fraser, the son of the late Alfred and Helen Fraser of Wellesley, died peacefully at his home in Jamaica Plain on June 23. He was 87. Bob graduated from Wellesley High School (1946), Harvard College (1949) and Harvard Law School (1952). He became a corporate lawyer with a lifelong passion for public education and for the arts in Boston, the city that he loved. He is survived by his spouse, Hui Z. Liao, and former spouse Mary-Ann Fraser of Salem; a sister, Marilyn Fraser, of Sarasota, Florida; his children, Melanie Fraser Hart of Riverside, Rhode Island, Jennifer Fraser, son-in-law, James Boyd, of Auburndale, Matthew Fraser of Salem; and grandchildren Robert Fraser Hart, Callula Hart, Xander Boyd, Madeline Boyd, Lucas Boyd, Paxton Boyd, Seamus Boyd, and Hayden Boyd. Bob joined the Boston law firm, Goodwin Procter & Hoar, in 1955, after serving in the United States Army in Korea. He practiced corporate law with a specialty in taxation matters. He loved his work and brought to his practice a sharp wit, an impressive breadth of knowledge and a consummate professionalism. With a mandate to align the firm’s organization, operations and governance, Bob was named the firm’s first full-time Managing Partner in 1984 and he became its chairman in 1993. He led the firm for more than a dozen years, retiring in 1997. Goodwin more than doubled in size under Bob’s leadership. It entered the 1990’s as the “largest law firm under one roof in the country,” according to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Bob’s most enduring contribution was his development of the firm’s institutional culture; he encouraged his partners to think like an organization rather than a collection of individuals and practices. He encouraged his colleagues to go beyond the boundaries of comfortable tradition and experience with his inimitable “walk the halls” management style. Bob encouraged the firm to become more involved in the City of Boston. With his guidance, the firm looked outward, providing its support to the City of Boston and its people and institutions. Perhaps the fullest expression of that support was a $1 million charitable endowment the Goodwin partnership donated to the Boston Public Schools in recognition of the firm’s 75th anniversary in 1987. It was called SEED (Support for Early Education Development) and was, at the time, the largest donation of its kind ever made by a professional services firm. Bob devoted countless hours of his own time to educational issues in the City of Boston, meeting after hours and on weekends with concerned community leaders and residents. His thoughtful and committed approach led to involvement with many of the city’s significant education initiatives and organizations, including leadership positions with the Boston Plan for Excellence in the Public Schools, Boston Adult Literacy Fund, Boston Partners in Education, American Student Assistance Corporation, Citywide Educational Coalition, Massachusetts Commission on the Common Core of Learning, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, and Boston Bar Association Task Force on Public Education. He committed his time and leadership to many of the area’s...
Erin Anne Brayton, of Jamaica Plain, loving mother to daughters Austin and Adriane Brayton, widow of Dana Brayton, died on May 10 after living with cancer for nearly eight years. She was born Oct. 16, 1951 to David and Anne Pearsall, and leaves behind brothers David and Bob. The daughter of a U.S. Air...
Jamaica Plain resident Brendan Mick, 33, died suddenly on May 11. Beloved son of Heather Mick-Carito of Jamaica Plain and John Carito of Roslindale. Cherished brother of Alexander G. and Hilary A. Carito. Much loved grandson of Olga Carito of Somerville and the late C. Stetson Mick of Needham. Raised in Roslindale, Brendan graduated...
Oscar D. Giraud, Sr., a former Jamaica Plain resident, died on March 25. He was 87. Giraud is survived by his ex-wife Zoila Giraud and his children, Ingrid, Jeannette, Oscar Jr. and Omar Giraud, Miriam Rodrigues and Irene McGill. He is also survived by many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. A Memorial Mass...
Roslindale resident George Ulrich, who had close ties to Jamaica Plain and was a devoted father and husband, passionate bicyclist, jazz musician, computer programmer, and dear friend to many, died on Feb. 23 at age 63 from a rare form of cancer. George was born Sept. 17, 1952 to Dr. Sanford and Saretta Ulrich,...
Jamaica Plain resident Howard R. Leibowitz, an adviser to Mayors Ray Flynn and Tom Menino, died suddenly on Dec. 27. He was 63. For 29 years, the beloved husband of Constance Jane Doty. Dear son of Laurie (Berman) Leibowitz and the late Sumner Leibowitz. Devoted brother of Steven, Laurence and Peter Leibowitz and his...
Mildred Hailey, a Jamaica Plain resident and longtime leader of the Bromley-Heath housing development, died on Nov. 18. She was 82. Hailey founded the Bromley-Heath Tenant Management Corporation (TMC) along with Anna Mae Cole more than 40 years ago. It became a nationwide model for tenant-controlled public housing, with Hailey heading it as a...
Jamaica Plain resident Holly Cavender-Wood, 38, died in her home on Eliot Street on Nov 13. Born in Newport, Rhode Island and raised in Holland, Pennsylvania, Holly arrived in JP in 2007. Many residents may recall seeing her walking Pip, her Chocolate Labradoodle, around Jamaica Pond and by the shops on Centre Street. Through...
Jesse Zackular, a former Jamaica Plain resident, died on Nov. 6. Zackular was born in Malden on July 15, 1974, the son of Patricia (Fitzgerald) Zackular and the late Artie Zackular, Jr. Jesse was a longtime resident of Jamaica Plain. Jesse, also known as Slim Goodbody, was the bass player for the punk mambo...