GLOUCESTER: Michael A. Favazza, 96, died peacefully Saturday, November 19, 2011 at the Golden Living Center. He was the beloved husband of Nina R. (Orlando) Favazza.
Born in Terrasini, Sicily, Italy on September 10, 1915, he was the son of the late Salvatore C. and Crucifissa (Lucido) Favazza. He had resided in Gloucester for most of his life and attended Gloucester public schools.
Michael worked as an engineer aboard several fishing vessels including, the Carlo & Vince, Mary F. Curtis, Vincie N and St. Rosalie. In January of 1952, the Mary F. Curtis sank off the coast of Nova Scotia. He and the entire crew swam to shore, and then walked three miles through brush, woods and swamp before finding safety at the Roseway Island Lighthouse.
When he returned to working onshore, he was employed as a fish cutter for his brother-in-law, Gaspar Orlando, at Orlando Brothers, until his retirement.
He loved to travel, especially trips to Florida with his family. In his younger years, he thoroughly enjoyed flying along with the pilot in spotter planes. He was a member of the St. Peter’s Club and the Cape Ann Sportsman's Club.
A loving and devoted, husband, father, grandfather and uncle, he will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.
In addition to his wife of nearly seventy-two years, he is survived by three sons, Salvatore C. and his wife, Mary Lou (Brigham) Favazza, James J. Favazza and Michael A., Jr. and his wife Karen (Goodrich) Favazza; a daughter, Jodi and her husband, Dan Warner; a special nephew and his wife, Vincent and Cindy Asaro, ten grandchildren, Kenneth, Bryan, and Jason Favazza, Rhonda Latham, David and Justin Favazza, Kristin Hiltunen, Julie Gardner and Marissa and Stephen Warner; Vincent's children, Laurey Tedesco, Lisa Hampton and John Asaro, five great-grandchildren, Courtney, Nick and Jacob Favazza, Cole Gardner and Charlotte Favazza; a brother, Joseph and his wife, Grace (Aiello) Favazza; four sisters, Grace and her husband, Richard Davis, Betty Ciulla, Pat and her husband, Phil Imperato and JJ and her husband, Peter Pramas; and Grace Parisi; a brother-in-law, Anthony and his wife, Josie Orlando; a sister-in-law, Nancy and her husband, Gordon Kinghorn and many other nieces and nephews. He was also predeceased by his daughter-in-law, Mona Jean (Brown) Favazza, a sister, Nina Benson, a baby brother, Benny Favazza and a special niece, Phyllis Asaro.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday in the Holy Family Parish, St. Ann Church, Gloucester at 11 a.m. Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday in the Pike-Grondin Funeral Home, 61 Middle Street, Gloucester from 4 – 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will be held in Calvary Cemetery, Gloucester. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Hospice of the North Shore, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923.