Gerardo L. Ciriello, age 83, of Somerville passed away on Monday, August 10. Born in Flumeri, Italy in 1936, he was one of five children; Maria, Filomena, Giuseppina and Francesco. In 1962, he married Argentina DeGregorio from Fontanarosa, Italy and they emigrated to the North End of Boston and lived across from the Old North Church on Sheafe Street.
In 1971, Gerardo purchased a house on Winter Hill in Somerville, where he planted and grew a huge, spectacular garden. The multitude of fruits, vegetables and flowers was so amazing that the TV show Chronicle featured him on one of their episodes. He was very proud of his award winning garden and was always eager to share fresh produce with friends and strangers alike who would happen to pass by every day. He was a master at grafting different types of branches onto the same tree, so that one plant would bear multiple types of fruit in order to save space in his garden. He was also an expert at rapidly reproducing new plants by taking cuttings of different things and then magically coaxing them to take root and grow! His pride and pleasure in his garden was evident by the amount of time he would spend cultivating it every day.
If he wasn't gardening, he was out hunting. He would trek dozens of miles a year through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, accompanied by his hunting dogs, in search of his favorite small game animals like pheasant, quail and rabbits. He was always there to help his friends with any household project they may have had and his skills in masonry made him a busy guy!
Gerardo was the devoted father of John Ciriello of Northfield, NH, and loving grandfather to Bella. He was the dear brother-in-law of Josephine and Assunta DeGregorio, and is survived by many loving nephews and nieces in the U.S. and Italy. Funeral services will be private.