Edward G. Cavicchi Jr. of Plymouth, formerly Whitman and East Bridgewater, passed away on December 16, 2023, at the age of 71, surrounded by his family at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Ed was a man of quiet strength, intelligence, and integrity. He was admired by his family, patients, and community as a kind, generous, and humble man. While some would describe Ed as serious in nature, he had a dry wit and goofy sense of humor to those who knew him best. Throughout his entire life, Ed struggled with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that deeply affected him, yet he demonstrated resilience and determination in everything he did.
Ed was born in Brockton, MA on December 14, 1952, as the firstborn child to Edward Cavicchi Sr. and Betty (Cookson) Cavicchi. He grew up with his sister, Lorraine, and brother, Peter, and loved quizzing his little sister on capitals and other trivia at the kitchen table. As a little boy, he used to refer to himself as Edward G. Cavicchi Jr. Davy Crockett after his favorite TV character. Voted by his classmates as Most Likely to Succeed and Best Mannered, Ed graduated from East Bridgewater High School in 1970. He graduated from College of the Holy Cross in 1974, often reminiscing about his shenanigans on the hill with his close college buddies. Ed went on to graduate from Tufts School of Dentistry in 1977, and completed his residency program at Tufts New England Medical Center.
Ed practiced dentistry for 46 years in Whitman. He joined the practice of Dr. Joseph Cohen in 1978, and continued to practice after Dr. Cohen retired. He greatly valued his staff and was committed to serving his patients with the highest standard of care and compassion. Both his staff and patients were like family to him. Additionally, Ed taught at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine for over 16 years. This allowed him to further his expertise in oral medicine while also educating future leaders and experts in the field.
Beyond his career, Ed also had a lasting impact on his community. He served on the Board of Directors of the MA Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a cause that was deeply personal and close to his heart. He contributed as an East Bridgewater Library Trustee and also served as a member of the East Bridgewater Middle School Council.
Above anything else, Ed was a devoted family man to his wife and daughters. Before even meeting him, his wife, Maryann, knew of the Cavicchi boy in town with CF and participated in town-wide annual CF fundraisers. They officially met in 1974, after being set up by Ed’s cousin Rosemary. After dating for four years, they married in 1978 at Holy Ghost Church. Despite the occasional “Geez, Maryann!” muttered under his breath in classic Ed Cavicchi style, Ed loved his wife deeply and enjoyed growing older with her.
In November 1983, he and Maryann adopted their first daughter, Andrea, from South Korea. Seven years later, they brought home their daughter, Maria, to complete their family. Ed loved being a father – He spent countless hours at the kitchen table helping his girls with homework, practicing piano with them, cheering them on at sporting events, and taking them into the Museum of Science and New England Aquarium on the weekends. One of his proudest two moments was when his daughters decided to follow his footsteps to Holy Cross. He also loved his extended family, spending many weekends with his brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews at family gatherings or on New Hampshire trips. In 2021, Ed became a proud grandfather when his granddaughter, Cora, was born. He loved his role of “Baba,” and they quickly became each other’s favorite person. Tragically, his final months were filled with deep sadness and grief after losing his second granddaughter, Josie, in April.
Ed was a lifelong learner, voracious reader, and a man of many passions. He always surrounded himself with a large stack of books and magazines, ranging in topics from sailing expeditions, to the Civil War, to sports biographies. Ed was the type of man who would read anything he could get his hands on, and his wife would sometimes hear him upstairs at night taking oceanographic courses on his iPad. He loved challenging himself with puzzles and trivia to keep his mind sharp. With a desire to connect to his Italian roots, Ed downloaded Italian language apps on his phone and would quiz himself with Italian words. Ed also had a deep knowledge of sports and was an avid Boston sports fan. He enjoyed watching the Sox games at home with his father-in-law, Ray, and more recently, could be heard cursing at the TV over the Pat’s losing record.
A lover of the great outdoors, Ed spent his earlier years backpacking and skiing with his family in New Hampshire. He summited Mount Washington multiple times and was a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Audubon Society, and World Wildlife Fund. In his later years, Ed enjoyed fly fishing, kayaking, sailing, and boating as a member of the Plymouth Yacht Club. He was deeply proud of his boat, Sunny Kim, and spent summer weekends with his wife boating to Ptown, Onset, and Boston, or just relaxing on his mooring.
Ed is survived by his wife, Maryann, daughters Andrea Kim (Steve) and Maria Sun (Daniel), granddaughter Cora Jueun, sister Lorraine (Kevin) Blute, brother Peter (Marie) Cavicchi, sister-in-law Paula (Mike) Tassinari, brother-in-law Tim (Gisele) Benson, sister-in-law Margaret Benson. He was the favorite uncle to many of his nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are invited to Ed's visiting hours Thursday, December 28th from 4:00-7:00 PM in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Rte. 58 @ the rotary) Whitman. His funeral service will be Friday, December 29th at 9:45 AM from the chapel, followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 AM in the Holy Ghost Church, Whitman. A burial will follow at the St. James Cemetery, Whitman.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Ed’s memory to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (cff.org), an organization that was deeply meaningful to Ed.
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