Richard T. "Richie" Craven, a 25-year resident of Somerville and formerly of Charlestown, entered into eternal life on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. He was 76 years old.
Richie was born in Boston on April 5, 1948, a son of the late Thomas P. Craven and Rose A. (Peloso) Craven. He grew up in Charlestown where he attended St. Catherine's Parochial School and was a proud graduate of Charlestown High School in 1966. He furthered his education and obtained a Bachelor's Degree from Boston State College in 1970. Richard worked as an Account Executive for the New England Telephone Company and AT&T Telephone Company for over 25 years and later worked for the City of Somerville in Constituent Services for 5 years. Richie was a proud member of the 520 Club in Charlestown.
At Boston State, Richie was a standout player in both lacrosse and hockey and was inducted into the UMass-Boston Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. As a member of the hockey program, Richie led the Warriors to three straight Codfish Bowl titles, which was one of the top college hockey tournaments in the country alongside the Beanpot. He was selected to the Codfish Bowl All-Tournament Team in 1969 and 1970 and collected 13 goals and 33 assists during his standout career. Following his graduation from Boston State, Richie went on to play in the New England Amateur Hockey League for five years. He loved hockey and was a true Boston Bruins fan. He loved his family, especially his beloved daughter Alana. He enjoyed spending time at Castle Island and taking a drive up to Maine for lunch.
Richie is the beloved husband of 23 years of C. Deborah Connell. He is the loving father of Alana Richelle DiPrete and her husband Maxim Noonan-Pomada. He is the dear brother of Joseph P. Craven and his husband Phillip Velez, and Thomas Craven. He is the uncle of Christina Craven Williams and Thomas Craven. He is also survived by his beloved Golden Retriever Orla.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Richie's Funeral on Friday, January 10, 2025, at 9 A.M. from The Carr Funeral Home, 220 Bunker Hill St. Charlestown followed by his Funeral Mass at 10 A.M. in St. Francis De Sales Church, 313 Bunker Hill St. Charlestown. His burial will be at St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Roxbury. His visiting hours will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2025, from 3 P.M. - 7 P.M. in the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, kindly make a memorial donation in Richard's name to:
Cathedral High School Scholarship Fund
74 Union Park St.
Boston, MA 02118
&
UMass-Boston Division of Athletics and Recreation
Attn: Peter Belisle
100 William T. Morrissey Blvd
Clark Athletic Center
Boston, MA 02125