March 27, 1960 to March 8, 2025
Milton Manuel Sanchez, affectionately known as “Manny” to his friends and family, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, the 8th of March, 2025, at the age of 64. Milton was the cherished and beloved son of Lucia Velasquez Lalinde of Boston, MA and Manuel Sanchez Romero of Cali, Colombia. Born in Bogota, Colombia on March 27, 1960, where he lived until he was nine years old, Milton came to Boston as a child and was proudly raised in its Allston/Brighton neighborhood. Milton, along with his wife, Laura Maldonado, most recently lived near the beach at their home in Lynn, MA. The ocean brought him great peace and serenity.
Milton had important relationships and marriages during his life, which led to the birth of his beloved daughters, Kristen White Miller of Salem, MA and Crystal M. Sanchez Guerrero of Arlington, MA. Milton was much loved and is survived by his mother Lucia Velasquez Lalinde, his father Manuel Sanchez Romero, his stepfather Jose F. Martinez of Brighton, MA , his sisters Aida Sanchez-Posadas of Sunrise, FL and Cynthia Martinez-Edgar of Orono, ME and by his brothers Ricardo Sanchez of Malden, MA and Stephen Martinez of Brighton, MA. He will be deeply missed by his brother in-law, Bolfi Posadas of Sunrise FL along with members of the Posadas Roldan family, his sister in-law Maritza Forero-Sánchez of Boston, MA along with members of the Forero-Caicedo-Sanchez family. Milton loved and always had a special touch with his nieces and nephews. His warmth and kindness will be deeply missed by his nieces Ayana, Yanira, Talia, Ava, Annalee, and Liana and by his nephews Bolfi Jr., Ricardo A., JonAnthony, and Jonah, and by his grandchildren Jonathan, Derek and Chris. Milton also shared a special bond and loving relationship with his god/grandson, Emanuel. He will also be missed by his numerous, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Milton attended Brighton High School, served briefly in the Marines, and later went on to attend and graduate from Mount Ida College. Always a hard and dedicated worker, Milton for years balanced as many as three jobs concurrently. He had a special affinity and talent for auto mechanics, which was his primary career. Milton was a caring father, a loving and respectful son, a great brother and cousin and a fun-loving uncle. In his youth, Milton always loved a great party. He was an excellent dancer and particularly enjoyed all forms of dance music. He enjoyed and excelled at dance, whether it was “Doing the Bump”, “Dancing a Mean Salsa” or performing Colombian Folkloric Dance. Those who knew Milton will remember that he also had a special affinity for fast cars and motorcycles, martial arts and swords, comics such as “Conan the Barbarian”, firearms and knives, action/ninja movies and for technology and gadgets. Although softspoken, Milton did also know how to speak to and cast his spell on the ladies.
As we mourn the loss of Milton Manuel “Manny” Sanchez, we also celebrate a life lived with energy, vigor, and excitement, with special love, respect and an unending commitment to his parents, his family and his friends. Milton leaves us with the countless cherished memories he created and shared. His wife, children and family take great comfort in knowing that, although the final years were difficult on him and illness ultimately took its toll on his body, throughout it all he maintained a positive outlook, held firm to his dreams and to his plans and wishes for the future. He did it his way… In the end, he was “at peace, relaxed, not stressed, and free”… For this, we are thankful to God.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to join us on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 at 11AM for a special funeral service celebrating his life at St. Joseph-St Lazarus Church, 59 Ashley Street, East Boston, MA 02128.
Immediately following the service, those wishing/able to attend are invited to a Bereavement Lunch at Spinelli’s, 282 Bennington Street, East Boston, MA 02128.