LETTER: A Heartfelt Thanks to Franklin

To the Editor:

The
family of Michael
Robert
Bertone, who
passed
away unexpectedly at home at
age 63,
Sunday January 11, would
like to express their joint appreciation to
the
entire community, old Franklin friends and family, and newcomers
alike. Michael was so central to our lives and it helped us deal with
our grief to realize how many colleagues, co-workers, neighbors,
classmates, upcoming
athletes and
others across three generations also felt his loss so personally. We
couldn’t begin to name all those whose gifts of home-cooked
meals
and gestures
of comfort
made our days just that much easier. We are deeply grateful to Oteri
Franklin Funeral Home for their professionalism in helping
us take things a day at a time and in handling
an overflowing crowd, to the hundreds of mourners for
their strength and patience, waiting
in a
seemingly endless line
in the bitter weather, to Luna Flower Shop of Medway for their
over-the-top floral arrangements, to Rev.
John
Tanyi
at
St. Mary’s Church who brought us not only spiritual gifts but
unfailingly warm human connections as we all struggled, and to the
Colace Family and the staff of the Rome Restaurant who gave us an
opportunity to share a meal and camaraderie that Michael would have
loved to join. We felt he was there in spirit.

The
whole community, all of you, uplifted us and gave us hope in our time
of darkness.

Sincerely,

The Bertone and Perkins families