Page 18 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 11, 2025 OBITUARIES Colette H. (Lariviare) Scalli A longtime resident of Malden. Passed away on Monday, April 7th, at the age of 88. Colette was preceded in death by her husband Donald, her son Frank, and her sisters Mary Ann Carlson, and Lillian Lariviere. Colette was born in Boston in 1936, the daughter of Joseph and Lillian Lariviare. She was raised and educated in Boston, graduating from Mission High School with Class of 1954. She later went back to college to become a travel agent. In 1957, Colette married Savvy Senior by Jim Miller Navigating Social Security as It Downsizes Dear Savvy Senior, My local Social Security office was recently shut down because of staff layoffs and large-scale downsizing by the Department of Government Efficiency. All this disruption makes me very nervous, as I’ll be applying for my Social Security retirement benefits later this year. My question is, how are we supposed to get help with our Social Security questions or problems now that our office is permanently closed? What can you tell me? Anxious Aaron Dear Aaron, I’ve been getting a lot of questions on this very topic. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is facing massive budget cuts and layoffs under President Donald Trump’s administration, which is leading to dozens of office closures and a lot of angst across the country. Led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), many Social Security experts believe these deep staff cuts could cause interruptions in monthly benefit payments, an increase in improper payments, delays in the processing of new benefit applications and disability claims, and longer wait times for Social Security help. There are 73 million Americans who currently receive Social Security benefits, including seniors, children and people with disabilities. Many rely on these benefits for the bulk of their income, so any disruption or errors in payments or other service delays could cause a lot of problems for beneficiaries. Advocacy groups are urging concerned Americans to contact their members of Congress and demand protections for the program. To find your elected members contact information, go to Congress.gov/members/find-your-member. With that said, here’s how you can best navigate the SSA as they downsize. Use SSA.gov Most Social Security business today can be conducted online. To get started, just go to SSA.gov/ onlineservices where you can create a personal online “my Social Security” account so you can view your latest statement and earnings history, apply for retirement, disability, and Medicare benefits, check the status of an application or appeal, request a replacement Social Security card (in most areas), print a benefit verification letter, and much more. Their website also has a wealth of information and answers to frequently asked questions that you can access at SSA.gov/faqs. Phone Assistance If you can’t conduct your Social Security business online or you need some extra help, you can also get phone assistance by calling your nearby field office (see SSA.gov/locator for contact information) or by calling the SSA national number at 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) between 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday. This number has many automated service options you can use without waiting, but if you do need to speak to a representative, wait times are typically shorter early in the morning (between 8 and 10am) or later in the afternoon (between 4 and 7pm). You may also experience shorter wait times later in the week (Wednesday to Friday) and later in the month. If you need to visit your nearby SSA office, it’s best to call and make an appointment first as walk-ins have much longer wait times. To make an appointment call 800-772-1213 or contact your local SSA office. Be Patience Also remember to practice patience and plan ahead. With all the SSA staff cuts, delays and longer wait time will be inevitable. And if you’re planning to start drawing your Social Security benefits in the near future, it’s best to apply as early as possible as the SSA recently announced that new applicants who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency’s “my Social Security” online service, will be required to visit an SSA field office in person to complete the verification process. And that could take some additional time. This change will also apply to unverified existing recipients who want to change their direct deposit information. You can apply for benefits up to four months before you expect to receive them. Applying as early as possible can help ensure they’re available when needed. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. her sweetheart, Donald L. Scalli in the Mission Church of Roxbury. The two moved to Somerville for a short time before settling down in Malden to raise their family. In 1970, the two opened their dive shop, Aqua Lung Center of New England, in Malden. She was the President of the corporation. She successfully ran the business for over 30 years. In addition to being an avid diver, Colette was a faithful member of St. Joseph’s Church in Malden. She was active with many aspects of the Church, and was a member of the Catholic Daughters for over 50 years. But overall, the most important thing to Colette was family. She was quoted often saying her family are her stocks and bonds. She is survived by her children, Susan Lozzi of Malden, Donald L. Scalli Jr of Newbury, Colette Leavett of Windham, ME, John Scalli of Gloucester, and Chamaine Scalli of Gloucester, her grandchildren, Suzanne, Michael, Joseph H., Dawn, Janelle, Maraide, Donald, Joseph S., and Nicholas, and her great grandchildren, Adrianna, Jameson, and Gianna. Colette was preceded in death by her husband Donald L. Sr., her son Frank, and her sisters Mary Ann Carlson, and Lillian Lariviere. Funeral services will be held from the Weir – MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, 144 Salem St, Malden on Monday, April 14th, at 9:30 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Joseph’s Church, Malden, at 10:30. Committal will be private. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, April 13th, from 2-6 PM. Judith “Judy” Ann (Lemmo) Froio Of Malden. Passed away peacefully on Saturday April 5, after a courageous battle from a sudden surgery. Born in 1941 the daughter of Giosue “Al” and Olga (Rizzo) Lemmo. A lifelong resident of Malden, she is survived by the love of her life John H. Froio, who was childhood sweethearts from the age of 15 and have been married for 64 years. She is also survived by her children Diane Weldon and her partner Don Duquette of Hampton, NH, John A Froio and his wife Cheryl of Tewksbury, MA, Derek Froio of Lynnfield, MA, and son in law Louis DeLena of Malden. She had 6 grandchildren: Aislinn Weldon, Sinead Khan (husband Naeem), Sean Weldon (wife Sammy), John A. Froio, III (wife Christine), Cassie Froio, Andrew Froio (wife Rachel) and 2 great grandchildren, Eile and Rayan Khan. She is also survived by her brother Victor Lemmo (wife Rosalie) of Middleton, MA as well as several sisters in law, brothers in law, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughter Donna DeLena. Judy was a graduate of Malden High School, class of 1959. She started her secretarial career first at Malden Trust and then at St. Mary of the Assumption in Revere, MA. She then devoted the remainder of her career (38 years) working at St. Joseph Parish of Malden. She loved spending time with her family, cooking and shopping, especially during the holiday season. Christmas brought her an immense amount of joy and she cherished those moments with her friends and family. She was also involved in local politics and enjoyed the thrill of casino gambling and lottery scratch tickets. Funeral from the A.J. Spadafora Funeral Home, 865 Main Street, Malden, MA. on Friday April 11th at 9:00am followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Judy’s life at Saint Joseph Church, 770 Salem Street, Malden at 10:00am. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours were held at the funeral home on Thursday Interment will be in Forest Dale Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Donna Froio-DeLena Memorial Scholarship Fund 16 Forest Court, Malden, MA 02148 or TILL, Inc., 20 Eastbrook Rd, Dedham, MA 02026 www.tillinc.org where Judy’s son Derek resides.
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