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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 27, 2024 Page 19 OBITS | FROM PAGE 18 He also coached his nephews Anthony and Sean Nalen at Pope John H.S. John additionally coached at Catholic Memorial High School, Middleborough High School, Cambridge Ringe and Latin High School, and Spaulding High School. John was the beloved husband of Sandra (Milley) Shea and father of his cherished daughters Olivia Shea of Milton, NH and Rebecca (Milley) Luther and her husband Benjamin Luther of Chelmsford, MA. He is also survived by his mother Carmene (Gagliardi) Shea of Tewksbury, MA and father Gerald Shea, of Tampa, Florida and his sister Karen (Shea) Nalen and her husband Anthony Nalen, Sr. of Tewksbury, MA. He is also survived by a loving aunt, many uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces and great-nephews and great-nieces and many friends. John is predeceased by his brother Gerald F. Shea, Jr. and his grandparents Aida (Martignetti) Gagliardi and Carmelo Gagliardi and Catherine (Jones) Shea and Francis Shea. In memory of John, donations may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. www.dana-farber.org/gift Norma M. (Candelora) Schifano A lifelong resident of Malden, passed away peacefully on September 20, 2024. She was 98 years old. Norma was the wife of the late Rosario Schifano. She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Maria Candelora. Norma was the loving mother of Frank Schifano and his wife Janet, Thomas Schifano, Ross Schifano, Joseph Schifano and the late John "Jack" Schifano. She is also survived by 9 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. A funeral was held from the A. J. Spadafora Funeral Home, Malden on Tuesday September 24th followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Norma's life at the Immaculate Conception Church, Malden. Interment in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. Rosemary Steiner Of Malden, formerly of Connecticut and the Bronx, NY. Passed away on September 14th. Beloved wife of the late Robert A. Steiner. Mother of Robert “Bobby” Steiner and his wife Jennifer of Illinois and Annie Steiner of Malden. Grandmother of Jase Robert Steiner. Sister of Eugene Farrell of New Jersey, Robert “Bobby” Farrell of New York, Elizabeth “Betty Ann” Colkin of New York, Patrick “Faz” Farrell of Florida and the late Gerald Farrell, John Farrell and Eileen Frawley. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews and was known as “Nana Rosie” to the children in her neighborhood. Rosemary worked as a schoolteacher in New York and Connecticut for many years. She enjoyed sewing baptismal gowns for the local parish churches that she belonged to over the years, the most recent parish being Immaculate Conception Parish in Malden. She was also a member of the Malden Senior Center, an avid reader and enjoyed her time spent teaching children. Relatives & friends were invited to attend visiting hours at the Breslin Funeral Home, Malden on Wednesday September 18th. Funeral Mass celebrated in Immaculate Conception Church, Malden on Thursday September 19th. Interment was private. In lieu of fl owers, donations in her memory may be made to Immaculate Conception Parish, 10 Fellsway East, Malden, MA 02148. Paul F. Cronin A lifelong resident of Malden, passed away peacefully on September 19, 2024. He was 78 years old. Paul was born and raised in Malden, and he spent more than thirty years as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service. A born storyteller, Paul lit up any room he walked into, telling stories and jokes galore. Paul served in the National Guard. Paul was also an active member of the American Legion Post 69 in Malden and served on their executive board for a number of years. He was proud to be a member and found many lifelong friends there. Paul was also an avid hunter and fi sher. He spent hours and hours walking the mountains and woods of the Berkshires, basking in the early light of day and fi nding the best spots. He found a home away from home at the Mohawk Park Campground in Charlemont, MA. Paul was the husband of Patricia F. Cronin (deceased), and partner of Diane Bergeron (deceased). He is survived by three children, Michele Cronin, Kevin Cronin, and David Zbydniewski. Family and friends were invited to gather at the A.J. Spadafora Funeral Home, Malden on Thursday September 26th. Interment in the Puritan Lawn Cemetery, Peabody. Mystic Valley Regional Charter School Offers Meals at No Cost for Students Mystic Valley Regional Charter School participates the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. As part of this program, all schools offer healthy meals every school day at NO COST to the students due to the implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision for school year 2024-2025. Students receive breakfast and lunch at school without having to pay a fee or submit a household application. Non-Discrimination Statement: In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 7202600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www. usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 3. email: program.intake@usda.gov This institution is an equal opportunity provider. avy eniior avvy S iorn oro a y avvyavy iori by Jim Miller How to Arrange Your Own Cremation Service Dear Savvy Senior, I would like to arrange a simple cremation that doesn’t cost me, or my family, a lot of money. Can you off er any tips that can help me with this? Still Kicking Dear Kicking, If you’re looking for a simple and aff ordable way to go, cremation is an excellent choice, and one that’s become exceedingly popular in the United States. About 60 percent of Americans are now choosing cremation over a traditional burial, versus only around 20 percent in the mid-1990s. Why the big shift? Price is a key reason. A basic cremation can cost as little as $700 to $1,200, depending on your location and provider, versus $7,500 or more for a traditional funeral and cemetery burial. Geography is another factor, as many families are spread across the country, making future gravesite visits less common. Here are a few tips to help you arrange your cremation and ensure you get a good deal. Shop Around You can arrange a cremation through a funeral home or a cremation-only business, but it’s wise to shop around because prices vary widely. It’s not unusual for one funeral home to charge $1,000, while another charges $4,000 or more for the same service. Call fi ve or six funeral homes or cremation-only businesses in your area and ask them how much they charge for a “direct cremation,” which is the most aff ordable option there is. With direct cremation, there’s no embalming, viewing or memorial service. It only includes the essentials: transportation of the body; required paperwork such as death certifi cates; the cremation itself; and return of the ashes to the family, usually within a week. If you want a viewing, memorial service or anything beyond what a direct cremation provides, ask the funeral home for an itemized price list so you know exactly what you’re paying for. All funeral providers are required by law to provide this. To locate nearby funeral homes, Google “cremation” or “funeral” followed by your city and state. You can also shop and compare prices from funeral homes in your area at Funeralocity.com. Cheaper Urns The urn is another item that can drive up your cremation costs. Funeral home urns usually cost around $100 to $350, but you aren’t required to get one. After cremation, your family will receive your ashes in a thick plastic bag inside a cardboard box. This is all they need if you intend to have your ashes scattered, but if your family wants something to display, Amazon.com and Walmart.com both sell a wide variety of urns for under $50. Green Cremation If you’re an environmentally conscious person, there’s also a green cremation option you should know about called “alkaline hydrolysis” that chemically dissolve the body. This is a gentler, more eco-friendly process than traditional cremation, which uses combustion. It’s legal in more than 20 states, and costs around $2,000 to $3,500. Google search “alkaline hydrolysis” followed by your city or state to fi nd for a provider. Free Cremation If you’re interested in a free fi nal farewell, you may want to consider donating your body to a university medical facility. After using your body for medical research or surgical practice they will cremate your remains for free, and either bury or scatter your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to your family, usually within a year. To fi nd a medical school near you that accepts body donations, the University of Florida off ers an online directory at Anatbd.acb. med.ufl .edu/usprograms. Whatever arrangements you end up making, make sure you tell your family your wishes so they will know what to do and who to call after your death. Also, if you have a written agreement with any funeral/cremation provider, give them a copy to let them know if you’ve prepaid or not. 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.

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