Obituaries: Joseph Burns, Cheryl Stevens, Michael deSousa, Margaret Carpentier, Louis Maffia, Beverly McGrath

Joseph P. Burns, Jr., 90, of Hopedale and formerly of Milford, died June 4 at home. He was the husband of the late Mary E. (Hickey) Burns who died in 2006.
Mr. Burns was employed for 34 years as a design engineer for the Raytheon Corp. in Weymouth, retiring in 1988. He also worked part-time as a bartender for the former Lord & Lady Restaurant in Milford and Bulduc’s Lounge in Woonsocket, RI.

He was born April 14, 1923 in Milford, son of the late Joseph P. Burns, Sr. and Susan (Tusconi) Burns and lived all his life in both Milford and Hopedale. He was a graduate of Milford High School and had served in the U.S. Army during WWII in Europe.
Mr. Burns enjoyed bowling and was a former trumpet player in a band. Along with his wife, daughter, and granddaughters, he had raised and trained show horses at his home on South Main Street in Hopedale.

Cheryl L. Stevens, 60, of Milford, died, June 3 surrounded by her family in the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. She was born in Newton, daughter of the late Paul and Mary (Doyle) Stevens Sr. and lived in Holliston before moving to Milford in 1995. She was a graduate of the Holliston High School class of 1970.  She was an active member of the Medway Community Church in Medway MA for many years. 

Michael D. deSousa, 71, of Hopkinton, passed away Sunday, June 2 at the Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital in Westborough. He was the son of the late Isabel (Machado) and Jose Texeira deSousa. He was the husband of Frances (Gregoire) deSousa of Hopkinton.

Margaret A “Peggy” Charpentier, 73, of Milford died June 1 at the Philip Hulitar Inpatient Center in Providence RI after an illness. She attended the former St. Mary’s parochial schools and was a graduate of the former St. Mary’s High School, Class of 1957. 

Margaret was employed for 31 years at the former New England Telephone Company, first working as a cashier at the Milford offices and later working as a business order writer and then assistant staff manager in the Boston offices. Margaret was a longtime resident of Milford and a longtime communicant of St. Mary of the Assumption Church. She was also a longtime member of the New England Telephone Pioneers Club.

Louis N. Maffia, 88, of Northbridge and formerly of Milford, died May 30 in the Milford Regional Medical Center, Milford.
Louis enjoyed people and was a fun loving person. Louis was a member of Alternatives Unlimited in Northbridge; enjoying the Senior Enrichment Program and all his friends, staff, especially Dawne Doherty, Richard Clark and Dr. Joseph Antaki all at Northbridge House. 

Beverly A. McGrath, 74, of Holliston died May 26 at Walden Nursing and Rehab in Concord, MA. She was the daughter of the late Irene and Samuel Clarke and the wife of the late Bill McGrath who passed in July 2009. 
A Graduate of Newton Wellesley Nursing School, she had worked as a R.N. for Newton Wellesley Hospital for many years.