PLEASE NOTE THE VISITING HOURS ARE NOT THIS SUNDAY MARCH 18, 2018, BUT ARE THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY MARCH 25, 2018
Enrico “Gus” Testa, age 83 of Brockton, a former school psychologist, Franciscan Brother and Navy veteran, died peacefully at his home on March 13, 2018 due to complications from a long illness, spinocerebellar ataxia. Born December 25, 1934 in Williamsport, PA he was a son of the late Armando and Francesca (Verrico) Testa of Castel Forte, Italy. Gus was a kind, outgoing, and fun-loving individual who enjoyed golf, poker, donuts and Boston sports.
Listen to the lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” and you will know how Gus lived his life. A natural athlete, Gus excelled in high school sports and attended college on a wrestling scholarship. He dropped out of school to join the Navy and after his discharge he settled in Cincinnati, OH where he worked as a draftsman.
Before long, he realized his calling and entered religious life to become a Franciscan Brother. As Brother Augustine (“Brother Gus”) he invented and installed a new and improved heating system for the seminary at Callicoon, NY and brought food and water to the Woodstock, NY concert goers when none was available. He was transferred to NYC where he rode his motorcycle through the Bronx in search of child runaways and taught teen-agers mechanical skills to help them stay out of trouble. By the time he was transferred to Rye Beach, NH he had grown disillusioned with religious life.
He decided to make a change to leave the Franciscans. Since he had taken a vow of poverty, he had only his brown robe, handmade sandals and his religious nickname “Gus” which he kept throughout the rest of his life, although his family still called him Henry as they had done when he younger. He moved to Dorchester, MA where he worked at the Columbia Point Mental Health Center during the Boston Public School busing crisis.
He understood that his lack of formal education was holding him back. He received his Associate Degree from Springfield Technical College in 1972. With the encouragement and support of friends he enrolled at Harvard University and received his Masters of Education degree in 1973. With additional coursework at Northeastern University and Boston State College he became a licensed school psychologist and worked in the Brockton Public Schools for over 20 years—testing and counseling students from preschool up to high school.
Gus is survived by his wife of 27 years, Martha (Hunyadi) Testa, sisters-in-law Mary Margaret Testa of St. Louis, MO and Ann Hunyadi of Brockton, MA, brothers-in-law Frank Daniele of Williamsport, PA and James Hunyadi of Las Vegas, NV, sister/brother-in-law, Susan and Leonard Howell of Vernon, CT and many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. He was pre-deceased by his brother Angelo and his sister Joanna. A special thank you to Gus’s caring and competent team at Steward Hospice Westwood.
Visiting hours will be held in the Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont St., (Rte. 123) Brockton on Sunday, March 25, 2018 2-6pm. The funeral procession will gather at the funeral home on Monday, March 26, 2018 at 8am for a funeral mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Church at 9am. Burial at Coweeset Cemetery. Donations in Gus’ memory can be made to the Coalition for Social Justice Education Fund, 721 Belmont St, Brockton, MA 02301.