... Navy Veteran, Raytheon retiree; 89
TEWKSBURY - Dorothy M. (Keating) Pongonis; age 89, a WWII Navy veteran, died Thursday morning, April 5, at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. She was the beloved wife of the late Albert Pongonis Sr., who died in 2005.
She was born in Cambridge, on January 23, 1923, one of ten children of the late Edward F. and Delia (Mulvey) Keating. She was raised in Burlington, and attended schools in Wilmington and Burlington. Upon graduation, she enlisted into the U.S. Navy, and served stateside in Washington, D.C., honorably discharged as a Seaman 1st Class.
Upon her marriage in 1947, she moved to Tewksbury to raise her family. She summered with her family in the Brant Rock section of Marshfield. After her children had grown, she began a career at Raytheon Company as in inspector at their defense missile manufacturing division.
She was proud of her service to her country, and was Past Commander and Chaplin of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 417 in Methuen, and a member of the WAVES National Women of the Sea.
Mrs. Pongonis was also a Communicant of St. William's Church.
She is survived by her two sons, Albert Pongonis Jr. of Tewksbury and Robert G. Pongonis of Littleton, CO; three grandsons, Robert C. Pongonis of CA, Albert G. Pongonis and his wife Paola of FL, and Russell W. Pongonis of CO; a sister, Margaret Keady of Burlington; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her siblings, Richard, James, Walter, Edward, Henry, William, Ruth and Helen Keating.
Her Funeral Mass was celebrated Tuesday, April 10, in St. William's Church, Tewksbury. Burial with Navy Honors followed at Tewksbury Cemetery.