Amato “Hamel” Corsetti, age 91, born August 4, 1916 to Fracesca (Fascione) and Bernardo Corsetti, immigrants from Monte Cassino, Italy.
He spent his childhood years in ”The Village” of North Woburn. Hamel Graduated Woburn High School in 1934 and afterward went on to graduate the Ingo Conservatory of Music majoring in music construction and composition. Until the day he died, he could amaze us with his knowledge of music chords.
As a teen, Hamel even with a bad heart was a ruthless lefthanded pitcher. His curve ball confounded the St. Polycarp team striking out eighteen consecutive batters.
Amato or Hamel as everyone knew him, joinedFrank Govianni´s Accordian Band and later was chosen to teach along side his mentor in Boston. Hamel gave accordian recitals as far away as Portland, ME during accordian´s popular tears, in fact: his picture is in, The Golden Years of Accordian, a nation wide history of the greats of that instrument.
In 1940 he married his childhood sweetheart from across the dirt road, Dorothy Cardaleen. After World War II, he personally built his own house and then began to teach accordian, all the band instruments, plus violin both in the Woburn School System traveling from school to school and at home. Even now, a whole generation of his former students stop him and reminisce about their childhood music lessons.
In addition to teaching, Hamel also had a dance band that played at all the local parties. In the late 1950´s, Hamel started his own 4-H band. The first and only one in the nation. He secured uniforms and instruments from local charitable organizations. This band marched in parades and gave concerts at the 4-H fair in Westrford and Eastern States Expostion in Springfield for Governors Foster Furcollo and John Volpe. His band Marched and performed in Madison Square Garden, New York representing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts during the New York Worlds Fair in the 60´s.
Hamel also spent several decades performing with the Woburn City Band. He played Trombone in concerts and percussion in parades. He also spent several years as band leader to the Sacred Heart Church Marching Band of Roslindale, MA.
Hamel was a lifelong Kiwanian and was president of that organization from 1969 to 1970. The culmination of his relationship with Kiwanis was the receiving of the Red Jacket Award for being a major contributor to the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute from Kiwanis International.
Hamel loved hunting, fishing, boating, camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along with his wife, children and grandchildren.
He was active in the Saint Anthony Mens Club and served as a past president. He used his barbecuing skills cooking half chickens both at the Kiwanis Flag Day Celebration and St, Anthony Feast Day.
Everybody who traveled along Main Street, North Woburn bought their tomatoes, zucchini, corn, gladiolas, pansies and sunflowers from his roadside stand using the honor system with his money can.
In his later years, Hamel continued his love of music with his electronic keyboard and voice performing at local Senior Centers, churches and volunteering his talents at many nursing facilities along with family gatherings.
Following his wife´s death, Hamel ended his days totally enjoying his new life at New Horizons at Choate.
Hamel is survived by his sons, Bernard and his wife Karen of Leesburg, FL, Carmen and his partner Janet Carney of Andover, and daughter Rachelle Avola and her husband Al of Woburn. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Audrey, Maguire, Debbie Salamone and Stephanie Finn. He is further survived by his great grandchildren, Shannon, Michael and Justin Maguire, Sam Salamone, and Jessica Finn.
Funeral from the McLaughlin – Dello Russo Funeral Home, 60 Pleasant St. Woburn, Wednesday at 9 a.m. followed by a funeral mass celebrated in St. Anthony Church 851 Main St. Woburn, at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours Tuesday 4 thru 8. Services will conclude with burial at Calvary Cemetery, Woburn. Memorial contributions may be made in Amato’s memory to New Horizons at Choate, 21 Warren Ave, Woburn, MA 01801.