Lawrence L. Bertone

SALEM - Lawrence Bertone, 90, of Salem, passed away peacefully on the morning of September 15th, 2026, surrounded by his family at the Ledgewood Nursing Home in Beverly, MA.

Born to the late Antonio and Mabel (Wilson) Bertone, he was raised and educated in Beverly. Larry was the backbone of his family, building a life with his late wife, Gertrude Bertone, with whom he shared 59 years of marriage, raising a family of 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

As a skilled craftsman, Larry worked for the United Shoe Machinery Corp. for 32 years. He was also the ultimate handyman, helping with everyone’s latest leaky faucet, broken appliance, home remodel or car problem. If someone couldn’t fix it, Papa sure could! That craftsmanship carried over to his hobbies as well, spending his free time building model airplanes and custom children’s banks, painting, teaching his grandchildren how to draw, and in his later years, constructing elaborate Legos. His skilled handiwork made him a true Papa-of-all-trades.

The only time Larry wasn’t working with his hands was when he was sunbathing by his pool, or during one of his many trips, with his wife and friends, down to Florida. Nobody beat a ‘Papa suntan’! Or when he was watching the next New England sports game or latest episode of Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. But his most favorite thing to watch was his grandchildren in all of their sporting events and performances. Being a grandfather and great-grandfather was something Larry took great pride in, always ensuring his grandchildren and great-grandchildren knew how talented, strong and special they all are. He advised all of his loved ones to “be careful out there” and made sure they always knew that if they needed anything at all, he would be there.

Larry was predeceased by his wife, his parents, and his brothers Francis and Anthony. He is survived by his four children, Cheryl Gavazzi and her husband Robert, Donna Mason and her husband Ken, David Bertone and his wife Bonnie, and Daniel Bertone and his wife Laurie; his sisters Lorraine Boisvert and her husband Edward, and Janice Bouchard, and his brother William; and his sisters in-law Mary, Joan and Madeline. He will continue to watch over and guide his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Brian Hubis and his wife Sam and his sons Jayden and Cameron, Jen Feener and her husband Dan and their daughters Emma and Elise, Matt Bertone and his wife Emily and their son Julian, Jamie Wolkiewicz and his wife Morgan, Jared Bertone and his wife Allie and their sons Abel and Rowen, David Wolkiewicz and his wife Cecily and their son Jaxson, Nathan Bertone, Marissa Mason, Mackenzie Mason, Mikayla Mason and Melanie Mason.

ARRANGEMENTS: A funeral service will be held at O’Donnell Cremations – Funerals – Celebrations, 84 Washington Square, Salem on Tuesday, September 22nd at 10:00 AM followed by his burial at Greenlawn Cemetery in Salem. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visitation will be held on Monday, September 21st from 4:00 – 7:00 PM. To share a memory or offer a condolence please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com.