Arthur Raymond Martinelli

Arthur R. Martinelli of Orange, passed away peacefully on September 15 in Sudbury, where he had been staying at Sudbury Pines Extended Care.

Arthur, widely known as “Tootie,” was born to Primo and Evelyn Martinelli in March of 1934, in Orange, Massachusetts. He graduated from Orange High School where he was a two-sport standout in baseball and football, and later served in the Army and Army reserves. He married Rhoda (Gilmore) Martinelli on June 9, 1956, and they enjoyed more than 67 years of married life together.

Arthur took great pride in his family and his home and could often be found working on the latest home improvement project, attending one of his kids’ or grandkids’ games or performances, or traveling to spend time with family, primarily in California. Arthur and Rhoda made a number of other memorable trips including a visit to Arthur’s ancestral hometown in Italy, a family vacation to Hawaii and a holiday in Bermuda. Through all of these activities, Arthur was the photo chronicler across years and technologies, from physical slideshows of early camping trips to digital images of his grandchildren at play. We could always count on grandpa to get a shot of the action.

Arthur worked for many years in the industrial machinery industry, holding positions in inventory management and logistics at Rodney Hunt Company in Orange and Magnat Corporation in Northampton. He had a deep sense of commitment to his work and greatly enjoyed the camaraderie of his work peers over the years. He was known by family, friends and colleagues for his good nature and willingness to lend a hand.

Arthur is survived by his wife, Rhoda, his two children, Michael “Merc” (and his spouse Jennifer Carri), and Vincent (and his spouse, Sheri) six grandchildren (Angela Martinelli and her spouse, William Cochran, Dominic, Michelle, Gabriella, Eva and Enzo) and two great grandchildren (Elena and Sofia Cochran). He is also survived by his sisters Jean LaMonda and Anne Boyle, and predeceased by sisters Rena Smith, Arlene Martinelli, and brothers Richard and Primo.

The family will host a celebration of life later this fall in Orange.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the American Stroke Association (a division of the American Heart Association) as part of Team Tootie (at https://ahatribute.funraise.org/team/team-tootie ).