Held engineering positions in electronics industry
Published in the November 24, 2015 edition
NORTH READING — Larry A. Arena North Reading passed peacefully on November 21, 2015 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. Born on September 11, 1932, he was the oldest of three children of John Arena and Rose Pietrafitta, both immigrants from Messina, Sicily.
Larry graduated Wakefield High School class of 1950. He enlisted the U.S. Air Force in October of 1951, serving four years at Sampson Air Force Base near Lake Geneva, Seneca County, New York. After service, he enrolled at Northeastern University, graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He met his future bride, Joan Sampson of Everett, at an October 1955 mixer; they were married on November 25, 1956, moved into their second floor Wakefield, Massachusetts apartment and were soon joined by three active boys.
Larry’s interest in electronics lead to first employment at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratories designing ferrite memories for computers of the day. He held manufacturing engineering positions at Radio Corporation of America in Boston, Burroughs Corporation of Plainfield New Jersey, and was the General Manager of North American Philips memory manufacturing plant in Saugerties, New York.
In 1972 he co-founded ADM Corporation of Albany New York, and in the late 1980’s founded Arena Corporation – Modern Radio, contract remanufacturers of automotive electronic modules.
Larry is survived by his wife Joan of 59 years; his children and their spouses John (Lynn) Arena of Reading; Larry (Sue) Arena of Rowley and Arthur Arena of North Reading; his grandchildren and spouses John (Leia) Arena of Andover, Claire (Will) Barden of Winchester; Jeffrey Arena of Cambridge; Cameron and Tanner Arena of Rowley; his great–grandson Christian Barden; step granddaughters Breah (Justin) Mihok and Taygen Long and their families.
He is also survived by his two sisters, Florence Whynott of Ipswich and Concetta Tecce of Wakefield, along with in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and their extended families.
Larry enjoyed spending time with family and friends, especially attending grandchildren’s hockey, wrestling, soccer, track and baseball events, arguing politics, playing golf with his lifelong school buddies and watching his Bruins, Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics games.
Visitation will be Sunday November 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Cota Funeral Home 335 Park Street, North Reading. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Theresa’s Parish, 63 Winter Street, North Reading at 10:30 a.m. on Monday November 30, followed immediately by interment at Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Following graveside services, all are invited to a collation.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Melmark New England, 461 River Road, Andover Massachusetts. Melmark serves children with autism spectrum disorders and other challenging youth behavior issues.
