Published February 19, 2021
MELROSE — On February 11, 2021, Alfred R. Porcaro Jr. was called home by God at the young age of 64.
He leaves behind many loved ones including his beloved wife Diane V. (Mooney) Porcaro; his children Jennifer Knapp and her husband Thomas of N. Andover, Aimee Porcaro, Alfred R. Porcaro III and his wife Brittany, Sharon Altonaga and her husband Alex and Gregory Porcaro, all of Melrose. He was the cherished grandfather of Riley, Thomas, Luke and Juliana. He was the devoted son of the late Alfred R. Sr. and Mary (Sampson) Porcaro. He was the son-in-law of Joan Mooney and her late husband Eugene of Merrimack, NH. He was the caring brother of Janet Porcaro and her late husband Eliot Winograd of Newton, Robert Porcaro of Melrose and Mary Ellen Madden and her husband Jack of Rye, NH. He was the brother-in-law of Mary Winter, Patricia Christian and her husband Dean, Col. Frederick Mooney and his wife Lana, Loretta Edmonds and her husband Jim, Margaret Roy and her husband Mark and Rep. Maureen Mooney and her husband Hon. Mark Derby. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, many friends and loyal employees and customers of Hugo’s Melrose Appliance.
Al was born in Melrose on July 26, 1956. He was raised in Melrose and lived here all of his life. He graduated from Saint Mary’s, Malden Catholic and Northeastern University, with a degree in Business Administration. He carried on his family’s legacy with Hugo’s Melrose Appliance as his second home. His family meant the world to him, especially his wife, children and grandchildren, as did working alongside his sons. He was a fun-loving, genuine, larger than life father with a contagious smile and laugh along with overwhelming charisma. Al brought people together with his big heart and kind nature.
His strong faith was the center of his being. As a Eucharistic Minister at the Roman Catholic Church of the Incarnation, he felt blessed to serve the parish community. He enjoyed volunteering and loved going to mass with his family, which brought him peace. Through this, he met several dear friends with whom he was able to begin and share his new found pastime of playing golf at Mt. Hood.
Al loved New England and took advantage of the best of both worlds, from the mountains to the ocean, and everything in between — he loved exploring and hiking the outdoors with loved ones. His favorite hobbies with his family and loved ones included: boating adventures on the ocean, horseback riding in West Harwich, skiing at Loon Mountain, ice skating on his homemade rink in his backyard, and carving pumpkins and coloring Easter eggs.
He was the biggest fan for his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events and was always there to coach and/or cheer them and their teams on, including Greg’s football games at UMass. He also loved volunteering for many organizations throughout the community. Part of his daily routine was socializing with his Dunkin’ Donuts coffee crew. He enjoyed gardening and shared the fruits of labors with his family and friends alike. He gathered his loved ones together with his delicious home cooked meals regularly. His most recent act of kindness was plowing snow in his neighborhood.
Al had countless friendships and a life that was built around his fun loving, adventurous spirit and his honest and loyal personality. He lived life to the fullest, enjoying every moment. At his passing, he was able to continue his gracious generosity as an organ donor.
A Mass was held at the Roman Catholic Church of the Incarnation, 429 Upham St. Melrose, MA at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 18. Burial followed in Wyoming Cemetery, 205 Sylvan St., Melrose, MA 02176.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made to Father Michael Ssenfuma’s Laudato Si Project Kindness Matters, which was a cause that Al cared deeply for. For the link to make memorial contributions or to leave an online message of condolence please visit gatelyfh.com.
