Tom passed away peacefully on October 2, 2026, six days before his 86th birthday. Tom was predeceased by his parents Gaetano and Elizabeth Minichiello and his sister Mary (Minichiello) Barletta. He was born in Winthrop, MA, and grew up in East Boston, MA. Tom is survived by his loving wife Frances “Fran” of 62 years, his sons Thomas Jr., of N. Easton, Mark and his wife Erin of Hingham, and Andrew and his wife Patty of Rutland, VT. Tom had six loving grandchildren, Matthew, Gregory, Ethan, Lauren, Landon, and Sara. He is also survived by nephews Anthony and Richard Barletta and by a niece AnnMarie McCarthy.

Tom grew up on Byron street in East Boston with his mom, dad and sister. His early years in East Boston were the beginnings of his devotion to family, faith, cooking and the outdoors. His childhood was shaped by living in a close knit Italian community with aunts, uncles and cousins all living close by. As a child his faith was shaped by his time as an altar server at St. Mary's in East Boston. Also, his mother was an excellent cook so his love of great cooking started at an early age. He would often share stories of his dad's wine press and wine making in the basement of his East Boston home. Growing up, he was involved in the Sea Scouts which explains his interest later in life for the outdoors, boating and the ocean. As a father, Tom passed his love for the outdoors onto his three sons.

Tom met his wife Fran through his Sea Scout troop leader who lived next door to Fran. Tom and Fran went on to raise their family in Brockton, MA, and spent summers at their cottage in Plymouth, which Tom helped build in 1965. He loved spending time with his wife at the beach, dining and dancing on Saturday nights, going to grandchildren’s events, traveling, cooking, shopping, and photography. Tom and Fran were partners and best of friends. Most memorable moments were watching them cook together in the kitchen with a Bon Appetit magazine or Cook’s magazine open on the counter. Holiday meals were multi-course meals which took hours to prepare and enjoy.

Tom always had a project going. He was very handy around the house whether it involved carpentry, electrical, plumbing, painting, or landscaping. He drew the plans for a major addition onto his Brockton house impressing the general contractor.

Tom was a people person. After graduating from Suffolk University and obtaining his MBA from Suffolk in the evenings, he had a successful career in various Human Resource-related roles. His longest tenure was at Morse Shoe in Canton for over 30 years and then worked at Chadwicks of Boston and TJX Companies. Tom enjoyed telling stories about negotiating union contracts and more colorful stories about settling disputes with employees working the third shift. Tom couldn’t go out without seeing someone he knew.

Tom was a part-time professor at Massasoit College in Brockton. He enjoyed teaching Small Business Administration and Accounting for over 20 years. He always had a stack of Blue Exam Booklets on his home desk waiting to be graded. He was a mentor to his students helping to launch them into their careers.

Tom's devotion to family also was present when it came to his six grandchildren. He took great pride in their accomplishments and tried to keep up with all the details of their lives. As he grew older, spending time with them became one of the highlights of his life. He would not hesitate to visit a college, drive to an event or help his wife select the perfect gift. He was always present at baptisms, birthdays, communions, concerts, confirmations, graduations, recitals and sporting events.

Tom lived with a great amount of acceptance and respect for all those who came into his life and will be deeply missed by his loving family and friends.

Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM at MacDonald Funeral Home in Marshfield. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 10:30 AM at Holy Family Church 601 Tremont Street, Duxbury. A graveside burial will follow at Mayflower Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family would welcome memorial donations to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in memory of Thomas J. Minichiello via the link: https://www.stjude.org/