<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">I did not know Jerry, but I hear that he was a wonderful person and a great advocate!<div>My sympathy and prayers go out to his friends and family!</div><div><br></div><div>I was asked to share this with all of you!</div><div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Shirley Dorris<div><div><div>615-598-5020-Cell</div><div>617-819-4632-NFB/MA</div></div></div><div><br></div><div>\u201cWalk by faith not by sight\u201dCOR 5;7</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> dticchi@comcast.net<br><b>Date:</b> May 22, 2025 at 12:39:30\u202fPM EDT<br><b>To:</b> ladyshirl519@gmail.com, sharawinton@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> <b>FW: Gerry Difranza</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Hello, just wanted to let you know about Jerry\u2019s passing. He was a good person and a long time member of the NFB. Please share, with best regards and thanks, David<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Amy ruell <aruell@comcast.net> <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 22, 2025 11:13 AM<br><b>To:</b> David Ticchi <dticchi@comcast.net><br><b>Subject:</b> Fwd: Gerry Difranza<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">Sent from my iPhone<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><br>Begin forwarded message:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b>From:</b> Paul Saner <<a href="mailto:paulsaner@comcast.net">paulsaner@comcast.net</a>><br><b>Date:</b> May 22, 2025 at 10:29:30<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">\u202f</span>AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:aruell@comcast.net">aruell@comcast.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>FW: Gerry Difranza</b><o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Tahoma",sans-serif">\ufeff</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Hatcher, Karen (MCB) <<a href="mailto:karen.hatcher@mass.gov">karen.hatcher@mass.gov</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, May 22, 2025 9:40 AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:paulsaner@comcast.net">paulsaner@comcast.net</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Gerry Difranza</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">You may have already looked it up, but here\u2019s the article about Gerry\u2026\u2026he was 85!!!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Council Remembers Jerry DiFranza at Meeting</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">by <a href="https://winthroptranscript.com/author/staff/" title="Posts by Transcript Staff">Transcript Staff</a> \u2022 May 14, 2025 \u2022 <a href="https://winthroptranscript.com/2025/05/14/council-remembers-jerry-difranza-at-meeting/#respond">0 Comments</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">By Adam Swift</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The town council held a moment of silence for long-time resident and advocate for the blind and disabled Gerald DiFranza at the beginning of last week\u2019s meeting.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">\u201cJerry was a long-time Winthrop resident and a long-time resident at the Pillar House,\u201d said Council President Jim Letterie. \u201cJerry brought a lot to this community. He started the White Cane Association in Winthrop and would come to the council on a yearly basis to talk about that.\u201d</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">John Morgan, who has carried on DiFranza\u2019s tradition of appearing before the council to advocate for the importance of White Cane Day and White Cane Awareness Month, spoke about his friendship with DiFranza and DiFranza\u2019s tireless efforts on behalf of his community.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">\u201cJerry\u2019s accomplishments over the last 60 years for advocacy for the blind are legendary at the State House,\u201d said Morgan. \u201cIf you ever went to the State House and Jerry was knocking on your door and you didn\u2019t answer it, boy, were you in trouble. It really hit me hard when I heard he died.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">\u201cJerry accomplished so many things, there is not enough time to mention them all.\u201d</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">DiFranza died at the age of 85 on April 28.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">He graduated from Jamaica Plain High School and received his Associates degree from Bunker Hill Community College. Following his graduation, DiFranza worked as a dietician at Boston City Hospital in the pediatric unit.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">DiFranza wrote and worked to pass the Lazy Eye Blindness Bill in 1969, requiring all children to be tested for lazy eye blindness. As a result, children in Massachusetts are tested for lazy eye blindness, preventing vision challenges and saving sight for thousands of children each year.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div name="divtagdefaultwrapper"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Kind regards,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:#1F497D">Karen Hatcher</span></b><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Director \u2013 Older Independent Blind Program</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Massachusetts Commission for the Blind</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">600 Washington Street - 3<sup>rd</sup> Floor</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Boston, MA 02111</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">617-626-7462 (office)</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">857-214-1813 (work cell)</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:karen.hatcher@mass.gov">karen.hatcher@mass.gov</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>