VINCENT J. “VIN” RIVELA JR. - Lynch Cantillon Funeral Home (2024)

Vincent J. Rivela Jr, a longtime resident and educator in Woburn, passed away at his home early Thursday morning, with his beloved family right by his side. He was eighty six years of age.

Born in Medford, he was the son of the late Vincent and Viola (Bucci) Rivela. “Vin,” as he was called, grew up in Medford, attended school there, and was an outstanding baseball pitcher during his high school years. He pitched on the 1955 Greater Boston League Championship team! This team was chosen to be in the Medford High School’s Hall of Fame.

Vin graduated from Northeastern University in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Advertising. While at Northeastern, he was a member of the Phi Alpha Rho Fraternity, President of the Marketing Club, and the first business student selected to co-op for the National Security Agency in Washington, D.C. After graduation, he was employed by the Quaker Oats company in retail sales.

He began teaching at Woburn High School in 1966, to start a new business course called Distributive Education, sponsored by the Mass. Department of Education. The program involved teaching marketing and advertising material and placing students in part-time jobs with local merchants.

Vin was also an advisor to the Key Club and the program called Distributive Education Clubs of America, which competed in various marketing activities with other high schools throughout the state. His students won many awards at the Regional, State, and National competitions.

During his high school teaching career, Vin also enjoyed coaching. He assumed many coaching roles, including freshman basketball coach, JV baseball coach, and varsity pitching coach for the 1968 State Champion baseball team. This team was inducted into the Woburn High School’s Hall of Fame. Over the years, he also coached for Woburn Little League, Woburn Babe Ruth, and the Reading Legion.

Vin received the yearbook award from the Woburn High School students when he retired from teaching in June of 2000.

Vin was predeceased, by his first wife Marylin (Corradino) Rivela. Vin is lovingly survived by his wife of thirty-two years, Sheila, and his son’s, Jim Rivela along with his wife, Jenn, and Steven Rivela along with his significant other, Erin Stewart. He is also survived by his step-children Christine Casale along with her husband, Jim, Cathleen Curran along with her husband, Stephen, and Joe Morgan and his wife Kathleen. Vin also leaves behind his brother Arnold Rivela along with his significant other, Nancy Jolivet, and Arnold’s two children Matthew and Jennifer Rivela. Vin is also survived by twelve grandchildren, Katelyn, Steven, and his wife Cassie, Ryan, James, Joseph, Ceila, Emily, her husband Cameron, Matthew, Thomas, and Stephanie.

Vin and Sheila shared many wonderful trips together including Scotland, Ireland, Italy, the Hawaiian Islands, the Caribbean, San Francisco, and Florida. He was a former member of the Woburn Common Trust’s Board of Directors and the Kiwanis Club. Also, Vin thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the Screen Actors Guild, allowing him to further his passion of acting and modeling in many films and several advertising brochures in Boston.

A Funeral Mass will be Celebrated, Tuesday, MAY 21st at 10 a.m. in St. Anthony’s Church, 851 Main Street, Woburn. Burial in Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to calling hours, Monday, MAY 20th, 4 – 7 p.m. in the Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main Street, Woburn. Remembrances may be made in Vin’s memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105