Malden Catholic Brother Dies From Injuries In Melrose Hit-And-Run
BOSTON (CBS) -- Ed Bozzo, a Xaverian Brother and a longtime educator at Malden Catholic High School, has died from injuries he sustained weeks ago when a car hit him and did not stop in Melrose. He passed away Monday evening at age 85.
"An unfailingly kind and gentle presence, Brother Bozzo embodied the essence of Xaverian humility and simplicity. We honor his many years of devoted service to Malden Catholic, and are profoundly grateful for all that he did to make a Catholic, Xaverian education possible for scores of deserving students," said Headmaster Thomas J. Doherty III in a statement from the school.
A Good Samaritan found Bozzo bloodied and dazed on Hebert Street in Melrose on the morning of July 9. Melrose Police said the evidence suggests Bozzo was struck from behind and run over by a hit-and-run driver while he was out for his early morning walk.
"Someone is sitting in their living room knowing that they did this," neighbor Dave Curran said.
Eleanor Galvin lived next to the home Brother Ed Bozzo shared with other Xavarian Brothers.
"He was a walker, he walked and walked and walked then one day he got hit by someone who left him in the street broke both his ankles fractured his skull and left him there to die," she said.
She knew Brother Bozzo to be a quiet yet kind man. She says the past six weeks have been hard for him. "Well, if he wasn't going to be Brother Ed again than it was better for him," she added.
Curran, who lives right across from where Brother Ed Bozzo was hit, says he came outside to see him sitting up against the curb. He says at first, Bozzo was disoriented and asked if he fell but Curran knew it was much more serious than that.
"And then I saw the ankles and the glasses all the way over there," he said.
Brother Bozzo worked at Malden Catholic for over 30 years. Headmaster Doherty says Brother Bozzo gave his family inheritance to the school. "He never took any credit for it, he always gave very quietly and humbly but wanted to make sure the boys who needed help getting a catholic education were able to do that," he said.
A funeral will be held for Bozzo on Friday, August 24 at 10:30 a.m. at the Chapel of Saint John's Preparatory School in Danvers. Visitation will be before the Mass from 9 to 10 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, Malden Catholic asked that donations be made in Bozzo's name to any of the scholarship funds at schools sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers.
Melrose Police said they are saddened by the news and are still actively investigating the hit-and-run.
WBZ-TV's Lisa Gresci contributed to this report.