'The Man is back!' South Boston woman overjoyed to have statue with family ashes returned
SOUTH BOSTON - A sentimental statue is back where it belongs in South Boston.
Jessyca Doyle told WBZ-TV last week that someone stole a four-foot-tall Charlie Chaplin lawn statue from outside her home on Story Street. Tucked inside the statue known as "The Man" are the ashes of her dad, who died in 2018, and her grandfather, who died in 2020 -- both put there to stand watch over the family members still on this earth.
Doyle made a public plea on Facebook for someone to return the statue to the home where her family has lived for the better part of four generations. On Monday morning, she shared "great news" - the statue had been returned anonymously.
"'The Man' is back!" Doyle posted. "I would like to thank everyone for getting the word out and looking for my loved ones that have passed on."
Doyle's father had repainted "The Man" almost every year until his death, and the statue had become a centerpiece of family reflection. She's just glad it's back home now.
"I would like to thank the person for bringing it back, and doing the right thing," Doyle wrote. "Sometimes it's hard to focus on the good things when so much bad happens; but in this situation I would like to focus on all the kindness and help that was offered."
Doyle told WBZ-TV on Monday that she was "so scared that it was going to be broken or lost forever." But she's grateful that her community helped spread the message far and wide.
"I'm ecstatic," Doyle said. "I'm really happy that a lot of people throughout New England came together to look for it."
