Cover photo for Amedio "Al" Armenti's Obituary
Amedio "Al" Armenti Profile Photo
Amedio

Amedio "Al" Armenti

CONCORD, MA. Al Armenti, aka Ahm shortened from Amedio, age 94, lived in Concord, Massachusetts 58 years, and died peacefully on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, Massachusetts. He was the husband of Terry (Theresa Saltarelli) Armenti, who died in 1995. They married on June 19, 1949.

Al was a lifelong social justice activist. As chairman, co-chair, and member of volunteer organizations and political campaigns, he devoted his life to making the world fair and just for the greatest number of people. He played a major role in Concord's many equal rights organizations including: Federation for Fair Housing (FHER), Concord Democratic Town Committee, Veteran's for Peace, Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO), MBTA Employment Express, Concord Sister City with San Marcos, Nicaragua, Grass Roots Action for Peace (GRAP), Environmental Watch (CREW), and many more. He was a lifelong pacifist and anti-war protestor.

Beginning in 1942, Al played mandolin and guitar professionally, with The Melody A's, The Silver Bass Trio, Strings & Things, Roaring Jelly, the Concord Orchestra, and First Parish of Concord, and with friends and family until hearing loss forced him to stop two years ago.

Al was born in Newark, NJ on June 18, 1924, the fourth son of five children of the late Vincenzo of Campobassa, Italy, and Fanny (Filamena Mecuro) Armenti, of Flumeri, Italy. He grew up on Alexander Street, Vailsburg, later moving to 14th Street, and graduated from West Side High. With the guidance of his mother, who spoke limited English, he won a 4-year full tuition state scholarship to attend Rutgers College.

His college studies were interrupted between 1943—1946 when Al was drafted into the European Theater of Operations of World War II. After a brief stay at Fort Dix, he trained for 4 months at Camp Grant, Rockford, Ill, then 3 months at Medical Enlisted Technicians School in Springfield, MO for training as a surgical technician. He was transferred to Camp Shanks, a debarkation depot, a few weeks after D-Day. On June 16, 1944, age 20, he boarded a British troop ship with 2000 GIs heading to England. He marched through France to Berlin as a medic in General Patton's Army in a petroleum resupply unit.

Returning from Europe, he graduated from Rutgers College in 1949, spent a post-graduate year at Berkeley College in Journalism in 1950, and earned a Ph.D. of Philosophy in Ethics from the University of Michigan in 1959.

Al worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Massachusetts from 1960 to 1984. Despite decades of study in the liberal arts, his philosophical training in formal logic, the basic language of computer design, led to working on computer-based system design and implementation projects including: the Simplex project, LISTAR "Lincoln Storage and Retrieval System" data management project, voice recognition software, and radar tracking.

He is survived by his daughter, Diane Reilly and husband Steve, son Jim Armenti and wife Robby, daughter Nancy Hodgman and husband Rod, and daughter Laraine Armenti and husband Drew Thwaits; his grandchildren, Erin Reilly and husband Patrick Doran, Michael Reilly, Teresa Keesan and husband Josh, Jacy Armenti, Dan Armenti, Eric Hodgman and wife Marion, Greg Hodgman and partner Monica Jimenez, Emily Goss and husband Rowen: and his great-grandchildren, Nathan, Alex and Annie Doran; and nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews of his four predeceased siblings: Fin (Fernando), Midge (Remigio), Gus (Gustave), and Jo (Josephine).

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Al on Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 11:00 am in the First Parish in Concord, 20 Lexington Rd., Concord

Links:

Armenti Works memoir:
alarmenti.com

Lexington History Project:
http://www.lexingtonbattlegreen1971.com/files/Armenti,%20Al.pdf

Concord Oral History Project:
https://concordlibrary.org/special-collections/oral-history
https://concordlibrary.org/special-collections/oral-history/Armenti

Donations in Al Armenti's memory may be made to:
First Parish in Concord
20 Lexington Rd.
Concord, MA 01742
or
Care Dimensions Hospice
75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102
Danvers, MA 01923.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Memorial Service

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Starts at 11:00 pm (Eastern time)

FIRST PARISH IN CONCORD

20 Lexington Rd, Concord, MA 01742

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