Benedict Gesmundo, 90, Haverhill Poet and WWII Vet

Benedict Gesmundo, 90, of Haverhill, passed away Monday, Oct. 23 at Country Manor in Newburyport.

Born on Sept. 9, 1927 in Haverhill, Gesmundo was the son of the late Paul and Mary (Lomazzo) Gesmundo.

He was educated in the Haverhill public school system and graduated from Haverhill High School before earning a Bachelor’s Degree from Merrimack College. Following a stint as a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, Gesmundo worked at Sylvania and Raytheon before his retirement.

Gesmundo developed a love for poetry later in life and was known to mark birthdays and holidays with personal and humorous poems. His poem, “In My Sister’s Yard,” which detailed his family’s al fresco dinners in Bradford, was published in a ‘90s American Anthology.

In addition to poetry, Gesmundo had an interest in alternative health and nutrition and often shared early research and vitamin recommendations with family. An animal lover, Gesmundo was an avid talk radio fan that followed theories on outer space and the universe.

He is survived by his sister Teresa Fiorentini of Bradford, niece Jane Fiorentini-Steward of Salem, Mass. and nephews Steven Fiorentini and Louis Fiorentini, both of Haverhill. He leaves several cousins both in and out of state and his close cousin Paul Antonelli of Weston, Mass.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel at Sacred Hearts Church, 165 South Main St., Bradford. Burial will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Haverhill.