Arthur Venezia, 68, Godfather of Watertown Youth Hockey

Arthur “Artie” Michael Venezia died on July 12 at the age of 68.

He is survived by his wife Barbara L. (LaRose) Venezia; children Michael A. Venezia and his wife Rosanna; Linda L. Sutherland and her husband Wayne; Christie V. Diaz and her husband Leo; and Jamie S. Venezia and his wife Jennifer all of Watertown. He is the son of Arthur W. Venezia of Belmont and the late Elvira J. (Galante) Venezia; and brother of Judith Kavanagh and her husband Dennis of Belmont, Susan Venezia and her husband George Ruggiero of Boston and Stephen Venezia and his wife Lorna of Marblehead, according to an obituary on the MacDonald, Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Home website. He also leaves behind his grandchildren Olivia, Gabriella, and Dante Venezia, Matthew, Lauren, Leah and Brett Sutherland, Taylor, Benjamin, Max and Jack Bunnell, and Mia, Anthony, Gianna and Lola Venezia.

Venezia served in the Army in Germany during the Vietnam era and graduated from Norwich Univeristy. He played ice hockey and soccer for Watertown High and at Norwich and was inducted in the Watertown High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. He is also in the sports hall of fame at Norwich.

He was a longtime coach of the Watertown High School boys ice hockey team and was very active in Watertown Youth Hockey, earning him the nickname “Godfather of Watertown Hockey.”

The Funeral will be at the MacDonald, Rockwell & MacDonald Funeral Home, at 270 Main St. in Watertown, on Tuesday, July 16 at 8 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at 9 a.m. in the Church of St. Luke, 132 Lexington St. in Belmont. Interment will be in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, 580 Mt. Auburn St. in Cambridge. Calling hours at the Funeral Home will be on Monday, July 15 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Friends of Watertown H.S. Boys Hockey c/o 111 Rutland St., Watertown, MA 02472 or to Scleroderma Foundation, 300 Rosewood Dr., Suite 105, Danvers, MA 01923 (www.scleroderma.org).