CASTINE – Dominic J. Leali, 96, of Castine, passed away peacefully Oct. 31, 2013. He was born May 21, 1917, in Stonington, the son of Joseph Guisseppe and Emila (Molinelli) Leali.
He graduated from Stonington High School in 1934. After graduation he moved to Portsmouth, N.H., to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard during World War II. He then spent many years as a blacksmith at the Deer Isle Granite Corporation. He eventually settled in Castine where he worked in the postal department at Maine Maritime Academy for nearly 20 years before retiring. Dominic took pride in his vegetable gardens and enjoyed sharing his produce with friends.
He is survived by his daughter, Bernice (Leali) Hathaway and her husband, John, of Saco; son, Richard J. Leali and close friend, Betty Hughes, of Sumter, S.C.; daughter-in-law, Lorie Leali of South Carolina; and grandchildren, Mark Hathaway and wife, Mary, of Bangor, Sean Hathaway and wife, Holly, of Colorado Springs, Colo., Shawna Erwin and husband, Gabe, of St. Augustine, Fla., and Dominic J. Leali II of Raleigh, N.C. He is also survived by great-grandchildren, Connor Hathaway, Mya and Tyce Erwin; sisters, Lucia Donavan, and Mary Blackmore and husband, Edward, of Stonington; nieces, Carol Hamalainen and husband, Donald, of Yarmouth, and Sally Haskell and husband, Curtis, of Stonington; and nephew, Blaine Blackmore and wife, Sharon, of Deer Isle. Dominic was predeceased by wife, Elizabeth (Harvey) Leali; brother, Andrew Leali; nephew, Robert Leali; brother-in-law, William Donovan; and special friend, Dick Stanley. Dominic was blessed with many good friends and neighbors in Castine. Those who held a very special place in his heart were Karen, Lynn and John, Barbara and Carlton, and Lyn and Paul.
At Dominic’s request there will be no visiting hours or funeral service. A graveside ceremony will be held 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Stonington. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Dominic’s memory be made to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Homes, Stonington.
Dominic J. Leali
