Notable Massachusetts Deaths: 2025 Year In Review

MASSACHUSETTS — From internationally-lauded scientists, to longtime political figures and sports legends, Massachusetts lost some notable community members in 2025. Below, Patch highlights and remembers both the lives and deaths of these well-known individuals.

Joan B. Kennedy, Oct. 8: Virginia Joan Bennett Kennedy joined Massachusetts’s most famous political family in 1958 after marrying Ted Kennedy in 1958 at the age of 22. The couple was together for 24 years before divorcing in 1982. Throughout her life, Kennedy used her platform as the wife of a United States Senator to advocate for the destigmatization of alcohol and substance use disorder, as she had her own struggles throughout an earlier part of her life. The New York native was also a talented pianist who held concerts and authored a book about her craft. Joan Kennedy died at the age 89 years old after a reported battle with dementia.

Setti Warren, Nov. 2: Setti Warren was a lifelong resident of Newton before becoming its leader in 2010. The Iraq Veteran graduated from Newton North High School and later Boston College in 1993 with a Bachelor’s degree in history. Warren served as the Mayor of Newton from 2010 to 2018. His tenure included heavy investment in the school district and work to reduce the carbon footprint and make the city’s operations more eco-friendly. In addition, he was also the first elected Black American to serve as mayor in Massachusetts.

Warren died at his Newton home unexpectedly at the age of 55.

Kitty Dukakis, March 21: Kitty Dukakis was the wife of former Massachusetts governor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis. The couple first met while attending high school in Brookline, and were married for 60 years. Similar to Joan Kennedy, Kitty Dukakis was known for her advocacy for those dealing with substance use issues and depression. The Kitty Dukakis Treatment Center for Women has stood as a testament to her work since it opened in Jamaica Plain in 2007.

Kitty Dukakis died at the age of 88 years old after a reported battle with dementia.

Lyndon Byers, July 4: Lyndon “LB” Byers spent a decade playing professional hockey, most of which was with the Boston Bruins. The right wing was a member of two Eastern Conference Championship teams in 1988 and 1990, appearing in 37 playoff games in his 11-year career overall. After his career,the Norwood native was a sports radio host for more than 20 years. He also made multiple television appearances after his playing career ended, and was also a former co-owner of Angry Ham’s Garage bar in Framingham before it closed in 2019.

Byers died at his home in Norwood at the age of 61 surrounded by family.

Nuno Loureiro, Dec. 15: Nuno Loureiro was the professor of nuclear science and engineering as well as the Plasma Science and Fusion Center Director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The professor graduated with a degree in Physics from Instituto Superior Técnico in his native Lisbon, Portugal in 2000. Five years later, he earned his Ph.D in the subject from Imperial College London. He conducted post-doctoral work at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory between 2005 to 2007, and then at the UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy between 2007 and 2009.

Loureiro returned to his native country and his alma mater to begin his professional career as a researcher at IST. He later came to MIT in January 2016 as an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering before becoming a full-time teacher in 2021. Three years later in 2024, he was appointed as the Plasma Science and Fusion Center Director.

Loureiro was gunned down at his Brookline home by Claudio Neves Valente at the age of 47. Valente and Loureiro both attended IST at the same time and reportedly knew each other. Valente was found dead in Salem, New Hampshire due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound days after killing Loureiro.

Mike Greenwell, Oct. 9: Mike “The Gator” Greenwell spent his entire 12-year professional career playing left field for the Boston Red Sox. The Kentucky native grew up in Fort Myers, Florida where he returned for a political career after his storied career that earned him two-all star appearances and an American League Pennant. He was appointed as Lee Country Commissioner in Florida in August 2022. He was re-elected in 2024 where he served until his death that was reportedly due to medullary thyroid cancer at the age of 62.