06/17/2026
RIP Ed Pazzanese - Ed was a beacon and advocate for the disabled and served on many nonprofit board of directors and staff (Jamaica Plain Arts Council-JP Open Studios, Spontaneous Celebrations, Folk Arts Network, Community Arts Advocates, Community Church of Boston, Community Care, etc.). He was a former National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. Ed volunteered for 1000s of events in the Boston area. Message from Dean Stevens: It’s Dean Stevens, from The Community Church of Boston. I am sad to let you know about the passing of Ed Pazzanese. We just found out last night. It was a very sudden unexpected event. We had been in contact with him last week, and he was fine, and in a great mood, planning for his birthday celebration. And then he was gone. I just can’t get used to it. “If you love somebody, you better tell ‘em right now…..you might turn around, and they'll be gone” (Blues song).
Ed served on Community Church’s Board of Directors for the last six years, and had just stepped down. We are very grateful to Ed for his contributions to our congregation. He had disabilities and challenges, but he really stepped up to the work of trying to steer an organization. And he served on several other non-profit boards as well. And I can’t tell you how many people he was there for. He will be missed. There are three churches where he was active, and there was his own non-profit, Families Sharing Together, and the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. And the Forbes Building. And the arts/theater/music community.
We have just been in touch with Ed's sister and his niece (he had several other siblings as well). We are coordinating with them about some details. We'd like to take this initiative to invite y’all to join us this Thursday, June 18th, at 7 PM for a wake/shiva gathering. Come early, stay late. We will be both in person as well as ONLINE:
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Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting
us06web.zoom.us
We will arrange for a more proper and extensive memorial further down the line. But we hope we can, on short notice, be together as we mourn this beautiful soul. Please spread the word about Ed.
Community Church of Boston
565 Boylston St. (Copley Square)
Boston, MA 02116 (call for info about parking)
With Sadness, Dean Stevens 617-869-3014
