Albert Varga, 49, family man, educator
It is with great sadness that the family of Al Varga announces his passing on June 1, 2020. Al is survived by his wife and best friend, Wendy (Keane) Varga, beautiful daughter Rachel, brother Stephen A. Varga and wife Diana, brother Wallace J. Varga, Jr. and wife Kimberly, mother-in-law Sandy Keane, Uncle Joseph Coviello, sister-in-law Kathleen Lemerise, brother-in-law Keith Lemerise, and loving nephews and nieces Matthew Varga, Stephanie Varga, Andrew Varga, Emily Varga, Alexandra Lemerise, and Sophia Lemerise. Many dear friends, cousins, and extended family members also survive him.
Albert (Al) Varga was born to Wallace Sr. (deceased) and Marie Varga (deceased) in Malden, Massachusetts on June 18, 1970. Al lived with his parents, his brothers Stephen and Wallace, and a variety of relatives including grandparents and aunts in a tight- knit neighborhood in the Linden Square area of Malden, Massachusetts. Al developed his love for people early on as he was always surrounded by immediate family, extended family and his “neighborhood family.” Al always looked back fondly on his childhood memories especially the annual family vacations in Alton Bay, New Hampshire.
After graduating from Malden Catholic High School, Al attended Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts and joined the Nu Phi Kappa fraternity with his 2 brothers. As Al was apt to do, he fostered many new friendships during his college years, especially through his fraternity, while still maintaining his many childhood friendships. As anyone who was friends with Al can tell you, once he became your friend, he was your friend for life.
Following graduation from Merrimack College, Al worked in marketing at Kessler Financial in Boston before pursuing his true calling as an educator. After earning his Master’s degree from Rivier College in Nashua, New Hampshire, Al completed a teaching practicum at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Lawrence, MA, which primed him for a love of middle school. Al accepted a middle school teaching position in the then, Ayer Public School System. During his middle school tenure, Al taught English grades 6-8, and Math grade 8. Al then went on to be a beloved high school English teacher before deciding to move into administration. Al served in the newly formed Ayer Shirley Regional School District as an assistant principal for several years and then assumed the leadership role of principal before his untimely departure in 2017. Al was instrumental in the planning and execution of the new high school building project.
In addition to his full time position in the Ayer Shirley School District, Al also served as an online Adjunct English instructor at both Kaplan University and Mt. Wachusett Community College. Al worked at Lucent Technology in Lawrence instructing non native speakers in workplace English after completed shifts.
Al loved reading, especially crime novels. Al would read voraciously each night on his Kindle in bed using his nose to turn pages. He often spoke of writing the next great American novel. Al believed in the power of the written word and would always thank people with a hand-written note or card. He often shared with his students how he got a job by quickly writing a thank you note and overnighting its delivery to Human Resources. People in his inner circle will recall with great fondness his dancing/ flailing to “Love Shack” by the B52s, his quietly delivered words of wisdom solicited or not, and his absolute adoration for those who called him “friend” and “family.”
The two most important days in Al’s life were when he married the love of his life Wendy (Keane) Varga on October 12, 1997 and when his beautiful daughter Rachel was born June 24, 2000. Wendy and Rachel provided constant joy, love, and support for Al during his many health challenges over the years and for this he was eternally grateful. Never one to complain and always downplaying his illnesses, Al remained optimistic and hopeful until the very end, always opting to see the bright side, living by the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson “ Write it on your heart that everyday is the best day of the year.”
Albert Varga touched uncounted lives with his generosity, humor, kindness, and virtues. He meant so much to so many. Al was taken from his loved ones too soon; he was simply the best and will be greatly missed by all those who had the honor of knowing him.