Andrew Joseph Fichera, M.D.

Dr. Andrew Joseph Fichera, a well-respected psychiatrist, died March 19, 2007, at his home in Jackson, after a valiant and determined struggle with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Formerly of Winchester, Mass., Dr. Fichera most recently lived in Jackson, as well as in West Dennis, Mass.Dr. Fichera was born in Somerville, Mass., in 1928, the son of Benedetto and Antonia (Giacobbe) Fichera. A graduate of Malden Catholic High School, he received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and completed his medical studies, cum laude, at Georgetown University School of Medicine.A clinical professor of psychiatry for Tufts University School of Medicine at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Brighton, he was an attending physician there from 1955 until 2002, while also maintaining a private practice in Winchester. Dr. Fichera was on the staff of Winchester, Malden, Sancta Maria, Cambridge, and Choate Hospitals. He was a member of the medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the Massachusetts Medical Society. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus.In addition to caring for his patients, over the course of his career, Dr. Fichera comforted, advised and helped numerous individuals, including friends, colleagues and family. Ever available for those in need, he was generous with his time and shared his unlimited energy with all, always in a modest and self-effacing manner.Dr. Fichera married his high school sweetheart in 1951, and after completing his medical internship, served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force for two years in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Returning to Massachusetts, he and his wife settled in Winchester in 1959, where they raised four children.A devoted husband of 55 years to his wife Joanne Therese (McLaughlin), his family was always a priority to him. He began bringing his young children to Jackson in the 1960s, teaching them all to ski; his enthusiasm for downhill skiing continued throughout his life. He loved the Jackson area, and after his diagnosis, he and Joanne enjoyed winters there, spending summers in West Dennis. He loved his homes and gardens, and enjoyed spending much of his free time maintaining and improving his properties.The child of Sicilian immigrants, Dr. Fichera embraced his heritage, sharing it with family and friends. Holiday celebrations inevitably included recipes passed down from Sicilian ancestors, treats from local Italian bakeries and delis, stories from the old country, and language instruction in Sicilian and Italian.In addition to his wife, Dr. Fichera leaves behind his children, Andrew of Hingham, Mass., Susanna and her husband Michael Mahan of Arlington, Mass., and Bowdoinham, Maine, John and his wife Jane (OBrien) of Jackson, and Joanne Lortie and her husband Paul of Churchville, Md. He also leaves behind his treasured grandchildren, Nicole, Rose, Domenic, Matthew, Douglas and Allison Fichera and Helen Lortie, as well as his sister, Rita Rich of Medford, Masss., and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Rose, his brother Alfred, and his daughter-in-law Patty Sue (Chumbley) Fichera.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 501 St. Judes Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org., (800)873-6983.