BCAT News

A well known and beloved veteran and longtime business owner in Burlington has passed away. 

Angelo M. “Sonny” Morandi, owner of one of the oldest businesses in Burlington, Morandi’s Barber Shop, passed away peacefully in his home with all his family at his bedside on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 at the age of 90, his obituary from Sullivan Funeral Homes says.  

Sonny was born in Woburn the son of Rosalie (Carbone) and Italian immigrant Joseph Morandi.  He grew up and was educated in Burlington and Woburn.  

“It was a much simpler time back then,” his obituary reads. “He worked as a kid on the many farms in Burlington and at his uncle’s convenience store, Carbone’s Super Market, located on Winn Street in Burlington. By the age of 16, he was working after school at the First National Super Market in Winchester. That is where he met the Love of His Life and His Future Wife, Genevieve “Jen” Zaffina.”

Sonny married his childhood sweetheart in February of 1953 and entered the military the next month, meaning their first year of marriage was spent living in Germany as part of the Army Occupation Forces during the Korean War.  He was a private First Class and was a member of the “Big Red 1”, Company 1 of the 26th Infantry Regiment.  

Following his military service, Sonny worked as a truck driver for a time before getting his barber’s license and going to work with his dad at his shop on Montvale Ave in Woburn.  

“It was tight quarters there so in 1960 he started his own shop, Morandi’s Barber Shop, on the corner of Winn St. and Mountain Road in Burlington,” his obituary reads. “Sonny and the barber shop have been a fixture in the community ever since.  He was working regularly until the age of 88. He cut some families’ hair for 4 or 5 generations. He knew all of your family, where you worked, was a confidant, could tell a great story or joke, and to top it off gave you a great haircut.”  

During his years as a barber at some point he also became a real estate developer. On the site of his barber shop and a neighboring property he developed the Jenson Building which housed his barbershop and 2 stories of rental property.  

“It is still one of the nicest commercial properties in the Winnmere section of Burlington,” his obituary reads. “He did all the work without a lawyer or general contractor, because of his confidence, organizational skills, ability to handle himself anywhere and the countless number of contacts and resources who sat in his barber chair.  Not bad for a kid who started out working on a farm and no college education.”

He was also devoted to those he loved most. 

“Sonny embraced life and would do anything for his family,” his obituary reads. “He was big on keeping traditions and working on his ‘Bucket List’. His home was the gathering spot for the holidays and his backyard and pool area were the summer gathering spots for all his family and friends. His Christmas Village was a culmination of decades of collecting special and meaningful pieces and filled an entire room.  He loved adventures, whether it was a month-long road trip with all his kids to California and back to hang gliding at age 80 or skydiving at the age of 86.”  

He was a member of a scuba diving club for many years, South End Italian Club, American Legion, and past member of the Knights of Columbus.  Hunting was one of his biggest passions.  He hunted with his son, grandsons, and friends all over the United States. 

Click Here to read his full obituary.