Edward L. Amaral, MD

Edward L. Amaral, MD, 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 13, 2023, with his wife Marcia by his side at their lake home in Sutton, Massachusetts. Ed was born in Salem, Massachusetts and was the son of Michael L. Amaral, a Portuguese immigrant, and Ida M. (LeClair).

Ed met his first wife Ellen (Cardinal) while attending Boston College, class of 1957 and they were married in 1959 while Ed attended medical school at Georgetown University. Their life’s journey together began with Ed’s residency at RI Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital, Worcester, Massachusetts. It was during that time he and Ellen began their family. Soon after, Ed was inaugurated into the American College of Surgeons in Chicago.

He was directly commissioned as a Captain in the Medical Corps of the US Airforce in 1966. For the next two years he served his country as a Captain of the 855th Medical Group at Barksdale Air force Base, Shreveport, Louisiana and was named Chief of Surgical Service.  In 1968, he and his family settled in Worcester, Massachusetts to begin his surgical career that would continue for the next forty years.  He took over the private practice of Chester Brown, MD on Lincoln Street, Worcester, where he was mentored by Joseph Millen, MD.  There he formed Worcester Surgical Associates and began his career in general surgery providing care to the Central Massachusetts community with affiliation at Hahnemann Hospital and Holden Hospital for 24 years.  In 1992 he joined the surgical group at Fallon with an affiliation at St Vincent’s and retired in 2005.

Ed devoted his life to his family, his profession, and his patients, which resulted in many achievements along the way. He was former Chief of Surgery at Worcester Hahnemann Hospital, where he performed the 1st laparoscopic surgical procedures at both Hahnemann and Memorial Hospital in September 1991. He was President of the medical staff at Hahnemann Hospital and the first President of the staff and member of the Board of Trustees at MCCM following the merger of Hahnemann and Holden Hospital. He was also Assistant Professor of Surgery at UMass Medical School.

 In addition, Ed served as President of the Worcester District Medical Society (1996-1997) and was a devoted member for 53 years sitting on many committees with colleagues he admired and respected. He was honored with the WDMS Presidents Award in 2019 and was also involved with the Mass Medical Society serving as First Chair of the District Leadership Council Mass Medical Society. In addition, he was Chair of the Arts, History and Culture Member Interest Network of the Mass Medical Society where he started the Nancy Caron Art show, an event that took place each year at the Annual Mass Medical society meeting in Boston. It was there that he displayed his beautiful stained glass art pieces along with the artwork of so many physicians.

As a member of the Rotary Club of Worcester, Ed accompanied the Shrewsbury Rotarians on a mission to Ukraine to set up a fund in Kyiv to facilitate donations from Rotary clubs worldwide to help the children of Chernobyl. Visiting the children was an experience that would never be forgotten.   His passion to help others through the works of the Rotary led him to become a Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. He was also a past member of Worcester Country Club, Tatnuck Country Club and St Annes Parish, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.

Ed leaves three children, Edward L Amaral Jr., Esq.  of Boston, Massachusetts, his wife Quinn and her children Nathan Le of Malden and Myles Le of Boston, Michael L Amaral of El Paso, Texas, his wife Mari, grandson Michael G Amaral, and daughter Maryellen Amaral of Irmo SC.

Ed also leaves his second love of his life, his wife and best friend, Marcia (Bianchini).  He felt blessed to have Marcia and her family in his life for the past 25 years and to be loved as “poppy” by his four additional grandchildren.  He leaves stepson Matthew P. Bianchini, his wife Lexi, and granddaughters Kathyrn and Madison Bianchini of Naples, Florida. Stepdaughter, Amy Bianchini Grizzle, her husband Zachary and grandchildren Collin and Laney Grizzle, of Louisville, Kentucky. He also leaves his mother-in law Mary P. Bonci, sister-in-law Patricia Fanning and husband Timothy, West Boylston, Massachusetts, brother-in-law Don Bonci and wife Judy, Barnstable, Massachusetts and many nieces and nephews. Ed was predeceased by his first wife Ellen.

Ed and Marcia recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary and enjoyed their life together to the fullest, shared common interest and made so many wonderful memories. Time was spent between their home on Lake Quinsigamond, Shrewsbury Ma and the family lake house in Sutton, Massachusetts, a place where families and friends came from all areas of the US to gather each summer and ultimately Ed’s final resting place. Family reunions, boat rides, lobster clambakes, summer cocktails and s’mores by the fire with the grandchildren were special.  Ed’s hobbies were playing the organ, golf, tennis, and stained glass.  Together Ed and Marcia enjoyed playing golf as members of Tatnuck CC, and annual trips to Europe as well as the Caribbean. The place that was most special was Bermuda where they were married over the cliffs of Ashworth Park, South Hampton Parish in 2003 and where they celebrated Ed’s 80th birthday with a day of sailing around the small islands in Bermuda. They returned every year in June with very few exceptions.

Marcia and Ed’s family would like to extend a special thanks to the caring staff at Notre Dame Hospice, Linda, his caregiver for over two years and Thelma for their devoted care and companionship.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St., Worcester, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Funeral Mass will take place at 10:30am on Friday, October 20, 2023, at St. Anne's Parish, 130 Boston Tpke, Shrewsbury. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Ed’s name to Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/donate ; Notre Dame Hospice, 555 Plantation St, Worcester, or the charity of your choosing.