The Boston Herald reported today that an autopsy of the late Joe DeNucci, a Newton native who was a heavyweight — a Newton native who was a champion middleweight boxer and two-time Golden Glove winner before becoming a state auditor for 24 years — died of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). His family is hoping the confirmed diagnosis will help protect boxers.
“He was always looking for ways to help boxers,” she said. “So the kids and I knew we’d have had his blessings because this would mean Joe would still be helping boxers, and he’d have liked that very much.” — Barbara DeNucci, widow of Joe DeNucci
Joe was a great guy and an even greater public servant. They ain’t making no more Joe DeNuccis…
I hope that the School Committee will consider the tragic information from this autopsy report, along with other recent studies about the lifelong dangers of football concussions, and recognize that [like boxing] tackle football should be eliminated as a school sport. It’s such a no brainer!
I was keen to play football at Weeks Junior High School during the early to mid 1950’s, but our family doctor urged my parents to keep me off the field. He had a gnawing concern from what he was seeing in his practice that the head injuries it produced were showing up as brain damage in middle age men a few decades later. He also told me not to box, but that I could wrestle which I did. Our doctor was years ahead of others because he was a careful observer of his patients and the community.
Joe was, as they say, one of a kind. A great, tough and compassionate man who always had his hand out to help those that had stumbled on hard times.