Henry R. Carreiro Dies, Was Radio Personality - Vineyard Gazette (2024)

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Vineyard Gazette of Edgartown, Massachusetts

Henry R. Carreiro of Oak Bluffs, former radio talk show host and well-known figure around town, as well as in New Bedford, died Wednesday, August 26. He was 75 and was the widower of Carol (O'Donnell) Carreiro and the son of the late Antone J. Carreiro and Laura (Sylvia) Carreiro. Henry was born in Oak Bluffs and attended schools on the Island and in Fall River.

Mr. Carreiro was a Navy combat veteran, serving aboard the Destroyer U.S.S Owen which earned him two battle stars in the Korean War and went on to circle the globe. He was injured and was honorably discharged in 1954. He was a member of the Disabled American Veterans Post 7 in New Bedford. He took full advantage of the G.I. Bill and studied journalism at El Camino College and political science at Long Beach State College. He was active in the California Democratic Party and served as president of the Torrance Young Democrats.

In 1963 Mr. Carreiro moved to New York city to work as an administrative assistant for the VISTA training program at the Columbia University School of Social Work. He married Carol O'Donnell of Brooklyn, NY, in 1965. The untimely death of his father brought them to Oak Bluffs where he started his own construction company. Outside of building summer homes and raising a family, Henry had a radio talk show on the Island's own WVOI-FM station. He also did some minor acting in summer stock which helped land him the role of Felix, a bounty hunter that catches the first tiger shark in the movie Jaws.

An avid fisherman, Mr. Carreiro served as president of the Martha's Vineyard Fishing Club, was a Rod and Gun Club officer and was active in the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. He was an integral part in the decision to distribute free derby fish to the Island elderly.

In 1979 the Carreiro family moved to New Bedford as Henry accepted a position as talk host on WBSM. He would later serve as a talk host on WSAR in Fall River.

In the 1980s Mr. Carreiro served as the southeastern representative for the state Secretary of Labor monitoring Title III services for dislocated workers. He worked with and was a staunch supporter of labor unions. With the onslaught of factory closings in New Bedford and Fall River in the 1980s, he did all he could to help workers get back on their feet.

In 1983 he received the Fall River Educators Award for professionalism. In 1984 he was given the Bristol County Workers Foundation Award and in 1985 the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for promoting equality while on the radio. The New Bedford Standard Times named him Father of the Year in 1985. In 1986 the newspaper saluted him in their Hat's Off feature for his work with dislocated workers and in 1987 for his successful drive to save and expand services at the New Bedford Veterans Health Center. Mr. Carreiro was an outreach worker at the Fishermen's Family Assistance Center before his retirement.

Henry's wife Carol died in 1995. He is survived by two daughters, Lori R Silveira of New Bedford and her husband Walter Silveira 3rd; Amy E. Ragnaldsen of Savannah, Ga., and her husband Leif Ragnaldsen; two sons, Steven H. Carreiro of Oak Bluffs and his wife Merrick Carreiro, and Anthony J. Carreiro of New Bedford. He had three grandsons, Walter A. Silveira of New Bedford and Tatum P. and Nolan J. Carreiro of Oak Bluffs. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Copyright 2009 Vineyard Gazette, Edgartown, Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 Vineyard Gazette Edgartown, Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.