WOBURN - It's a Woburn historical milestone: 50 years on a city board or commission.

Last Thursday night, Lewis Ferullo, 90, completed 50 years on the Woburn Recreation Commission with the full pomp and circumstance expected of such an occasion.

A member of the five-member commission since 1956, Ferullo has put half a century of dedicated, unselfish duty above self to serve the youth and adults in the city in a wide range of Recreation Department programs.

He has worked with nine mayors and has worked with six Recreation Directors. His tenure virtually covers the entire history of the Recreation Commission - an idea to get the activities out-of-politics before World War II when terms like "commission" and "authorities" were unheard of.

In fact, political leadership and citizens of Woburn weren't really sure where the concept was going but found a long-term, concerned citizen in Ferullo, who fathered the concept through 50 years.

"I'm sill not thinking of retiring," Ferullo bubbles from his True Place home. "There are too many good things happening."

Ferullo has been a Woburn City Council appointee to the five-member commission and an oft-time chairman, who appeared regularly in front of the City Council with the Recreation Commission budget each spring.

However, his friendly, engaging personality crossed all kinds of political lines and at a recent dedication of the new Woburn Memorial High School, one could see current mayor Thomas McLaughlin pushing "Louie" in his wheelchair to the front of the stage for a better view!

"There have been issues, as one would expect," reflects Ferullo. "In fact, in 1956, the budget was just $40,000 and it was a summertime type of programming and now the Recreation Director makes more than that!"

Ferullo, along with member Joseph Crowley (now on the School Committee) were strong proponents of making the Recreation Director a full-time position and it was Ferullo and Crowley who carried the ball to convince Mayor Edward Gill of its benefits. And, as Ferullo recalls, Crowley's being Gill's nephew didn't hurt, either!

"I never thought I would make it," jested Ferullo, noting he has no intention of stepping aside of his string on the non-paying board.

Commission members have come and gone yet Ferullo remains a centerpiece. In fact, it was a long-standing given-and-take between Ferullo and long-time Recreation Commission member and School Committee member Carl Torrice as to who held longevity records on the commission. "Carl was appointed about a month before me," recalls Ferullo, who holds the continuous years record. Both would disagree and even argue at meetings and then walk out together. They vacationed in Florida together and enjoyed locales like Fort Myers where the Red Sox had spring training.

"Carl threatened to resign when he and Jen went to Florida for a bit but it never came about," recollected Ferullo.

Getting bigger

The city, Ferullo pointed out, was getting bigger and bigger going from 20,000 population toward 38,000 today and the summertime fun-and-games role of the Recreation Commission had to be expanded. There were summer directors like Jim Tedesco at Horn Pond, the Cox Pool on Green Street and the fields in all sections of the city. But more were needed. "It was just getting too big to be part time," felt Ferullo, feeling the growth and demands by the public for more services.

A list of now-defunct programs like swimming at Foley Beach at the south end of Horn Pond and the erection of an Italian-made ski lift in the hollow of Horn Pond Mountain behind the current Horn Pond Plaza in West Woburn are just memories. Adding swimming pools in East Woburn and North Woburn were accomplishments.

And, the little controversies go unabated. As an example, Ferullo did back a nephew , Mark Ferullo, for the Recreation Director's job a year ago and even some confused members of the public had him not voting for him. Ferullo had worked very closely and amicable with Recreation Director Thomas Jones for 34 years and Jones just retired in June. Still, Ferullo felt some heat in hiring Rory Lindstrom "who (some may have considered) was too young for the job" until he reminded critics: "She's two years older than Tom Jones was when we hired him!"

To say Ferullo's been around is an understatement. He's one of the sole sports fans in Woburn to actually see Babe Ruth play (Ruth played for the Boston Braves in his twilight, hot dog eating days.) He can say the same for others, noting Joe DiMaggio stood out in his mind among the best.

The decisions along the way came one-by one. While graduating from Woburn High School in 1935, he went to Suffolk University and graduated...just before World War II. His father, he recalled, wanted him to go to Law School, so he tried it for awhile before the war and came within a point of passing the bar. However, by the time he did he was called by the 8th Air Force to Europe throught the early 1940s and the law school goal became a reach.

In England, he met his wife-to-be Mae with whom he made his life until her passing in 1985.

He's also fond of telling people after the war he went to BC - i.e. Beggs & Cobb Leather in Winchester. He interviewed in Boston with front office and sales people and confessed to knowing nothing about leather. However, with some effort by the president of Beggs & Cobb, he gave up the law school idea and signed on as an executive with Beggs & Cobb for six years. "I'd never looked at a side of leather in my life," he smiled at the time.

At another point, he was offered a $125 a week job and a new car every two years with Industrial Chemical of Wakefield at a time when weekly wages were in the $50 to $60 range. There were strikes at Beggs & Cobb on a regular basis when Industrial Chemical executives called him to offer the job. "We want to talk to you," he recollected about the unexpected job offer. He stayed with the firm 35 years and still maintained a relationship with the firm until a few years ago.

"You might say I retired some six years ago," said the ever-ebullent Ferullo, who finds the word "retire" a difficult one to say. The word "adversity" means little, as he's gone to Florida after breaking an ankle and only a short time ago took a nice spill in Central Square not far from his home opposite Wells Drug. He dusted himself off in each case and went forward. "I broke an ankle but did get to Fort Myers," said the modern-day warrior.

A younger brother, Staff Sergeant John Ferullo (WHS '40), also served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and is still listed as Missing in Action over Sardinia on July 4, 1943. Ferullo field and playground in North Woburn is named in his memory. The Ferullos are a longtime family in North Woburn, having lived as youngsters at 752 Main Street.

He has an aunt, he says, who is 102 and still has goals for the city's recreation programs and once the protocol on the 50 years ended on Thursday night, it was back to business again, as well wishes were still smiling hours later.