1946 – 2016

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Anthony J. Aliberti, 69, passed away after a long illness on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass.

He was born in 1946 in Keerbergen, Belgium, to John Aliberti and Josee Decock, and moved to Lewiston as a child where he attended Lewiston public schools. He studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and met his wife of 45 years during training for the Peace Corps. They married on Laupahoehoe Beach in Hawaii, after 10 weeks of courtship, and served for two years as volunteers in the Philippines. Upon returning to the United States, Anthony and Yolanda moved to Lewiston where he taught eighth-grade math at Lewiston Middle School for 33 years. He also ran chess clubs for local students at several schools.

Anthony was known for his care for his students, his personal style and his ability to play multiple opponents in chess, often with his eyes closed. He often came to school with multicolored hair when monochrome was in style and had a variety of colored contact lenses. He had many hobbies, including horse racing and book collecting. He owned champion horses, participated in the Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners’ Association, wrote for the Portland Press Herald and hosted a local TV show — “At The Gate.” He was a longtime season-ticket holder for the Patriots, way before they won championships.

He is survived by his wife, Yolanda Aliberti of Belmont; son, Matthew Aliberti, of Alexandria, Va.; daughters, Sarah Marie Jette of Belmont, Mass., and Maria Elena Aliberti of Chicago, Ill.; and three grandchildren.