Evelyn DiMaiti, reached out to help many after loss; at 74

A day never passed during the 16 years since the slayings of her daughter and infant grandson that Evelyn F. (Mantia) DiMaiti did not mourn their loss.

''Mother suffered a great deal of mental anguish," her son, Carl DiMaiti, principal of St. Mary's Junior Senior High School in Lynn, said yesterday. ''She had an extremely close relationship with my sister, her only daughter. That was tragic enough. But, she lost her grandson, as well. For all these years, she's said the rosary for them every day."

Mrs. DiMaiti died of emphysema Jan. 13 at her second home in Deerfield Beach, Fla. She was 74 and lived in Medford.

On Oct. 23, 1989, the city and the country were horrified by the news that Carol DiMaiti Stuart, a 30-year-old attorney who was seven months pregnant, had been shot to death after leaving a birthing class at Brigham and Women's Hospital with her husband, Charles, while they were in the Mission Hill section of Boston.

The slayings continued to make national headlines as the case developed.

Their baby, Christopher, was delivered by caesarean section at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Carol died the next day; her son lived for 17 days.

Charles, recovering from what police would later say were self-inflicted wounds, told police that a black man had robbed and shot them, and the slayings took on racial overtones. Police swarmed the area and a black man, Willie Bennett, was arrested on unrelated charges and became a prime suspect in the case.

On Jan. 4, 1990, Stuart committed suicide by jumping off the Tobin Bridge. Authorities said that family and friends had presented evidence implicating Stuart in the death of his wife. Bennett, never directly charged in the slayings, was eventually cleared.

Soon after the deaths, Mrs. DiMaiti and her husband, Giusto, organized a scholarship foundation in Carol's honor for young people in the Mission Hill area.

''When I first met Evelyn DiMaiti in 1991, she gave me the biggest hug and kiss on the cheek," said George Greenidge Jr., one of the earliest Mission Hill youngsters to be awarded the scholarship. ''That was Mrs. DiMaiti. We were one of her kids.

''She knew the role of the Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation was to heal and give boundless opportunities to those never given a chance in Roxbury and Mission Hill neighborhoods," he said. '

Greenidge, who went on to graduate from Morehouse College in Atlanta, is the founder and executive director of the Roxbury-based National Black College Alliance, a program that provides college education, career exploration, and community service opportunities for Roxbury and Dorchester young people.

''My community work is what Evelyn and the foundation wanted all of us to do: to inspire others for the common good in Boston," Greenidge said.

The Carol DiMaiti Stuart Foundation was founded in winter 1990, when donations, large and small, began coming from around the country. In 1991, about 33 students from Mission Hill were the first to receive scholarships. At the time, the DiMaitis were quoted in the Globe as saying: ''They thank us. But we want to thank them for providing a vehicle for our sorrow."

In 1991, the Globe said, donations from more than 10,000 people totaled more than $500,000.

Mrs. DiMaiti was the designated contact person for the students, the story said, ''writing letters, answering questions, and serving as adviser on such subjects as summer jobs and internships."

In 1993, Annette Goodro, an administrator with the Boston law firm of Brown Rudnick, became administrator of the scholarship foundation, a role she filled until recently. The firm continues to provide pro bono legal and administrative support.

''Evelyn really loved that the scholarship helped the students and was always eager to hear about their progress," Goodro said. ''Despite the fact the family was going through such hard circumstances, there was so much good will. It helped her keep the memory of her daughter alive."

According to Carl DiMaiti, the foundation has awarded $1.2 million in scholarship aid. It has helped 220 students go to college, 115 of whom have graduated.

The foundation choses students who are ''identified as potential leaders who are at risk," Carl DiMaiti said.

The risk factor does not refer to any behaviorial failings, he stressed. ''It means at risk for not being able to continue their education because of financial considerations."

Mrs. DiMaiti was a native of Medford. After graduating from Medford High School in 1949, she worked as a bookkeeper and then for the state Board of Higher Education and as an administrative assistant with the Massachusetts Agency for Developmental Disabilities, where she dealt with grants.

She and her husband met at a dance, their son said, and married in 1951.

''Evelyn was a dedicated employee and took great pride in her work," said Anthony Ruggieri of North Reading, a friend of the family for more than 50 years. ''She idolized her family in every way and remained devoted to them all of her life."

''Evelyn wanted Carol's memory to be associated with what is good," he said in a euology for Mrs. DiMaiti. ''She knew better than anybody that Carol had been a strong advocate for the less fortunate and spent much of her time [as a lawyer] in doing pro bono work for them whenever she could."

Another solace for Mrs. DiMaiti, her son said, were her grandson and granddaughter. His daughter, he said, is named Carol.

In addition to her husband, son, and grandchildren, Mrs. DiMaiti leaves her mother, Rose (Vesce) Mantia of Medford.

Funeral services have been held.