Scituate Man Goes The Extra Mile To Return A Lost Locket To Grieving Woman

HULL (CBS) - When Thomasina Lewis lost her locket on Nantasket Beach in Hull, she thought she would never see it again.

"I always had it around my neck. And I never took it off," the Rockland woman said. "I thought it was gone forever. That was a piece of me that got lost forever."

She was stunned when her cousin reached out two months later, telling her the locket had been found by a Scituate resident named Richard Bonanno, who had posted his finding on social media.

"It was only down probably 6 to 7 inches in the sand, and I pulled out this heart-shaped locket," said Bonanno.

He had been walking on the beach with his metal detector and knew right away the necklace was special.

"I brought it to a local Cohasset jeweler, and I asked them what that locket was, and she told me it's a remains locket. And whoever it belonged to, I'm sure they were missing it."

He was right. Inside the locket are the ashes of Lewis's father, who died of COVID-19 in November.

"I just miss him dearly; I think about him every day. And when I lost it, it just took a lot from me," said Lewis.

"That meant even more that we were able to return this locket to this woman that was just missing it so much. She was missing a part of her father always being with her," said Bonanno.

"I'm thankful that Richard found my locket. It's letting me know that my father is still here with me in spirit, and he's letting me know everything is going to be okay," said Lewis.
When asked what she would say to Bonanno, Lewis said, "Rich, I mean deep down in my heart, I love you for finding my father's necklace. And I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart."

"Just to see her smile and knowing that she's getting it back is enough reward for me. Just to know that we got it back for her," said Bonanno.