Obituary for Mary E. DiFranza
Of Leeds, formerly of Tewksbury and Arlington, April 19. Beloved wife of the late Mario J. DiFranza. Loving mother of Marsha Fallon and her husband Arthur of Woburn, Karen DiFranza and her husband Robin Langer of Goshen, and the late Kenneth DiFranza. Beloved grandmother of Jocelyn, Caleb, Marcella, Courtney, Ryan and Sean. Also survived by seven great-grandchildren and many dear nephews and nieces.
Mary graduated in 1938 from Fitton High School in East Boston and was valedictorian of her class. In 1945, she married Mario DiFranza who served in the US Navy during WWII. They spent the first 6 months of their marriage in Florida, and returned to the Boston area at the end of the war.
The couple settled in Arlington, Mass. where they raised their three children. Although working out of the home was not a norm at that time, Mary had a successful career in human resources at Itek Corporation and retired in 1985. She was well known professionally for her efficiency and her warm and personable openness to colleagues and employees.
Mary's true vocation came after retirement, however, when she spent 36 years enriching and nurturing the lives of her grandchildren with dedication, love and her great Italian cooking. She and Mario never missed a performance, recital or special event in their grandchildren’s lives, and they saw time spent with them as their greatest joy. After Mario's death, she continued to play an active role in their lives, driving an hour or more to visit them well into her 90's.
A private Graveside Service will be held at St. Joseph Cemetery, 96 Riverneck Rd., Chelmsford, MA 01824. Per current CDC and State guidelines face covering will be required. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Perkins School for the Blind, 175 N Beacon St, Watertown, MA 02472. www.perkins.org A memorial gathering will be held later in the year as Covid restrictions allow. Arrangements under the care of the Sweeney Memorial Funeral Home, Billerica. www.sweeneymemorialfh.com
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Mary graduated in 1938 from Fitton High School in East Boston and was valedictorian of her class. In 1945, she married Mario DiFranza who served in the US Navy during WWII. They spent the first 6 months of their marriage in Florida, and returned to the Boston area at the end of the war.
The couple settled in Arlington, Mass. where they raised their three children. Although working out of the home was not a norm at that time, Mary had a successful career in human resources at Itek Corporation and retired in 1985. She was well known professionally for her efficiency and her warm and personable openness to colleagues and employees.
Mary's true vocation came after retirement, however, when she spent 36 years enriching and nurturing the lives of her grandchildren with dedication, love and her great Italian cooking. She and Mario never missed a performance, recital or special event in their grandchildren’s lives, and they saw time spent with them as their greatest joy. After Mario's death, she continued to play an active role in their lives, driving an hour or more to visit them well into her 90's.
A private Graveside Service will be held at St. Joseph Cemetery, 96 Riverneck Rd., Chelmsford, MA 01824. Per current CDC and State guidelines face covering will be required. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Perkins School for the Blind, 175 N Beacon St, Watertown, MA 02472. www.perkins.org A memorial gathering will be held later in the year as Covid restrictions allow. Arrangements under the care of the Sweeney Memorial Funeral Home, Billerica. www.sweeneymemorialfh.com
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Services are private.
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