Obituary of Teresa M. Battistello

Teresa M. Battistello, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, June 6, 2017. She was 97 years, but would have easily lived well past a 100 years if she had not taken her fall. She was a woman of strong will. She lived independently in her own home until her passing. Before the Building 19 1/1 department store closed 2 years ago, she walked daily the mile to the store, shopped a little, socialized more with all the employees and customers, had a cup of coffee, and then walked home. She had a warm and inviting persona and could talk to anyone. She came from humble beginnings. Her parents, Pasquale and Sarah Buonopane were Italian immigrants and had five children. She grew up in Somerville and was a graduate of Somerville High School. She would have loved to go onto college, but it was the tail end of the Great Depression and her family needed everyone’s support. Then came World War II. Teresa, like many young woman, heard the rallying call to support the war effort in whatever manner possible. She went to work in a garment factory helping make military uniforms for our troops. She fell in love with Frank Battistello, a Sergeant in the Army Air Corp and they were married when he was on leave. She spent their first year of marriage in Somerville while Frank was finishing his tour of duty. They made their home in Medford for a spell and then they purchased their first home in Burlington in 1954. It was in Burlington that she raised her 2 children. She was part of the 6 original Burlington ‘’Ladies Police Auxiliary’’ who directed the traffic at and around all the schools. No matter what the weather, Teresa proudly put on her uniform and made sure the students were safe for almost 20 years. When she and her husband Frank retired in 1972, they moved to Sarasota, Florida in search of the warmer weather. She always kept active and took a part time job as a waitress at Zinns Restaurant in Sarasota. They enjoyed 22 years in Florida before returning to Burlington in 1994 to be closer to their family. Teresa was a woman who was always on the go. She always had large gardens and would spend hours tending to her plantings and keeping the weeds away. She enjoyed crocheting and would make intricate doylies, table cloths, bed spreads, and even drapes. She was an excellent cook and was known for her homemade pasta, raviolis, and baked stuff lobsters. She was a Patriots fan and an ardent Red Sox fan. She occasionally enjoyed testing her luck at the casinos in Connecticut and in Las Vegas. She traveled to London and to Italy where she visited the town where her parents had grown up. Sundays were a special day for Teresa and family. After church, all the family gathered for years at her parent’s home and then hers to enjoy a family meal and a very competitive game of cards. She continued that ritual with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was married to her husband, Frank, for 65 years. She was a loving and supportive mother and mother-in-law. She loved being a grandmother “Noni” and great grandmother. She was a woman of strength and great insight and her memory will always remain in the hearts of all those she loved. Teresa was the beloved wife of the late Frank Battistello. She was the loving mother of Frank & his wife Elizabeth of Salisbury, MD and Beverly Dardeno & her late husband Nicholas III of Burlington. She was the proud grandmother of Nicholas Dardeno IV, Diane Dardeno, Sarah Rumann, Anthony Battistello & Kathryn Zaletel. She was the great grandmother of Jonathan & Jessica Marks, Kaitlin Rumann, Annabelle Battistello & Hudson Zaletel. She was the sister of Josephine O’Connell of Brewster, and the late Tomacina Blais, Cristina Bartolucci and Nicholas Buonopane. Funeral from the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St. BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Friday, June 9 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Thursday 6-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, BURLINGTON. Memorials in Teresa’s name may be made to the Steven Richard Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School, 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.