Obituary of Crocetta DiFrumolo

Crocetta (Sferrazza) DiFrumolo, passed away at Academy Manor Nursing Home, on Sunday morning, October 4, 2009. The wife of the late Anthony DiFrumolo, she was 86 years old. Crocetta was born in Boston. She was one of five children born to the late Frank and Louise Sferrazza. She was raised and educated in South Boston. Crocetta and her husband moved to Woburn in 1963 where they lived for 28 years. She then moved to the Tower Hill Apartments in Burlington where she lived for about 10 years. Crocetta worked numerous part-times jobs throughout the years. She was employed as a seamstress, hairdresser, and as a clerk at R. H. Stearns in Boston. Crocetta’s most meaningful role in life was that of wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved spending time with her grandchildren who were a very important part of her life. Crocetta had a wonderful personality with a great sense of humor and was known for her infectious laughter. Crocetta was blessed to have a life that spanned 86 years filled with the love of her family. Crocetta was the beloved wife of the late Anthony DiFrumolo. She was the loving mother of Louise Elkaliouby & her husband John of Hampstead, NH, Anthony DiFrumolo & his wife Nancy of Woburn, Catherine Garrity & her husband Paul of Woburn and the late David DiFrumolo. She was the sister of Rose Ill of FL, Vincent Sferrazza of South Boston, Francis Sferrazza of Wilmington, and Mary McAuley & her husband Andrew of Belmont. She is also survived by 7 grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Friday, Oct. 9 at 11 a.m. Relatives and friends invited to attend. Visiting hours omitted. Memorials in Crocetta's name may be made to the M.S.P.C.A., 350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130 Interment in Woodbrook Cemetery, Woburn. Eulogy for Ma Born May 28, 1923 Entered her eternal life Sunday Oct. 4, 2009 around 10:45 a.m. Our mother was a woman of many names—her Italian name was Crucifixia. The American version was Crocetta, but to her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews she was known as Babe. Her friends called her Connie and her grandchildren Nana and Nanny, but to her 4 children she was Ma. She may have been called by various names, but everyone knew her through her larger than life personality. You knew when Babe arrived. She kept the party alive. No one had to keep up the conversation, in fact, you usually only listened and laughed. Our mother was born in Boston on May 28, 1923. She was the third of 5 children of Frank and Louise Sferrazza. There was Rosie, Vinny, my mother, Sonny and Dede. All of whom are still living. Our Nana Louise was widowed at age 36 and raised the family by herself in a basement apartment. From what I have heard they were a handful, but Nana kept her broom close by to chase away the boys and go looking for her two sons hanging out on the corner. But did they all love Nana! As the saying goes, Ma literally “grew up on I St and” later married on Fifth St because Southie was her hometown, as long as she lived. She married my gentle father Gene DiFrumolo who was from the North End. As you can imagine, this Italian family in the midst of the Irish enclave of Southie made their mark by fighting their way into the hearts of the neighborhood as they shared lots of food, sat on the stoop at night and talked and laughed. As the DiFrumolo family grew our 5 room apartment on the third floor of East Fifth St. became crowded. The family moved to the “country” in 1963. That’s when the DiFrumolo’s descended upon Woburn. Now the family included me and my brother David, along with Anthony and newly born Cathy. Just as they had surrounded themselves with friends and neighbors in Southie, the same thing happened in Woburn. Family was the most important thing for ma. She was really disappointed when I announced at 17 that I was entering the convent because she wanted grandchildren, and at that time, I was her first hope. When I remember my family I always think of big meals; Dad making the sauce early in the morning and the both of them elbowing each other in that little kitchen on Quimby Ave. as they made the big meal for Sunday, because usually some relative was joining us with their family. Those are my best memories with the noise, the teasing, the food and the laughter. She and my Dad supported their children in every phase of their lives, whether it was hippie David with all that went with that ,or Anthony’s football obsession with the Patriots and the Woburn teams or Cathy moving away to Hawaii to begin her nursing career, or my marrying John after having met him only three months earlier. They may not have liked our decisions and definitely let us know, but they supported us. Every time I would leave my mother’s apartment in Burlington she’d ask me “Do you need any money?” I was in my late 50’s. She was always the mother, and always worrying about each of us. Her life was not without her share of suffering. After David’s unexpected death at the young age of 29 and three years later Dad’s heart attack her heart too was broken. But she kept the family together as only she could. I think her greatest joy was her 7 grandchildren. These were the blessings she had waited for. She could spoil them and not have to be the strict disciplinarian that she was with us. Even if spoiling them meant she bought them something from Building 19 or a flea market. Her older grandchildren Alex and Amy were fortunate to have had so many years with her. Recently they have heard many of her stories of her younger days, her boyfriends and all her antics. Last Fall they helped her clean out her closet with her 20 pairs of black polyester pants that she wouldn’t part with, because each of them was still good. Their Nana admired all that they have accomplished and was so proud of them. It was the younger grandchildren Danielle, David, Mary, Paulie and Angela who made Nana forget that she was getting older. She loved to play with them and always remarked about how smart, beautiful and funny they were. Ma lived till the wonderful age of 86. I don’t know how she did it. Her favorite foods were donuts, onion rings, hamburgers and Cheetos. She told me to hide the donuts from Cathy because she knew Cathy didn’t want her eating this junk. Even her long illness didn’t break her spirit, whether she was at Leahy Clinic or at the Academy Manor in Andover, she argued with the nurses and flirted with the doctors. We do want to thank the wonderful staff at both facilities for all their care. Through all of her suffering, at the end she held on to her faith , although at times she even wrestled with God. But she finally let go and held on to David’s hand to be joined by all those waiting for her, Dad, Nana Isabelle, Johnny and Missy. In the last year we would say that Ma had 9 lives, but the 10th will be the best. She is now resting in peace and able to see fully. We love you Ma and will never forget you.