Obituary of Maria Ferraguto

Maria E. Ferraguto, a devoted wife, mother, daughter, and sister passed away after a long battle with diabetes on Saturday evening, February 13, 2010. She was 54 years old. Maria grew up in Lexington and was a graduate of Lexington High School. She then went on to further education graduating from Northeastern University with a degree in physical therapy. She had worked as a physical therapist in a number of locations including the New England Rehabilitation Center in Woburn. She had made her home in Woburn for the past 30 years. Despite the physical limitations caused by her diabetes, she worked hard to keep her family’s life and routine as normal as possible. She was a loving and supportive wife. She was a dedicated and loving mother. She realized her sons’ musical talent and was their driving force in their decisions to choose music as a vocation. She supported her sons’ decisions to attend the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School in Cambridge. She drove them every day, attended their concerts, volunteered her time, and helped in the fundraising activities at the school. She then supported them in attending Holy Cross and Cornell and continuing their passion for music. She was an inspiration to her sons and her family and her spirit lives within them today. Maria was the beloved wife of Paul M. Ferraguto of Woburn. She was the loving mother of Mark Ferraguto and Michael Ferraguto both of Woburn. She was the daughter of Mary Nuovo of Woburn and the late Robert Nuovo and sister of Robert Nuovo of Brooklyn, NY. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 8:45 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Agnes Church, Medford St., Arlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Westview Cemetery, Lexington. Memorials in Maria’s name may be made to the Boston Boy Choir, 29 Mount Auburn St., Cambridge, MA 02138 & Joslin Diabetes Center, Attn Development Office, 1 Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02115. For directions, obituary, & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net or www.saintagnes.net Words of Remembrance written by Maria's husband Paul I want to thank you for coming today. Maria has touched everyone's life here in some way and I just wanted to acknowledge a few people. First and foremost is my mother-in-law, who by circumstance and love for her daughter became a full time nurse in these past few months. From changing bandages to flushing I V lines, Maria and her mother had a mother-daughter connection like no other. Maria has had diabetes since the age of four and has had more than thirty operations in her lifetime. Too many trips to the hospital and countless trips to the E.R. While sitting with my mother-in-law in the ICU waiting room last week, she told me when Maria first got diabetes at age 4. After spending 11 days in the hospital they returned home at Christmas time, and Maria's dad went out and bought the biggest Christmas tree he could find to celebrate their homecoming. When home, Maria asked her mom if she had to take shots every day, and her mother replied &quote;Yes honey, everyday&quote;. Maria looked up at her mom and said &quote;Even on Christmas?&quote;. Her mom had to reply &quote;Even on Christmas&quote;. Even with this brutal disease we had some wonderful times and Maria had numerous accomplishments. In High School she was a National Honor Society student. In college, she graduated Magna Cum Laude at Northeastern in Physical Therapy. She then went on to a career in Physical Therapy for many years. After her work in PT, Maria was invited to go Washington D.C. to speak to a group of doctors concerning patients rights and dealing with an amputation. After having our two boys Mark & Michael she was the driving force in guiding our sons to their numerous accomplishments in academia and life. My two boys are Maria's legacy, and that is a pretty good testimonial. Maria would do anything and everything to help Mark & Michael further their educations, and achieve their goals. For example, she was so irate at President George Bush for taking away Michael's MEFA student loan his senior year at Holy Cross, she hand wrote a note to the Boston Globe. The globe printed her letter and later came to our house to do a follow-up interview with Maria and Michael about the student loan situation. Well, as some of you know she and Michael wound up on the front page of the Globe, then on Fox TV. After the publicity, Holy Cross College called us up and paid for Michael's senior year 's tuition. Maria also has some incredible friends such as Ginger Birmingham, Mona Mondano, Sandy Averill and Katherine Fitzpatrick. But Maria has two very special friends who are more like sisters, and they are Ann Pisani and Maria Kendricken. I guess you could call them the Three Amigos. We had so many wonderful times together but one stands out in my mind, and is what I want to think about when I think of my wife. It was Maria's 50th birthday and I hired a limo to take Ann & Tom Pisani and Maria & John Kendricken to the Strega restaurant in the North End. I will never forget my wife, Ann & Maria talking back and forth and the Italian waiter flirting with ladies. Because it was Maria's birthday, they made her a special lobster seafood platter. I will never forget Maria's face when they brought out that lobster the size of a Buick. That is the image I want to hold on to, and why I want to thank my adopted sister in laws Maria and Ann. Finally, Hell is only way I can describe these past three weeks. Maria has been poked, prodded, drugged and shocked, and her body had had enough. She is finally at peace, and I have been told by a reliable source that in Heaven and she doesn't have to take anymore shots, even on Christmas. I love you, rest in peace.