Obituary of Eleanor R Castellano

Eleanor R. Castellano, a retired employee of the Burlington School Department, passed away on her terms at the Sawtelle Family Hospice House in Reading on Sunday afternoon, September 19, 2021.  She was 91 years old.  Eleanor was born and raised in Somerville.  She was one of nine children born to Davide and Mary Ciampa.  Growing up in such a large family was a gift with a home filled bustling with activity, big brothers watching over her at school, and a strong family bond. She was a graduate of Somerville High School. She married her husband Michael in 1957 and they eventually settled in Burlington in 1965.  She worked for over 25 years in the cafeteria at the Burlington High School. 

Eleanor’s life revolved around her family and extended family; Nicholas and Katelyn lite up her life.  She enjoyed travelling with her family when they were young.  There were annual trips to Disneyland in California and then trips to Bermuda, Hawaii, Texas, Arizona, Florida, and countless other destinations across the country.  In her later years, her trips were to Las Vegas and Foxwoods.  Eleanor was a strong woman and extremely competitive.  She was a Die-Hard Red Sox fan.  She never missed a game and often watched the game on replay just in case she missed anything.  For Eleanor, cards were not a game, but a sport.  Family gatherings often ended around the dining room or kitchen table playing some sort of card game.  She regularly played with her friends at the Council on Aging and in her building as well.   She also enjoyed a competitive game of Dominos. She loved teaching her favorite games to her grandchildren so they could be part of the family fun.  She was strong, fiercely independent, and sometimes a bit persistent.  She will be missed by all who loved her, but they are also comforted that she is not suffering anymore and is at peace.

Eleanor was the beloved wife of the late Michael J. Castellano.  She was the loving mother of Catherine C. Peters & her husband of Michael of Wilmington, Joseph D. Castellano & his wife Susie of Palm Harbor, FL, and David M. Castellano of Burlington. She was predeceased by her siblings; Carmella Rice, Frank, Ted, Dante “Dan”, Ubaldo, Robert, Albert, & Edward Ciampa. She was the proud “Nana” to Nicholas, Katelyn, Noah, and Preston.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn St., Burlington, Ma on Friday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.  Services will conclude with a burial in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. For obituary, online guestbook, and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net.  Arrangements under the direction of the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, Burlington.  In lieu of flowers memorials in Eleanor’s name may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute – Jimmy Fund, 10 Brookline Place West, 6^th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226  www.dana-farber.org