Obituary of Appolonia Rosenstine

Appolonia Marie “Bella” (Vasapolli) Rosenstine of Woburn, passed away at the Melrose Wakefield Hospital on Saturday evening, July 2, 2022.  The wife of the late Albert Rosenstine, she was 89 years old.  Bella was born and raised in the South End of Woburn. She was the daughter of the late Agelina and Joseph Vasapolli.

Bella loved to ride the train to her first job in Boston each morning with her friends. After her insurance job in Boston Bella worked at a local machine shop Prospect Tool and Die Co in Woburn later settling in as warehouse manager at Love’s Furniture Stoneham.  Bella and Albert meet at what used to be the Playhouse in Burlington while attending a dance with her brother Angelo.  In 1964 she traveled with the military to Germany to live on an Army base with three children and her husband.  After returning to the United States and having three more children two of which are twins, unfortunately separating from her husband Bella raised 6 children while working fulltime with the assistance of her mother Angelina.  Bella dedicated her entire life as mother to her children and grandchildren. Bella was a lifetime member of the Sellc “South End Italian Independent Woman’s Club.

Some of her grandchildren refer Bella as the Matriarch of the Family teaching everyone “to be kind, do good and forget about it.”   She loved to dance especially the jitter bug at family functions.  Bella was a great cook & baker; her favorite thing was to bake from her great grandmother’s cookie recipe with her grandchildren.

Bella loved The Red Sox’s; she taught her boys how to play baseball and even though she didn’t fish she took the time to learn and teach one of her sons how to fish because she knew that he liked fishing.  Bella love to play Bingo and put puzzles together.  Elvis’ song   Mama Like the Roses, Ave Maie and Mary’s Boy Child sung by Boney M were here favorites songs.  Her favorite movie was The Song of Bernadette. 

Bella’s only wish was to see her children happy, healthy and to go to church.  Bella always told her children that “ GOD ONLY GIVES YOU WHAT HE KNOWS YOU CAN HANDLE” & “WHEN I GO TO HEAVEN DO NOT CRY FOR ME BECAUSE YOUR TEARS WILL BLOW OUT MY CANDLE”.

Bella was the wife of the late Albert Rosenstine.   She was the loving mother of Thomas & his wife Jeanne, Carol & her husband Joe, Susan  & her husband George, Michael & Kendra, Anthony & his wife Terry and Diane.    

Bella was known as “BA” to her older grandchildren Chris & his wife Becky, Anthony & his wife Olga.  She was Nana to her younger grandchildren Samantha, Angelina, Michele, Joseph, Jessica & Thomas.    Sister of Angelo Vasapolli & his wife Elsie, Richard Vasapolli & his wife Diane, and the late Joseph Vasapolli and Biagio “Gene” Vasapolli.   Beloved aunt to several nieces and nephews.   Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington on Thursday, July 7 from 4-7pm.  Funeral from the Funeral Home on Friday, July 8 at 11am. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Charles Church, 280 Main St., Woburn at Noon.  Burial to follow in Calvary Cemetery, Winchester.