Obituary of Joan DeMattia

Joan DeMattia, a woman of deep faith and devotion for her family and friends passed away after a long illness on Monday morning, October 16, 2023.  She was 88 years old.  Joan was born and raised in Medford and a graduate of Medford High School.  She married her husband George when she was 19 years old, and they had a wonderful 57 years of marriage.  They settled in Burlington in 1958, raised their 3 children. Joan and her husband were active in the Burlington community where many knew them from their family business The Fresh Spot. The Fresh Spot was a place where employees and customers were family to Joan.  The relationships she formed there followed her throughout her life including time with these friends spent in DeerField Beach, Florida. After the Fresh Spot closed Joan worked at Building 19 1/2 where she continued to spread joy to her coworkers who became longtime friends, customers she helped, and her grandchildren who she spoiled with purchases she made while she worked.  She retired in 2011. 

While Joan enjoyed time with her friends her true love and passion was her family. Joan’s life revolved around her family.  She was the consummate mother, always placing her family’s needs before her own and an unwavering Nonni constantly giving strength to her family.  Throughout her life and her children’s life she experienced hardships including severe kidney disease that affected all her children.  Joan was always there to support her children, always by their side through appointments, surgeries, and transplants.  Joan never complained or pitied herself, she was always able to find joy in life and appreciate what she had. Her dependability and her loving nature made her a pillar of strength to children and her grandchildren. To her grandchildren she was a perfect Nonni, whose dry humor, honest advice, and genuine interest in their lives made her a first person to call whenever something happened. She had an uncanning ability to calm anyone in crisis as well as to be your biggest cheerleader in celebratory moments. No accomplishment was too small to feel her love and pride for you. Joans love of family and food could be felt all year but especially during the holiday season. Joan went over the top for holidays including hosting elaborate Christmas Eve and July 4^th gatherings and spoiling her grandchildren like Mrs. Claus on Christmas morning.  She would spend days preparing and cooking for the holidays and keeping Italian traditions alive making an entire Italian meal before serving the turkey main course on Thanksgiving.  Her stuffed artichokes were a family favorite. 

Joan was also a woman with a strong Catholic faith.  She was a longtime parishioner at St. Margaret’s Church.  She prayed the rosary once in the morning and once in the evening.  She was always praying for her family.  When something important or challenging was happening, her family and her friends knew that Joan was praying for them, which provided quiet comfort for those around her.  You could always guarantee if she was watching TV, it was a Catholic Mass. 

Joan will be lovingly remembered as a wife, sister, mother, Nonni, Great Nonni, and Mrs. D.  Her resiliency, positivity in every situation, and the love she poured into her family and friends will always be missed.  Joans ability to love everyone, forgive everyone, and find joy and appreciation in everything will be her greatest teachings to her family and her biggest legacy. Joan will be sadly missed, but it gives her family peace to know that she is free of her health issues and once again reunited with her husband, George, her children, George and Nancy, her parents, siblings, and many friends who gone before her. The family takes great comfort imagining Nancy has been talking her ear off filling her in on everything Joan missed while heaven waited for her.

Joan was the beloved wife of the late George C. DeMattia who passed in 2011.  She was the loving mother of Thomas DeMattia & his wife Donna of Woburn, the late George DeMattia and Nancy Bromander. Mother-in-law of Sharon DeMattia of Billerica and Edward Bromander and his partner Marianne of Tewksbury.  She was predeceased by her siblings; Carol Hornberger, Michael, Stephen, & David Franceschi. Joan was the proud grandmother of Jason DeMattia & his wife Sarah, Kaitlyn Cincotta & her husband Craig, Kimberly DeMattia, Joseph DeMattia & his wife Marissa, and Ed Bromander & his girlfriend Kristina Robinson. Great grandmother of Audrey Joan DeMattia, Quinn Hill DeMattia, Leo George Cincotta, Marino and Mircea DePesa. 

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 4-7 p.m. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Friday, Oct. 20 at 9 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with a burial in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Joan’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105 or www.stjude.org. For obituary online guestbook & video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net