Obituary of Antoinette M. Faria

Antoinette M. (DeCesare) Faria, age 93, passed away on Wednesday, February 26th after a visit from family, a full day of events, and even an ice cream social, one of her favorite activities at Atria Longmeadow, Burlington.  She was the beloved wife of the late Lawrence Faria, with whom she had shared over 55 wonderful years of marriage prior to his passing in 2006.  

Born in Somerville, MA on June 29, 1931, she was a daughter of the late Vincent and Grace (Monaco) DeCesare.  Antoinette was raised in Medford, MA and was a graduate of Medford High School, Class of 1949.  In her younger years growing up in Medford, Antoinette had numerous fond memories of her extended family always being around.  Her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins felt more like immediate family, as there was always an open-door policy at their home.  Her upbringing helped shape the incredible person she was, and the open-door policy continued far longer than her time at the family home in Medford.  Following her education, Antoinette took her first job as a secretary at the Harvard Business School.  Soon after she met her beloved husband Lawrence, and the two were married in 1951.

Antoinette and her husband settled down in Burlington and raised their 6 children in a home filled with love, happiness, and just one bathroom.  As a mother, she always tried to instill strong values of kindness and compassion towards others and would pass along nuggets of wisdom she had gained throughout the years.  Things like: “sometimes it’s okay to skip dinner and just have a hot fudge sundae”.  Unlike many other children at the time, Antoinette’s kids learned to recognize the sound of her ringing a bell as their sign to come home, as opposed to the streetlights coming on.  Any free time she may have had over the years, she quickly filled with activities to help better the lives of those around her.  Whether she was coordinating spaghetti dinners to raise money for the high school band, or putting on “May Parties” for the neighborhood children, complete with crepe paper costumes, Antoinette was always on the move.  She was also incredibly talented, some may even say a miracle worker, when it came to so many things.  When her children were growing up, they were always amazed at her ability to take an empty pantry and turn it into the most elaborate dinner, or how she could sew just about any article of clothing anyone could need.  Her children were always proud to be the family that their friends would want to be around.  Antoinette truly was everyone’s “mom”, and would welcome friends of her children with open arms and truly treat them as her own. 

The longer Antoinette lived in Burlington, the deeper her devotion to the town grew.  When her children were grown, she took a job as a secretary with the Selectman’s Office in Burlington that she dedicated herself to for over 20 years.  She was also a member of the Burlington Garden Club, and was a major part of the 175th and 200th year incorporation of the Town of Burlington events.  Her most treasured club though was probably the Burlington Historical Society, where she played an integral role in the revamping of Grandview Farms.  Her love of the town and its history was so great, she even wrote and published a book about the Burlington Fire Department.  

As she grew older, her spark for the little things in life never faded.  Her ability to bring a story to life with her humor and quick wit always kept her family entertained.  Recountings of the many pranks she pulled throughout the years on her family and neighbors were always a hit, and laughter was abundant whenever she was around.  To her core, Antoinette was a deeply kind, caring, and fun-loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.  She worked tirelessly throughout her life to make lasting, joyous memories with her family and friends, and her bright spirit left a lasting mark on everyone she knew.

Surviving Antoinette are her dear children, Lawrence Faria and his wife Karen of FL, Leonard Faria and his wife Mary of Barnstead, NH, Elizabeth Patterson and her husband Wayne of Hollis, ME, Stephen Faria and his wife Deirdre Girard of Newbury, Michelle Faria of Phillipston, and Celeste Roemer and her husband David of Worthington; her loving grandchildren, Gail, Claire, Emily, Lauren, Matthew, Erik, Andrew, Thomas, Grace, Eleanor, Peter, Adrienne, Samantha, Joshua, and Sophia; her 11 great-grandchildren; her loving sister Joanne Pierro and her husband James of N. Andover, brothers Vincent DeCesare and his wife Joanna of NH, and Anthony DeCesare and his wife Kristie of CA, brother in law Joseph Faria of Burlington as well as many other dear nieces, nephews, cousins, and devoted friends. 

Family and friends are invited to attend visitation on Thursday, March 6th from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington.  Her Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, March 7th at 10 a.m. at St. Malachy’s Church, 99 Bedford St., Burlington.  Burial will immediately follow at Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington.  As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, donations in Antoinette’s honor may be made to the Burlington Historical Society.