Paola Maria Savarino, of South Boston, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, March 8th at the Medford Rehab & Nursing Center. She was 72.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Giovanni and Angelina (Falsone) Savarino and attended local schools.
As a Buddhist, she always wanted to be reincarnated as a crow. Her son shared the story of the evening that Paola passed away. He was told that when his mother passes on, he was to feel both her face and top of her head. Whichever side was warm, that would tell him what she was reincarnated as. When he felt her face and head, Paola’s head was warm, meaning she was reincarnated as another human being. Her son’s response was, “She’s going to be pissed!”
Paola was an amazing woman, great mother and completely non-judgmental. She was someone that anyone could speak with and she made the person feel comfortable and accepted. Those who know her well would describe her as someone with a dark sense of humor. Though she loved to joke around and tease her friends and family, she was a kind and good hearted person who cared deeply for those in her life.
Paola was a fine art painter and received her Masters’ Degree from the School of Museum of Fine Arts. She was a recipient of the Fifth Year Grant and continued her career with the school as a faculty member. She was also one of the founding members of FPAC (Fort Point Arts Community) in South Boston.
In her spare time, she loved to paint. Her work was both figurative surrealism and abstract. She also enjoyed watching trashy movies, eating great food, practicing Buddhism and spending time with her son, family and friends.
Paola was the loving and devoted mother of Tony Savarino, of South Boston and former husband, father of Tony, Nuclear Physicist, Bernard Burdick. She was preceded in death by her sisters Francesca Runci and Teresa Savarino.
A memorial service will be conducted in the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main Street, Medford, on Thursday, March 23rd at 10AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Paola’s name to https://www.youcaring.com/paolasavarino-761125#.
A Remembrance from a Dear Friend:
Me and Paola S. "super-glued" together in the 1980's. We were both Italian kids from Cleveland living and working in Boston before it became Bo$ton. We couldn't be separated for a while after we met and then became like family. I know she liked my Italian home style cooking. She really, really liked it, like Sally Fields. I would make my Lasagne with Scamortze cheese NOT Mozzarella; and I got it at Joe Pace's on "Hangover" Street in the North End. Joe's Mother and Father made it in the basement under the store. No comparison between the two and Paola was no dummy she knew the Mozzarella "Ruse". I kept sauce going at all times just in case, but really only for her. The Irish neighbors, The Crotty's, they would ask if there was any "left-over" because I kept the sauce roasting in the oven on low and the exhaust fan dumped the aroma right in their kitchen window all day. All night and Arthur Crotty was a Longshoreman who worked nights, so I would sometimes make two Roasting pans of sauce and send one over to them. They loved Paola too, and Arthur called her "The Artist".
Paola came to the house on Soley Street for every dinner party we had, and we ate good, boy let me tell you! There was always Champagne, not the cheap stuff either the good stuff. There's still a witness or two around who could verify every word to you.
Paola was a great friend to me, and she was someone who did understand me [on my good days - and I had a lot back then]. She looked out for me like an Italian sister looks out for her younger altar boy brother. I went to the church in Charlestown a lot then - it was at the end of my street so I never missed Mass on Sunday or Saturday confession, back when I could remember my sins in one confessional sitting.
She was one of the best things in my life during the 1980's, because she always had some "Martin Scorsese" advice for me when I had "problems". "OK here's what your gonna do.." and right away she would get elaborately confusing which I picked up on and parroted. We had that stuff down, and I learned a few Old Testament's of good advice from her. Advice you can't get from anyone now, I have never met another Paola Savarino - Never ever as Kojack would say.
We were cut from the same cloth for sure. When she went through a period of painting with glass beads that would pick up light, she would give me handfuls and handfuls of the beads, or little metal glazed sharks that linked together. She knew I loved that stuff like candy and it made her happy to hand it over to me and see how I flipped for it. She was so kind to me always, and I loved going anywhere with her because it would turn out like a Mel Brooks movie; there would be something so funny that we would lose control laughing and Paola had the second best laugh in Boston. When my Art collection was stolen by some Pink Panthers on Cape Cod, she gave me two original paintings of hers and it really softened the blow. Ok, she gave me one to give to someone else too, but I never did (he did not deserve it). I hope she isn't mad at me for that. Sorry Paola, I'll explain when I see you and you'll agree with me.
My favorite memory of her is this: when her sister died and she had been buried near their parents at the Cemetery in Murray Hill, the Little Italy of Cleveland. I saw Paola standing at her Mother and Fathers graves praying with her hands folded the OLD SCHOOL WAY - with thumbs folded over each other and she looked like a little angle praying. She was unaware anyone was looking at her just eyes closed and praying. It will be in my mind forever.
I'm not going to say I miss her; I just can’t wait to see her again.
Thomas DePasquale