Giuseppe Civitarese, 68 of Brookline, died Saturday, April 21st in Care Dimensions Hospice House with his loving family at his side. He is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Elizabeth C. Lalos-Civitarese, his daughter Isabella Emilia Civitarese of Brookline; his mother, Emilia (Del Zoppo) Civitarese of Poggiofiorito, Abruzzo, Italy ;his sister, Dr. Maria Civitarese and her husband, Filippo Ronchi of Rome; two nieces, Valentina Ronchi and Francesca Mannelli, his mother-in-law Froso (Poulias) Lalos of Worcester and many cousins. A sister, Theresa Vannucci predeceased him.
He was born in Poggiofiorito, Abruzzo, the youngest of three children; his father was the late Amedeo Civitarese. He was a graduate of Leonardo Da Vinci Institute of Technology and attended Rome University. After returning to his village, he carried on the family tradition of working the vineyards owned by his family.
In the summer of 1985, a chance encounter on a Rome-bound plane led to his meeting his future wife, Elizabeth, and would change his life forever. He left his native Italy and immigrated to the U.S. to marry her three years later. He learned English, attended evening classes and soon embarked on a new career as an HVAC engineer, working at numerous Boston hotels, most recently at the Fairmont Copley.
The real light of his life and his pride and joy was his daughter, Isabella. From the moment she was born, he devoted himself to her, even taking a 6-year break from work to stay home and and help raise her. His most fervent desire was to see her graduate from Boston University, where she is currently a freshman on a pre-med track.
Giuseppe was a true Renaissance man --as comfortable in the kitchen cooking up his mouth-watering Italian specialties, as he was capable of drawing up blueprints and singlehandedly renovating the apartments he owned. No project was too daunting. He passionately followed Italian politics and soccer and was an ardent Ferrari aficionado. He enjoyed traveling throughout Europe but especially adored exploring the vineyards of France and Italy.
His funeral is Thursday, April 26th with a service at 11:00 a.m. in O'CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue, Worcester. Burial will follow in Hope Cemetery. Calling hours are Wednesday, April 25th from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. in the funeral home. Please make memorial contributions to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215.