Marie Rose Kenney (Ferraro), age 80, of Canton passed away January 9th at the Milton Hospital after demonstrating tremendous strength and bravery in her decade long battle with lung disease. Born in Boston’s North End, she was raised in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High School. Marie has lived in Canton since 1969 where her friendly, warm, and welcoming personality made her hundreds of friends. She worked for the Canton Journal and Canton Citizen and then worked as a Legal Procedures Clerk at the Stoughton District Court for 33 years before retiring. She was known to help, offer a ride, or give her last $20 to many who found themselves in difficult circumstances, and there are literally hundreds of examples that simply cannot fit in this space.
Her generosity went far beyond her job; she was never happy unless you were leaving her house with more than you came. Marie was both the heart and the anchor of her family who loved her deeply. She kept track of and took care of her immediate family and her large extended family. She loved nothing more than to cook Sunday dinner and have everyone around the table together, doting on her husband, children, and granddaughters who brought her unparalleled joy.
Marie was the beloved wife of David Austin Kenney, Jr., her high school sweetheart, to whom she was married for 59 years. She was the mother of Jean Marie Kenney Johnson of Wrentham and David Austin Kenney, III and his wife Amy of Newton. Marie was the devoted and proud Nana of Michaela Rose Johnson, her “Michaela Girl”, of Wrentham and Louisa Marie Kenney, her “Lulu Bella”, of Newton. She leaves behind her sister Katherine Marini and her husband John of Norwood, her sister Josephine Cappadona and her husband Robert of Waltham, and her brother Vincent Ferraro, Jr. and his wife Ann of Watertown as well as numerous nieces and nephews and grandnieces and nephews. A private graveside service will be held at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Watertown and a memorial service to celebrate her life will be held later, date to be announced. Donations may be made in her memory to the research efforts of Dr. Sidharta Gangadharan, Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery, BIDMC Boston or Dr. Elisabeth Riviello, Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, BIDMC Milton Click to Donate.