Josephine B. (Brogna) Clancy a long-time resident of Woburn passed away peacefully at her home on November 19, 2022. She was the beloved wife of the late Alfred Clancy Jr. The only child of Charles and Angelina (Gange) Brogna she was born in Woburn on October 4, 1932 and grew up in a large extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins. A graduate of Woburn High School class of 1950 she married her high school sweetheart, the late Alfred F. Clancy. Jo was the secretary and Al was the valedictorian of the class. They married in 1954 and were grateful to God for all the blessings of their lives together. Sadly, Al died in 1996 after more than forty years of married life together.
They were blessed with three sons: Charles, David and Richard. They were very proud of their sons Charles and David as they watched them grow into devoted husbands and fathers. With their wives Sandy (Charles) and Susan (David) they proudly watched them form strong bonds of faith and love within their own families. The grandchildren Elizabeth, Caitlin, Kevin and Laura were a great source of pride for them. Blessed with a longer life Jo was able to joyfully watch her grandchildren grow into adulthood and even greet two great grandchildren: Nicholas and Kiera, with another child on the way!
Father Richard is the youngest son and he has been faithfully by his mother's side throughout his life. If you knew either Jo or Father Richard then you knew them both. They had a very close bond as mother and son and also in their deep faith. She shared in his life and ministry through prayer and in coming to personally know his parishioners and associates. When she enjoyed better health, she even made pilgrimages with him to the Holy Land and to Italy where she met Pope John Paul II. They were a constant support of strength to one another. She was very proud of him and very grateful for his faithful presence and support.
Wherever she went, through all the stages of her life, Jo was a person who loved people and who desired to help others. She had many diverse jobs and volunteering experiences through the years which she would jokingly call her "careers." Among them were serving as a dental assistant and chair assistant in multiple dental offices, Sears' catalog department, Lechmere, Alpha Industries, US Food and Drug Administration and volunteering at Winchester Hospital. While each experience was unique the constant in all of them was the friends she made along the way. She taught religious education for many years at St Anthony parish and at one time or other was involved in every aspect of parish life. She attended Mass daily when possible and made many lifelong friends through the parish and her involvement. Her faith and her love of the Church were the foundation of everything in her life. She would literally spend hours each day in prayer and then rising from her prayer would go about seeking to help others and to joyfully spread the Good News through her presence, example, and gentle encouraging words.
She loved being a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. As the last surviving member of her generation on both sides of her family she was a most beloved aunt, Godmother, confidant, and support. She loved each family member and cherished her relationships with all of them. She was happiest when surrounded by family and friends preparing and sharing a meal. As the heart of the family, she took great joy in being surrounded by those who loved her most. She will be missed most profoundly, yet her legacy of love will continue on through her family and those who were blessed to know her.
Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend visiting hours in St. Anthony Church, 851 Main St., Woburn, Friday, November 25th, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated, Saturday, November 26th, in St. Anthony Church, at 10 a.m. Services will conclude with burial at Calvary Cemetery, Winchester.
It has been requested that in lieu of flowers contributions may be made in Josephine's memory to Catholic TV, PO Box 9196, 34 Chestnut St., Watertown, MA 02471 or the Pregnancy Care Center, 158 Mammoth Rd., Lowell, MA 01854 or to the charity of one's choice. Arrangements entrusted to the McLaughlin - Dello Russo Family Funeral Service of Woburn.