Rita C. Ferullo passed away peacefully at Benchmark Senior Living at Woburn on Tuesday, October 15th. She was 93. She was the daughter of the late Giovanni Battista and Cecilia (Muollo) Giangrande.
Raised in Boston's West End, Rita was a woman who was full of energy, faith and love. She spent most of her adult life in Medford. She worked for many years, after she got married, as a long distance operator for the telephone company.
In her free time, Rita was a constant presence at Saint Francis Church in Medford and its patron, Saint Francis of Assisi, truly was a guiding light for how she lived out her faith. She both was involved in spiritual activities, such as the Third Order Franciscans and as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and in charitable works, feeding people at the soup kitchen and participating in the Friends of Francis (a group which helped people in need). Besides praying and serving others, Rita enjoyed socializing through the parish's Mothers' Club and later in life as a Red Hat Lady. She was always a great dresser and she made you feel beautiful, too.
Rita shared her faith and her love with many people, but especially with her family and her close friends. She enjoyed a good party and was quite a traveler
The beloved wife of the late Richard L. Ferullo, who predeceased her in 1989, Rita was a devoted mother to Maria DiRico and her husband John of Woburn. She was a loving grandmother to John Angelo and his wife Naomi, Stephen and his wife Claudia, Cassandra and her partner Christian. She was a loving great grandmother to Savannah, Sophie, Lincoln, Aria, and Mila. Rita was a dear sister to the late Matilda DeStefanis, Frank Giangrande, Elena Marra, Julia Marra, Alfred Giangrande, and Mary Bova. Rita is also survived by many dear nieces and nephews, with whom she shared many special times.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to visit at the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., Medford, on Friday, October 25th from 8 – 11 AM, followed by a Mass of Christian burial celebrated at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 441 Fellsway West, Medford, at 11:30 AM. Services will conclude with entombment at Holy Cross Mausoleum, Malden.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Rita’s name to the Giangrande Family Scholarship Fund, https://gfscholarship.wordpress.com/donate-now/ or email [email protected].