Frances M. (Petinge) LaTerza, 92, formerly of Tewksbury, passed away on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at D’Youville Life and Wellness Community, in Lowell, MA. She was a loving wife to her husband, Cosmo, who passed away this past June. They would have celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary on October 19th. She was devoted to raising her five children, Steven M. LaTerza (Jeanne), of North Andover, MA, Marie F. Curley (Brian), of Gloucester, MA, Linda A. Reichert (Carl), of Tewksbury, MA, Christopher LaTerza (Sara), of Fairfield, CT, and Lisa A. Camara (Joseph), of Salem, NH. She is survived by her grandchildren, Michele A. D’Ambrosio, Matthew D. Curley, David A. Reichert (Lauren), Michael F. Reichert, Katherine E. LaTerza, Stephen T. LaTerza, and Joseph C. Camara. She is survived by her three great granddaughters, Emily M. D’Ambrosio, Casey M. Curley, and Isabella G. Curley. Also, she is survived by her “Baby Sister”, cousin, Lucille Rebello (John).
She leaves behind her much loved nieces, nephews and cousins.
Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Cosmo and Carmela (Gigante) Petinge, her brother, Daniel P. Petinge and his wife, Alice, and her brother, Father Roland Petinge, OFM.
Also preceding her were Cosmo’s parents, Gaetano and Elizabeth (DeCecca) LaTerza, and Cosmo’s siblings and their spouses, Gaetano LaTerza (Angelina), Antoinette Belekewicz (Edmund), Concetta LaTerza, and Lorraine Derrico (Joseph).
Frances was born and raised in Cambridge, MA. She was a graduate of Cambridge High and Latin School. After graduation, Frances went to work at B.F. Goodrich in Watertown, where she met her beloved, Cosmo. They were married in 1952. After Cosmo and Frances started their family, Frances stayed at home to care for her children. Through the years, she did various jobs such as selling Avon and Dutchmaid Clothing, but she did not want to work outside the home because taking care of her husband and children was always her greatest love. Once the children were grown, she was employed by Portex, Inc. in Wilmington, MA for several years.
As a stay-at-home mom, Frances dealt with all the trials and tribulations of raising five children. She was friend, counselor, protector, judge, and jury. One of the biggest challenges in her younger life was packing up her family, in 1970, and moving away from Cambridge to Charlotte, NC, when Cosmo’s job relocated there. She put on a brave face so she could support everyone, but it was so difficult for her to leave her parents and her close knit family and friends behind. Two years later, big changes took place and Cosmo was transferred back to Massachusetts, and again, she was everyone’s rock. The family settled in Tewksbury on Kendall Road and then to Heatherwood Retirement Community, where she and Cosmo remained until their health declined and they moved to D’Youville in Lowell.
Frances adored her grandchildren, who could do no wrong. She loved spending time with each of them whether it was shopping, playing on the floor, or just talking around the dining room table.
Frances enjoyed knitting, crocheting, crossword puzzles, Jeopardy and bowling. She was an avid Scrabble player and participated in many Scrabble tournaments with her cousin, Patty Hennessy. She always looked forward to her annual trip to Ogunquit with Cosmo, where she enjoyed sitting on her balcony with a view of the ocean, a cool breeze, and a good book.
Frances was a wonderful cook. Her cooking brought her family together, which was the most important part of her life. She loved Sunday dinner, which always included her “gravy” and meatballs and her delicious version of Eggplant Parmesan. There was plenty of food for one more plate at the table when friends and family stopped by unexpectedly.
The LaTerza family would like to thank All In One Home Health Care. The kindness and care of Joelle and her team enabled Frances to remain at home with Cosmo for as long as possible. We truly appreciate all you did for her. We would like to thank the staff at D’Youville and Beacon Hospice. We are so grateful for the love and care you provided to our mom over the last 20 months. To all of Frances’ caregivers along the way, you are incredible people who worked so hard to make her life as comfortable and peaceful as possible. Your support for our family will be forever appreciated.
Calling hours will be held at Farmer & Dee Funeral Home, 16 Lee Street, Tewksbury, MA on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, from 10:00 am - 11:00 am followed by a funeral service to celebrate Frances’ life at 11:00 am. Burial will be immediately following the funeral service at St. Mary Cemetery, 90 River Rd., Tewksbury, MA. In lieu of flowers, donation can be made in memory of Frances to the Alzheimer’s Association, 320 Nevada Street, Unit 201, Newton, MA 02460 or at www.alz.org