WORCESTER - Rose Anne (Leary) Ferrandino born in Worcester, MA on August 12, 1936, and died in Northborough, MA at the Coleman House Assisted Living Residences on September 1, 2023, shortly after her 87th birthday. Rose Anne was the oldest of four children who had a wonderful childhood growing up on Edgeworth Street in Worcester, MA with their mother and father, Grace (McKenna) and Harold Leary.
She married Robert Ferrandino on September 3, 1956, and lived for many years in Rutland, MA where she was active in public service for the town, serving on the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Council on Aging, and the Library Board. Her involvement and leadership of the Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE) at Assumption College was very important to her. She loved Wednesday spaghetti dinners with her sister, Regina and her family, and time spent with her "pool pals". She cherished visits with her children and extended family, including sister-in-law Kathy Leary, and longtime friends from the neighborhood. Rose Anne was the organizer - she orchestrated family luncheons, beach outings with other families and camping trips in Ramblin' Rose, the family camper. She was funny, intelligent, and feisty right up to her last days.
Rose Anne graduated from Ascension High School, Worcester MA, class of 1954. After her children, Karen and Stephen, were out of college she pursued her own higher education by attending Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, MA at night earning an Associate of Science Degree/Medical Record Technology (Dean's List) in 1990 and a bachelor's in business administration from Worcester State College in 1995. She served as the Director of Medical Records at Rutland Heights Hospital from 1968 until 1981 when the hospital closed. She then took the position of Secretary to the Cardiovascular Medicine Director at U Mass Medical Center from 1981-1985. Following this position, she commuted from Rutland to the Soldiers' Home in Chelsea (MA) until her retirement in 2000 after 32 years of dedicated service to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, receiving the Commonwealth Citation for Outstanding Performance in 1995. Rose Anne was an avid reader and the epitome of a lifelong learner.
Rose Anne leaves behind her son, Stephen Ferrandino of Hyde Park MA, his wife Lisa Goren and her cherished grandson, Max Goren Ferrandino; her daughter, Karen Atherton of South Deerfield MA, and her husband Tim Atherton; her sister-in-law, Kathleen (Connors) Leary of Shrewsbury MA and her brother-in-law, Robert "Bob" Pratt of Worcester MA; as well as many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert "Bob" Ferrandino who passed away in 1996 just a few months short of their 40th wedding anniversary; her mother, Grace (McKenna) Leary; her father, Harold Leary; her sister, Regina (Leary) Pratt; her brothers H. Richard "Dick" Leary and Robert "Bobby" Leary and his wife, Marilyn (Head) Leary; mother-in-law Maria Carmina (Napolitano) Ferrandino, sisters-in-law Janet (Ferrandino) Hammond and her husband, Robert "Bob" Hammond, and Evelyn (Ferrandino) Palmer and her husband, Bruce Palmer.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Memorial Calling hours on Friday, September 22 from 2 to 5 PM. at Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden.
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