Roxanne Mary (Morris) Tosi

STERLING, MA - Roxanne Mary (Morris) Tosi, 69, of 1 Sky Farm Lane, passed away peacefully on November 23, 2022, at UMass Memorial Medical Center after a long and courageous battle with cancer. She was surrounded by family with her devoted husband Paul and loving son Michael at her side.

Roxanne was born in Gary, Indiana on February 26, 1953, the daughter of James Morris and Mary (Lange) Morris. She was raised in Hobart, Indiana, before moving to Billerica, then Wakefield, Massachusetts, where she graduated from Wakefield High School. After attending the University of Maryland and graduating with a degree in accounting, she returned to Massachusetts, working for many years as an auditor and corporate tax accountant.

From a very early age, Roxanne had a passion for sportscars and automobile racing. It was through this passion she met her loving husband Paul, who was her first instructor and mechanic for life. It might come as a surprise to those who met her later in life, but during Roxanne's racing career, she won an SCCA regional road racing championship in her BMW Alpina racecar affectionately named "Scooter." While she hung up the helmet for many years after the birth of her son, she could still be found at the racetrack in a modified BMW as recently as last summer.

Upon experiencing the joys of motherhood, she chose to leave the corporate world and raise her beloved son Michael, who instantly became the light of her life. With more time at home in Sterling, she was also able to help her husband Paul run the family automotive business, Auto Technica.

During her later years, she dedicated herself to supporting the local community, serving with the Sterling Garden Club, Friends of the Library, and Sterling Historical Society. It was during her tenure at the Historical Society she became one of the foremost experts on the story of Mary Sawyer and the controversy behind the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" poem, uncovering further evidence pointing to Sterling, MA as the true origin of the poem.

Most importantly, she will be remembered as a kind and gentle soul, who was always thinking of others first. She will be lovingly missed and remembered by her husband Paul; son Michael and daughter-in-law Olivia; adoptive mother Rhoda Morris; sister Kathleen and husband Bruce, sister Athena, and sister-in-law Alice; her nieces, nephews, and respective spouses - Brodie & Sammy, Broughie & Kristine, Marina & Georgian, Aviva, Emily, and Christina; as well as many other extended family members. She is predeceased by her father James, mother Mary, and brother Steven.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Roxanne's family from 4 to 7 pm on Tuesday, December 6th at Miles-Sterling Funeral and Tribute Center, 100 Worcester Rd., Sterling. A funeral service will be held at 12 noon on Thursday, December 8th at The First Church in Sterling, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Rd., Sterling. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit the "Tribute Wall" on this page.