Florence Zarrella Dibiase

 

The funeral will be held from the Brandon Funeral Home, 305 Wanoosnoc Rd., Fitchburg on Saturday, October 26 with a Mass in St. Anthony di Padua Church, 84 Salem St., Fitchburg at 11:00 am. Burial will follow in St. Bernard’ s Cemetery. Calling hours are from 5-8 on Friday. October 25 in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Anthony’s Church at https://stanthonyfitchburg.weshareonline.org



Florence M. (DiBiase) Zarrella, 87, of 20 Princeton Street, Leominster, MA. passed away peacefully on Friday, October 18, 2019. Florence was born in Somerville, MA. on February 4, 1932. She was the daughter of Antonio and Josephine DiBiase, and she worked for the Hancock Insurance Company before she married her devoted and loving husband of 63 years, Alfred Zarrella, Sr. (deceased). In addition to raising her five children, she shared in the development of countless other children by volunteering at St. Anthony’s School, serving as a scouting den mother and working as a teacher’s aide in the Leominster school system. Florence was a Eucharistic Minister, and she held memberships in the St. Rita Guild, the Mass. Teachers Association and the Mass. Association of the Blind. Florence and her husband Fred shared 32 memorable summers at Rusnik Campground in Salisbury Beach, where they enjoyed outdoor living, pleasant days on the beach and many good times with close friends. Florence and Fred set a remarkable example for their five children: Angela (Zarrella-Cote) Rich of Clinton; Alfred Zarrella, Jr. of Leominster; Domenic and his wife Deidra of Lancaster; Joseph and his wife Sandra of Palm Harbor, FL; and Robert and his wife Linda of San Jose, CA. Florence was extremely proud of her grandchildren: Daniel, Jordan and Matthew Cote; Cory, Joshua, Bianca, Dominque, Zachary, Giavanna, Ariana, Tiffany and Brandon (and wife Caitlin) Zarrella.

She is also survived by her sister, Betty (and husband Leo) Callanan of Plymouth, MA. In addition to her parents, Florence was pre-deceased by sisters Josephine Zarrella of Fitchburg and Rose Ulbrich of Needham, and her brother Cosmo DiBiase of York Beach, ME.