Josephine A. (Ficarra) Arsenault

A funeral Mass for Josie will be celebrated at St. Leo’s Church, 108 Main Street, Leominster, MA 01453 on Friday, August 19, 2022 at 11 a.m. A private burial service for the family at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery will follow. In lieu of flowers, Josie requested that donations be made on her behalf to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, stjude.org/donatetoday, or the American Heart Association, www.heart.org.



Josephine Ann Arsenault, 86, of Leominster MA, passed away peacefully on August 11, 2022 with her family by her side while at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, where she received exceptional care. Josie was born in Fitchburg, MA on January 3, 1936 to Michael and Pauline Ficarra. She is survived by her husband Peter Joseph, with whom she celebrated their 67th year of marriage on July 17. She was a dedicated wife to Pete and loving mother to her six children—Debra (Terrance) McNally of Leominster, Peter (Margaret) Arsenault of Burlington, MA, Kathy (Kenneth) Arsenault-Bergeron of Leominster, MA, David (Sylvia) Arsenault of Leominster, MA, Robert (Susan) Eramo, and James (Julie) Arsenault of Philadelphia, PA. Her sister Barbara (William) Hart of Charleston, SC also survives her. She will be sorely missed by her 20 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, all of whom brought her great joy. She was predeceased by her son Robert and brother Michael (Joan) Ficarra. A graduate of St. Bernard’s Catholic High School, Fitchburg, MA, she was an avid reader and a master chef who loved to cook and entertain for her friends and family. She loved to frequently play card games with her children and grandchildren and doted on her two loyal canine sidekicks, Frankie and Benji.