Rosemary Pafumi

WORCESTER-Rosemary Pafumi , age 94, died peacefully and surrounded by family on September 30, 2019 at the Notre Dame Long Term Care Facility in Worcester, where the devoted staff helped care for her the last six years of her life.

Rosemary was born to Helen(Martin) and Francis Ciaramella in Queens, New York on January 12, 1925. Her mother died when Rosemary was still a young child after which she was raised by her father and her stepmother Rose.

She married her soul mate James Pafumi on March 10, 1945. They lived together in New York most of their lives, where they raised six children. Later in life they choose to move to Worcester, Massachusetts. They remained devoted to each other for 68 years until her husband's passing in 2013.

Rosemary was a free spirited woman. She loved music and dancing. When she was sitting, it was with a good book or a crossword puzzle. She often put her sewing prowess to work. Her favorite way to do so was to create incredible Halloween costumes for all of her grandchildren. Rosemary was the grandmother that got on the floor and played with her grandchildren for hours and the neighbor that always lent a helping hand. She wore many different professional "hats" throughout her life; store clerk, seamstress, bookkeeper, and electron scanner at Brookhaven National Laboratory to name a few. However, the center of her life was always family.

Rosemary is survived by her six children and their spouses; Vincent Pafumi and wife Barbara, Eileen Cain and husband John, Jamie Ferguson and husband Tom, James A. Pafumi and wife Patty, Michael Pafumi and wife Roseanne, and MaryAnn Aijala and husband Karl. Rosemary was blessed to live to greet 13 beautiful grandchildren and 13 precious great grandchildren into this world all of which survive her as well. Rosemary is also survived by one of her six siblings, Christina Cannistra.

Visiting Hours to Honor and Celebrate Rosemary's life will be held Sunday, October 6, from 2 to 4pm at Fay Brothers Funeral Home, 1 West Boylston St., West Boylston. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, October 7 at 11am in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 111 Worcester St., West Boylston. Burial at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 111 Glenallen St, Winchendon, MA 0147 will be held at 2:00 pm.