Emanuela R. "Nellie" (Passanisi) Astone

West Newton – Mrs. Emanuela R. "Nellie" (Passanisi) Astone, of West Newton, died Friday, July 17, 2015 at Kaplan Hospice in Danvers. She was 90.

Nellie was born in Cambridge on January 23, 1925, one of six children born to Italian immigrants Domenico and Josephina (D'Amico) Passanisi. She was raised in Somerville and was a graduate of Somerville High School.

Following her marriage in 1951 to Newton native Joseph J. Astone, the couple made West Newton their home and where they raised their family. Widowed in 1964 at the age of 39 Nellie took on the roles of Mom and Dad for her three young children. She worked tirelessly day and night to raise them. With the help of her tight-knit family she provided a wonderful home where they always went to bed at night and woke up every morning knowing that they were loved and wanted and needed.

She was a talented baker and embroiderer and had not only a green thumb but what some would describe as a magical ability to nurture her beautiful and plentiful garden and plants. Nellie relished the role of grandmother, enjoying every moment she could spend with her granddaughters and delighted with the rest of the community in the success of the Boston Red Sox. A year ago she and her family combined her fondness for occasional trips to Foxwoods by attending 'Red Sox Weekend' at the popular resort.

The wife of the late Joseph J. Astone, she leaves her children, Diane M. Donahue and her husband, David, of Boscawen, New Hampshire, Joseph J. Astone and his wife, Susan, of Nashua, New Hampshire and Carol P. Astone of West Newton; her grandchildren, Kristina Astone and Melissa Astone; her sister and brother, Rose Sweeney of Peabody and John Passanisi of Danvers; her sisters and brothers-in-law, Millie Passanisi of Chester, New Hampshire, Marie Passanisi of West Newton, Leona and Robert Denaro of Mashpee, Irene Astone of North Falmouth, Claire and Henry Menelly of Waltham and Frances and Andrew Tobio of Falmouth and many nieces and nephews.

Nellie was also the grandmother of the late Joseph Kennedy Astone; sister of the late Mary Rosetti, Thomas Passanisi and Charles Passanisi and sister-in-law of the late John Rosetti, Daniel Sweeney, Betty Passanisi, Carmela and Rudy Peters, and Philip Astone.

Family and friends will honor and remember Nellie's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Thursday, July 23rd from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 8 a.m. on Friday morning before leaving in procession to Saint Bernard's Church, 1523 Washington Street, West Newton where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Newton Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the Joseph Kennedy Astone Fund, c/o Metabolic Research, Boston Children's Hospital, 330 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 ATTN: Dr. Harvey Levy or to Kaplan Hospice House, 78 Liberty Street, Danvers, MA 01923.