Mary A. (Murphy) Mirabito

Auburndale – Mrs. Mary A. (Murphy) Mirabito, of Auburndale, died Monday, March 14, 2016 at her home. She was 94.

Mary was born in Newton on October 26, 1921, a daughter of the late Thomas and Mary (Quinn) Murphy and was a graduate of Newton High School. On April 7, 1947 she married the love of her life, Waltham native Anthony D. Mirabito, in Corpus Christi Church, Auburndale.

Mary and Tony, who met at "Nuttings on the Charles" a big band dance hall in Waltham, enjoyed thirty happy years together until his death on October 22, 1977. The couple lived for a short time in Waltham but soon moved to Newton where Mary had lived all her life.

She worked at the Williams and the Davis elementary schools in Newton as a lunch mother who was adored by all the children and they in turn made her feel young every day. After Tony's death she went to work at Beaver Surgical Instruments in Waltham alongside her lifelong and dearest friend, Nellie Pitts.

Mary was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother . . . she loved the simplest things in life . . . the carnival at "the Lake"; parades for any occasion; holidays with the family; listening to Nat King Cole or watching the Hallmark Channel. She also found the skill as an Irish girl in an Italian family to be a pretty good cook and baker . . . she lived the adage that "family is where life begins . . . and love never ends".

She leaves her children, Robert A. Mirabito and his wife, Katherine, of Plano, Texas and Diane M. Tabor and her husband, Peter, of Auburndale; her grandchildren, Jessica O'Connell, Nicole Graber, Christopher Mirabito, Melissa Cerra and Merideth Brown; her great-grandchildren, Jakin, Bo and Bella Mirabito, Owen and Colin Graber, Emily and Maggie Cerra, Abigail O'Connell and Blythe and Brynne Brown; her sister, Doris LeBrun of Auburndale and many nieces and nephews.

Mary was also the great-grandmother of the late Caitlyn O'Connell and a sister of the late John, Daniel and Bernard Murphy, James Quinn, Edna Robbins and Kay Messina.

Family and friends will honor and remember Mary's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Thursday, March 17th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. on Friday morning before leaving in procession to Sacred Heart Church, 311 River Street, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Waltham.