Mary E. Voci

Mary E. Voci Oak Park, Ill , Mary Elizabeth Betty (Puopolo) Voci, also known by many as Lizabee, 89, a resident of Oak Park for seven years, formerly of Brockton, Mass., died Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007, at Rush Oak Park Hospital in Oak Park. She was the beloved wife of the late Eugene Gino Voci. Mrs. Voci was 89, a resident of Holly Court Retirement community, and lived near her son, Edward Voci, an attorney, his wife Gina, and their two children, Francesca, 15, and Renata, 13. Mrs. Voci is also survived by her son, Vincent, a physician, in Charlotte, N.C., wife Elaine, and five more grandchildren, Gina, 33, Vincent, 31, Michael, 30, Lori, 28 and Amy, 26. Mrs. Voci survived her husband, "Gene", who passed away in 1983. She will be remembered by all who knew her for her kindness, generosity of spirit, selfless service to others and her gentle sweet nature. She was born in Avon to Italian immigrants Vito Victor Puopolo and Mary Langone Mangino and had 10 brothers and sisters. She was a graduate of Avon High School and worked at the Glendale Curtain factory in Avon. Mrs. Voci is survived by sisters, Rose Rodricks and Sadie Bell; and brothers, Arthur Puopolo and Frank Puopolo. She married Gino J. Voci in 1942. Mr. Voci operated Genes Jenney Service station at 640 South Main St., Brockton, for more than 20 years, and then the Flying A and Getty service station for another 15 years. In addition to working in the home and doing the bookkeeping for the familys service station, Mrs. Voci was an Avon Lady for 35 years, work she took up when her two sons went off to college. Despite her full and busy schedule she found time to be active in the Copeland Grammar School PTA, church activities, the Novelli Club, the Ward Four Improvement Assoc., to take her mother shopping every week, to give her sisters rides to work from time to time and to assist other family and community members who needed a helping hand. She was completely selfless. She was an excellent daughter, sibling, spouse, mother and community member. I remember going with her to downtown Brockton to deposit gas station money with Plymouth Home National Bank, taking her mother shopping for sewing and knitting supplies at S.S. Kresgees on the corner of School and Main Streets, and buying the chop suey cooked by the guy in the window of the Brockton Public Market on the corner of Elm and Main, recalled son Vincent. She loved that chop suey, but we didnt. That was about the most selfish thing she ever did. She even ran the gas station when Dad had his first heart attack when we were small kids. But, no one would let her pump gas. That was something back then that that men did not allow women to do. And that tradition continued when my brother and I worked there. She loved being Italian, loved her family and friends and loved Brockton, added Edward. She made it a point, I think it was in 1961, to take us to the Walk Over Shoe Factory parking lot to watch a scene for the movie Sacco and Vanzetti being filmed there. I cherish the story of her and Dad handing me as a toddler to Rocky Marciano when he became world heavyweight champ. Im so glad she got to visit her mothers village in Italy, too. In later years, she was assisted in her Avon Lady work by her niece, Betty Tarantino of Bridgewater, Mass. For a time, Mrs. Voci and her sister, Rose, worked one day a week with a large group of women inserting supplements into The Enterprise newspaper. I remember those wonderful women chipped in to give Ma the wages she lost when our father passed away. I was very touched by that, recalled her son, Edward. Mrs. Voci volunteered at St. Margarets Church, where she remained an active member until she moved from the family home of 50 years on Edson Street to Oak Park. She spent her final years enjoying and watching her youngest granddaughters grow up and attended many of their school and sports activities. Funeral from the Russell & Pica Funeral Home, 165 Belmont St. (Rte. 123), Brockton, on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 8 a.m. thence to St. Michael Church, 87 North Main St., Avon, where a funeral Mass will be celebrated for the repose of her soul at 9 a.m. Interment will be held Monday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. in Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne. Calling hours will be held in the Russell & Pica Funeral Home on Friday 5-8 p.m. For directions and to light a candle, visit www.RussellFuneralHome.com.