Ida D'Angelo Franceschi

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Hunter College

Ida Franceschi Obituary

Died peacefully on April 22, 2008 at the age of 93. She was born to Maria and Alfonso D'Angelo in New York City on October 19th, 1914. Ida attended Hunter College in New York City and was a librarian at the 42nd Street New York Public Library, where she met her future husband, Renzo "Larry" Franceschi. They married on September 2nd, 1944. In 1945, they moved to Los Angeles, CA, where she worked as an Engineering Assistant for Northrop. They moved to the Wayland/Natick area in 1954. There, she was instrumental in establishing the first library in Happy Hollow Elementary School in Wayland and was a well-loved Occupational Therapist at the Cochituate Nursing Home. A life-long Democrat, she was active in town politics and a Town Meeting Member in Natick. She loved all arts and crafts, gardening, and was a wonderful cook. Ida will be remembered for her loving and generous nature, her quick mind, belief in people and ever-positive outlook on life. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Laura Joan, her sisters, Lydia Russo and Olga Ambrosiano, and two brothers, Angelo and Arnold. Ida will be greatly missed by her husband of 63 years, Larry, her two sons, Renny, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Greg, of South Deerfield, MA, four grandchildren, Amelia, Julia, Laura and Leonardo, ("We love you so much, Nonni") and daughters-in-law, Mary Leon Franceschi and Lisa Middents Franceschi. The family will receive visitors at the John C. Bryant Funeral Home, 56 Pemberton Road, Cochituate Village, WAYLAND on Sunday, April 27th from 3-6 PM. A Mass will be held at St Zepherin's Church, Main Street (Route 27) Wayland at 10:30 AM, Monday, April 28, 2008. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity, Attn: Gifts from the Heart, 121 Habitat St., Americus, GA 31709-3498.

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Published by Boston Globe on Apr. 24, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Ida Franceschi

2 Entries

Renny Franceschi

May 4, 2008

I gave the following eulogy at my mothers funeral on April 28,2008:

On behalf of my father, Greg and our families, I thank you for helping us honor and remember Ida today.

Ida D’Angelo Franceschi lived a long and full life, a life that was filled with grace and kindness through all its chapters. She was a bright young woman who finished high school at 16 and had enough ambition to attend college in spite of constant discouragement from her father. She became a good enough librarian to work at the biggest public library in the world. It was there that she met my dad and began another chapter that would last for 63 years. I once found an inscription my dad wrote on a copy of the Rubiat of Omar Kiam he gave her when they were first married. “A bit of perfection, from a lover of perfection to perfection itself”.

Ida and Larry had a full and rich life together. Mom had the smarts to do anything she wanted in life. She chose to love and support her husband, her family and her friends. She was a wonderful mother to Greg, Laura and me. She and my dad gave us a childhood that we’ve been cherishing for the rest of our lives. She was also the rock on which our family was built. When Laura died almost 34 years ago, it was Mom’s strength that helped my father, Greg and I get through that terrible tragedy.

But it wasn’t just to her children that she was , ‘Mommy Ida”.
She became a second mother to many of our friends as we were growing up. Throughout her life, Mom’s kindness touched many people and I know many of you can recall a time when she was there for you with the right word or gesture.

The last few years of Mom’s life were very hard for her and my father and also for Greg and Lisa who have cared for her in such a loving way. I remember one day about 5 years ago when she told me she felt like she was loosing her mind. This is a very frightening thing that we all fear as we age and particularly cruel for someone who was so bright and alert. Yet through all this, she seldom complained and still took joy in what she had; her husband, her children, grandchildren and friends.

If mom was going to pick a time to leave us, I know it would have been these last few weeks of April when all the buds and birds of spring burst forth in a frenzy of new life, of hope and of promise. Spring, after all, is the season of optimists who, like Mom, see their beliefs confirmed with each new flower or blade of grass. And I think she knew Spring’s promise would sustain us through the sorrow of her passing.

So goodbye, Mom. We love you and will miss you for the rest of our lives.

Paul Middents

May 2, 2008

Ellen and I did not meet Ida until Lisa and Greg's wedding. She was a loving mother-in-law to our daughter, Lisa, and a loving grandmother to Laura and Leo. They are lucky to have known her.

My personal impression of Ida was of a once beautiful and very intelligent woman without pretension and certainly without a mean bone in her body. She seemed aloways loving and always accepting. I am glad I got to know her.

Larry, who I have also gotten to know and respect, has my deepest sympathy in the loss of his Ida.

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