Joan F. Rocco

Joan F. (Eident) Rocco, 72, of Edgewood Road in Shrewsbury, passed away, Wednesday, October 15, 2008, in Saint Vincent Hospital, in the company of her loving family. She is survived by her two sons, Stephen J. Rocco and his wife Deborah of Shrewsbury and Glenn S. Rocco and his fiancé Kara A. Pace of Worcester; her companion of forty years, George A. Morse of Shrewsbury; a brother, Kenneth S. Eident and his wife Debra of Charlotte, SC; three sisters, Barbara Poirer and her husband Jerry of Reeds Ferry, NH, Carol Sullivan and her husband Gene of East Longmeadow, and Dolly Hickey and her husband Timothy of Leicester; a sister in law, Peggy Eident of Paxton; a brother in law, Maurice Rana of Worcester; five granddaughters, Maria A. Rocco, Andrea Joan Rocco, Deana M. Rocco, Gianna M. Rocco, and Lea K. Rocco; many nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by a brother and a sister, Francis P. Eident and Lorraine Rana.

Joan was born in Somerville, the daughter of Francis and Ruth B. (LaShana) Eident, and had grown up in Worcester, before moving to Shrewsbury about fifty years ago.

Joan worked as a lab inspector for Phalo Wire Company, which became Belden Wire, and she worked there for over twenty five years, before she retired in 1998. She was a member of the Steel Workers Union. Joan most enjoyed gardening, traveling, walks on the beach, and spending loving times with her family and her treasured granddaughters. Her greatest gifts were her compassion and her gift of giving to others.

The funeral for Joan will be held Monday, October 20, from MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation Street, Worcester, with a Mass at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Saint Ann Church, 24 Mulberry Street, Worcester. Interment will follow in Mountain View Cemetery. Calling hours will be held Sunday, October 19, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226, attention: Contribution Services.