Angelo Cerasuolo Jr.

HAVERHILL — Angelo Cerasuolo Jr., 82, lifelong Haverhill resident and respected businessman, died Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008 at his home surrounded by his loving family after a brief illness.

Born in Haverhill, he was the son of the late, Angelo Sr. and Florence M. (Crockett) Cerasuolo. He attended Haverhill public schools and Haverhill High School. He left Haverhill High School in 1944 to enlist into the U. S. Army. As a veteran of World War II he was involved in campaigns in Northern Africa and the Battle of the Buldge. Upon his release in 1949 he came home to start a family and new business. For a while he was employed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

He worked for Ginn the Florist, and decided to open his own store, Angelo the Florist, where for over the next 58 years became a family man and well respected icon in the Haverhill business community. A generous man, all of his children learned the flower wholesale and retail business, some went on to own their own stores and businesses, and many of their friends who were in need of a part time job would promptly be put to work. Now four generations of the Cerasuolo clan run the flower store at the corner of Primrose and Winter Streets.

Throughout his long business career, Angelo was involved in and supported various civic, religious, and veterans organizations in the Merrimack Valley. He was a lifelong member of St. James Church.

He leaves his beloved wife of 60 years, Mary D. (Thibault) Cerasuolo; loving children, Angelo B. III and his wife Kathy, Susan M. Powell, Michael J. and his fiancee Dianne (McDermott), Renee B. Cerasuolo-West and her husband Scott E., and Christopher J. Cerasuolo, all of Haverhill; grandchildren, Angelo B. IV and his fiancee, Cassandra Verdura, Lance Powell, and his wife Hope, Mara and her husband Dale Perlack, Kelly and her husband Jeff Bodge, Samantha Cerasuolo, Melissa Cerasuolo, Mary Jo and her husband Bryce Anderson, Jason S. West and his wife Deanne, Heather and her husband Dean Smith, Patrick S. West and his wife Jessica, Amber R. West, Sabrina and Christopher Cerasuolo; great-grandchildren, Angelo V, Victoria, Alivia, Emma, Samuel, Elizabeth, Ally, Emme, Jackson, Samantha, Ruby, Rosemarykate, Griffen, Wyatt, and Maxwell. He was predeceased by a son, Edward T. Cerasuolo, brothers, Alfred, Raymond, Rocco, Tobias, Frank, and sister, Mary Dunn.

ARRANGEMENTS: Friends and family are respectfully invited to call on Friday, at the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main St. (Route 125) Haverhill, from 4 to 8 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. James Church, Winter Street, Haverhill. Burial will follow in St. Patrick's Cemetery, North Broadway, Haverhill. Memorial donations may be made to St. James Capital Improvement Fund, 6 Cottage St., Haverhill, MA 01830. www.comeaufuneral.com.