Catherine V. Talarico, 87
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Catherine Virginia Talarico, 87, of 94 Lincoln St., died Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, at Williamstown Commons.
Born in North Adams on July 9, 1926, a daughter of Giovanni and Olga Cellana Martinelli, she attended schools in North Adams, and graduated with the Drury High School class of 1944.
Mrs. Talarico retired in 1988 from Williams College, where she worked first in the Admissions Office and later at Sawyer Library. In her younger years, she was a telephone operator for New England Telephone.
She was a communicant of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church and and belonged to the Trentino Club of New England.
In her youth, "Cacie," as she was affectionately known to her family and friends, was renowned locally for her determination and skill as a competitive speed skater. She had a lifelong passion for classical music. A devoted mother, following the death of her husband, she raised her four children on her own with resilience and quiet dignity. Her ties to those she loved were strong, and she cherished her family travels, whether visiting relatives in Italy or vacationing on Cape Cod. Her sense of loyalty, fairness and compassion for others will be greatly missed.
Her husband, Eugene Peter Talarico, died Aug. 14, 1965.
She leaves two daughters, Cathy Talarico and her husband, Peter Boudreau, of North Adams and Melissa Talarico of Unionville, Conn.; a son, Peter Talarico of Simsbury, Conn.; her sister, Sandra Reissour of Springfield; her brother-in-law, Raymond Farinon of North Adams; her son-in-law, Daniel Leonard of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; and nieces and nephews. Survivors also include cousins in the North Adams area and in northern Italy.
She was predeceased by her daughter Linda Talarico Leonard on Aug. 16, 2008, her sister Dorothy Farinon on March 24, 2013, and her sister Arlene, in infancy.
FUNERAL NOTICE — A Liturgy of Christian Burial for Mrs. Talarico will be celebrated Monday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in North Adams. Burial will follow in Southview Cemetery.
Calling hours will be Sunday, Nov. 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapel, 74 Marshall St., North Adams. Memorial donations are suggested for the Linda Talarico Leonard GIS Scholarship Fund, Roane State Foundation, through the funeral home.