Joan M. (May) Pagliarulo

Joan M. (May) Pagliarulo, 89

December 14, 1932 – November 8, 2022

West Roxbury, MA- Joan (May) Pagliarulo, age 89, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 8, 2022 with her loving family by her side.

Joan was born December 14, 1932, in Brookline, MA to Barney and Mary (Jones) May along with her twin brother Joe. She was one of nine children. She graduated from Brookline High School in 1950 and went on to work at New England Telephone Company for 10 years. She married her husband Anthony J. Pagliarulo in 1959 and was a loving wife for 57 years.   Together they raised nine children in a loving and close-knit family.  They understood the importance of a good education, consistently encouraging their children to pursue their educational and professional goals.  Joan’s strong Catholic faith was an essential part of her life, and she instilled this faith in her children.  She enjoyed attending Sunday Mass, saying her rosary and was an active member of St. Theresa of Avila Parish.

Joan was dedicated to raising her children and supporting them throughout their lives. She was incredibly supportive and devoted to her daughter Annie as she battled metastatic breast cancer, despite Joan herself suffering from breast cancer, and cutaneous lymphoma.   Joan was also very proud of her 18 grandchildren and loved spending time with them.   Joan had a special relationship with each and every one of them and was looking forward to the birth of her first great grandchild. 

Joan loved spending time with her sisters, going to Bingo with her friends, attending kids’ activities and going on vacations with her family.

Joan is predeceased by her husband Anthony and daughter Annie McAdams, and is survived by her loving children, Joanne (Marty) Logue of Scituate, Mary (Pete) Bartkiewicz of Newburyport, Anthony (Lisa) Pagliarulo of Medfield, Susan (Paul) Brady of Canton, Nancy (Dan) Moynihan of Walpole, Joseph Pagliarulo of Norwood, John Pagliarulo of West Roxbury, Elaine Pagliarulo of West Roxbury, and son-in-law Tom McAdams of Walpole. “GMa” leaves behind her 18 grandchildren, Kim, Tom, Walker, Julia, Anna, Lucas, Ryan, Shannon, Lauren, Steven, Brianne, Dan, Sarah, Taryn, Elizabeth, Susie, Stephanie, and T.J.  She also leaves many cherished relatives including her sisters, Patricia Harris of Brookline, and Lillian McSwiney of Wrentham, brother, Thomas May of Brookline as well as sisters-in-law, brothers-in law, nieces, and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held in the Robert J. Lawler and Crosby Funeral Home 1803 Centre St, West Roxbury on Monday November 14, from 4:00 to 8:00pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Theresa of Avila Church, West Roxbury, on Tuesday, November 15 at 10:00am. Interment Forest Hills Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Joan’s name to the Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Cancer Clinic, Dana Farber Institute. 

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