Sophie J. (Olszewski) Ferragamo, lifelong Framingham resident, 100 years

Sophie J. (Olszewski) Ferragamo, a lifelong resident of Framingham, died Friday, July 14, 2023 at the age of 100. Born and raised in Saxonville village, she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Mary (Connors) Olszewski, and beloved wife of the late Henry J. Ferragamo who passed in 1995.

The second oldest of seven children, Sophie is survived by her brother, John Olszewski and his wife Phyllis of Framingham.  She also leaves many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.  Predeceasing her were siblings Helen Brissette, Mary Moffit, Veronica Morse, Bernard Olszewski and Jane Piacentini.

Sophie graduated from Framingham High School in 1941 where she was playfully nicknamed “Soapie,” by classmates who touted her as someone fun to be around, even a bit mischievous at times.  She joined Dennison Manufacturing right out of school – a livelihood that lasted 42 years.  Prior to marrying Henry, her husband of 35 years in 1960, Sophie enjoyed traveling around the country – especially to California, Canada and Bermuda with her friend Helen Riley.  She welcomed new adventures and was always on the go – whether seeing the latest dinner shows at The Meadows nightclub on Rt. 9, going to a local dance, or just meeting up with friends at the beach.   She always had a purpose – something to look forward to.

Sophie loved the outdoors, baking in the sun and the time she spent with her Henry at their weekend residence in Raymond, New Hampshire.  While Sophie married a sports fanatic, her love of baseball began much earlier when she saw Boston’s Ted Williams play in the 4^th game of the 1946 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.   Win or lose, she never wavered in her loyalty – always root, root, rooting for the home team – especially the Red Sox and Patriots!  Even at 100 she still enjoyed watching them on TV.

Sophie liked an occasional game of chance and held her own whether at Bingo, playing the slots at a Casino or a mean game of cards at family gatherings for nickels, Lady Luck seemed to smile upon her.  One would think she manifested a sprinkling of money on the streets of Saxonville as she had an uncanny knack of finding money from pennies to bills, and sometimes even scratch tickets worth hundreds of dollars during her daily walks – which became something of a regular treasure hunt.  She also liked doing word-search puzzles and challenged herself to do, even at 100, almost daily.

Sophie was kind to animals and could train them to do all kinds of things – particularly her cherished pet cat that she found as a kitten named Cinnamon.  Her love of and bond with Cinnamon was extraordinary.  Many years later, Sophie left her family home of more than 90 years for care at St. Patrick’s Manor.  To cheer her up, her niece Kim brought her a stuffed animal that looked just like the real Cinnamon.  That was a turning point that helped her make a positive transition.    She started to leave her room and took Cinnamon with her everywhere.  Everyone in the complex new his name.  He was a huge comfort to Sophie throughout her stay.  She would openly talk and share her love for him saying – I know he’s not real and people will think I’m crazy, but he’s real to me.  When someone entered the room, they no longer just greeted Sophie, but Cinnamon too!

It was at this later stage that Sophie engaged in the arts and would attend painting, coloring and art classes, signing her work which was prominently displayed in her room.  She never rushed a project.  The last piece that she made was a sculpted clay necklace that she shaped and painted.  It was the face of a cat, no doubt in honor of Cinnamon.

Despite never owning a mobile phone, credit card or computer in her 100-year tenure – Sophie always remained current on local and world events.  She liked talking to people and had a good pulse on her surroundings.

Sophie was a treasured Aunt who enjoyed family functions and looked forward to hearing about what was going on in their lives when engaging her vast clan of nieces and nephews.  Aunt Sophie has left her mark and will no doubt be remembered uniquely and fondly for generations to come.

Family and friends will honor and remember Sophie’s life by gathering for visiting hours in the McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home, 11 Lincoln St. Framingham on Thursday, July 20 from 9:00-10:30 AM, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 at St. George Church at 11:00 AM and Interment at St. Stephen’s Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in Sophie’s name to St. George Parish, 74 School Street, Framingham MA 01701 or the St. Patrick’s Manor Employee Fund at 863 Central Street in Framingham.