Maria Carmela Damiano, 89, a longtime Framingham resident, passed away on October 14, 2025. Born on December 7th, 1935 in Castelfranci, Avellino, Italy, she was the daughter of the late Salvatore & Genoveffa (Fiorentino) Palmieri. In 1970, Maria immigrated to the U.S. with her beloved late husband Gaetano, where they settled in Framingham, Massachusetts. For many years she worked at the Continental Baking Co/Wonder Bread in Natick where she formed many lifelong friendships until her retirement.
Maria was the quintessential Italian matriarch whose devotion to her family, friends, and faith never wavered. She and Gaetano spent many years living in Pisa, Italy and often traveled there to visit their family and friends. A kind and generous woman, she loved to gather all of the family together around the table for special dinners, holidays and celebrations. All of the family looked toward the annual Easter holiday celebration she hosted for over 50 years. Important to her was keeping all of the Italian traditions alive, from making and sharing her signature homemade pasta to canning tomatoes grown in their beautiful vegetable garden every year.
Maria is survived by her brother, Luigi Palmieri and his wife, Luisa. Loving aunt to Genoveffa and her husband, Nicola Grieci, of Framingham, Raffaella and her husband, Anthony Agostino, of Sherborn, Jeanne Palmieri of Millis, and Lou and his wife, Val Palmieri, of Framingham. She also leaves many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews both in the US and in Italy. She also leaves three great grandnephews all of whom will miss her very much. She was predeceased by her husband Gaetano, brother Antonio, his wife Natalina and nephew Salvatore.
Family and friends are invited to honor and remember Maria’s life by gathering for visiting hours in the McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home, 11 Lincoln St. Framingham on Wednesday, October 22nd from 5-8PM. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday morning in St. Tarcisius Church, 562 Waverly St. Framingham at 11 o’clock. Interment will follow in St. Tarcisius Cemetery.
Donations may be made in Maria’s name to: Metrowest Hospice Foundation/Amedisys, 3854 American Way, Suite A, Baton Rouge, LA 70816, https://regions.billeriq.com/ebpp/AmedisysFoun/
The family appreciates the loving and wonderful care Maria received at the Residence of Valley Farm in Ashland and from Metrowest Hospice.
To share a memory with Maria’s family, kindly visit www.mccarthyfh.com
Norton, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home