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FRAMINGHAM –

RAMINGHAM – Josephine Mary (Tersoni) Leonardo, age 97, lifelong resident of Framingham, died peacefully at home in the comfort and care of her family on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

She was the beloved wife of the late Anthony Leonardo who died in 1972.

Born in Framingham, she was the daughter of the late Guiseppe and Teresa (Barani) Tersoni.

She attended Framingham High School and worked at the former MacIntosh Factory on Irving St. Framingham for a year.  From 1944 to 1947 she served in the Cadet Nurse Corps.  She then graduated from Framingham Union Hospital School of Nursing in 1947.

Josephine was a Registered Nurse and worked for several years in the Maternity ward at Framingham Union Hospital. A few years after she married Anthony in 1949, she stayed home to raise her 5 children.

Following the death of her husband in 1972, Josephine returned to work as a nurse at Cushing Hospital from 1973 till her retirement in 1987.

She was an active parishioner at St. Tarcisius Church, as an Altar Server and Eucharistic Minister at church and Eucharistic Minister at Framingham Union Hospital.  She was also a member of the Golden Rays at church. 

Josephine visited Jerusalem, Israel; and visited Apparitions in Venezuela, (Betania), and in Medjugorje.

She was also a second-generation member of the Framingham Heart Study.

Her entire family wish to thank all of Josephine’s caregivers who assisted her over the past years and especially to her daughter-in-law Diane, as without her loving and compassionate care Josephine would not have been able to remain at home.

Josephine is survived by her children, Mary Jean Berry and her husband Eben of Hopkinton, Anthony Leonardo and his wife Janet of Milton, David Leonardo and his wife Lynn of Charlotte, NC, Joanne Ferraro and her husband Arthur of Belmont, and Mark Leonardo and his wife Diane of Framingham.

She is also survived by 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, 5 great-great grandchildren: her sister, Adele D’Alesio of Milford and her brother, Louis Tersoni and his wife Dorothy of Framingham and many nieces and nephews.

She was the sister of the late Mary Tersoni and Eleanor D’Alesio.

Relatives and friends are invited to the Norton Funeral Home, 53 Beech St. (Corner of Union Ave.) Framingham on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 9 a.m. followed by her funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Tarcisius Church, 562 Waverley Street (Rt 135) Framingham.

Burial will follow in the family lot at St. Tarcisius Cemetery.

Visiting hours are Monday June 6, 2022, from 4-7 p.m. at the Norton Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in her memory may be made to St. Tarcisius Church, 562 Waverley St. Framingham, MA 01702; Smile Train, P.O. Box 96231 Washington, DC 20090; www.smiletrain.org  or to the Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Ave. Framingham 01702; www.framinghamheartstudy.org.

To leave a message of condolence, sign the online guestbook or directions, please visit www.nortonfuneralhome.com

By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.