Maria J. (Romanelli) O’Callaghan of Revere, who lived in the city for all of her 97 years, died on Thursday, November 5, after a short illness.
She was born in 1929 to Vincent and Bernadina Romanelli and graduated from Revere High School with the Class of 1948. Before she married, she worked as a key punch operator at John Hancock Life Insurance Company. Once her children were grown she went back to work, this time at Stone and Webster Engineering, where she took on computer data entry when that was still a new field.
She was married to John O’Callaghan for 60 years, until his death in 2012. After he retired the two of them traveled widely; Hawaii and Italy were her favorite destinations, along with wherever her daughter happened to be living at the time.
Her family says her Catholic faith anchored her life. She belonged to St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Revere from her Sunday school years through her wedding, her children’s baptisms and her daughter’s wedding, and she watched the daily Mass on television each day. In her last years she lived at The Residence at Melrose Station, where her family says she found a new and active circle of friends. The family thanks the staff there and Allcare Hospice for her care.
She leaves her daughter, Marianne Toppen, and Marianne’s husband, Ted, of Revere; her son, John O’Callaghan, of Chantilly, Virginia; and nieces and a nephew. Her brother, Lawrence Romanelli, died before her.
Visiting hours are Thursday, November 12, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Vertuccio Smith and Vazza Beechwood Home for Funerals, 262 Beach Street, Revere, followed by a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 250 Revere Street, Revere. Burial will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden.
In place of flowers, the family suggests a donation to a charity of the giver’s choice.
Compiled from information published by Vertuccio Smith & Vazza Beechwood Home for Funerals, 262 Beach Street, Revere. Photograph courtesy of the family via Vertuccio Smith & Vazza. This is our own summary, not the family’s obituary; read the full obituary and leave a condolence at the funeral home’s page on Legacy.com. Corrections: we will fix any error promptly.