Rose Marie Muccioli (Mazzola) born August 21, 1928, Boston, MA to Sicilian immigrant Pasquale Mazzola and Margaret Mazzola (Brown) was called home by our Lord on July 26th, 2023, surrounded by loved ones. She was a vibrant 94-year-old. Rose graduated from Girls’ High School in Boston in 1946.
Rose proudly served as a Private First Class in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1953 to 1956, trained at Camp Lejeune and stationed in Boston, MA. She was honored to serve her country and a proud Patriot.
Rose married Louis John Muccioli in January 1954 and was widowed in 1980. They had twenty-six happy years together. They lived in Boston, Tewksbury, Billerica and finally settled in Nashua, NH.
Rose did accounting work at Jordan Marsh and Filenes in Boston. She also worked at Doehla Greeting Cards and the Holiday Inn in Nashua, where she received many accolades. Rose took immense pride and pleasure as a GED teacher at the Adult Learning Center in Nashua. Rose was always valued as a resolute and meticulous employee. Her favorite job was as a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother! She loved to cook authentic Sicilian meals and always had supper on the table for her family.
Rose spent 51 years in the same home. She always ensured the landscaping included a lavish display of flowers, bushes, and trees. Even when she became disabled, her house was always impeccably clean.
In her younger years, Rose loved to dance in all the Boston area grand ballrooms. She also performed with the Nashua Senior Center Dancers. Rose suffered from crippling osteoarthritis and was confined to a wheelchair but never complained about not being able to do the things she loved most, dancing. She would just do her best to dance from her wheelchair. She enjoyed seeing Tom Jones and meeting Billy Ray Cyrus twice. She enjoyed playing checkers and was exceptionally good at it, spending hours playing with her daughter, though she disliked losing.
In recent years, Rose resided at Bridges in Nashua and was later transferred to Premier Rehab and Healthcare (Greenbriar) also in Nashua. She was loved and well-cared for and always pleasant to her caretakers. She was the happiest resident, consistently trying to lift the spirit of others. She always welcomed newcomers to the facility, showing them compassion and friendship while they adjusted to their new surroundings. She survived four bouts with Covid! She was one tough cookie. She spent her days creating beautiful works of art, gardening, socializing, and wheelchair dancing the “Hokey Pokey.” Rose loved puzzles and learning new things. Though she battled dementia, doing puzzles kept her mind sharp. She always knew her immediate family who had to endure the most difficult “long goodbye” when dementia took hold of her. Many times, her family wanted to reach out and call her or take her out to eat, but even that became increasingly difficult. She participated in every activity offered at the nursing home.
Rose met a sweet, kind, and loving gentleman at Premier and they loved each other dearly. They were never far away from each other with their rooms just across the hall. It was rare to see one without the other. Rose’s family was grateful that she and Rudy had lovely times together. They enjoyed special treats and private dining experiences prepared by their daughter, Denise. They loved to color, visit the koi pond, do word finds, and hold hands while watching a movie while everyone else had retired to their rooms. They had their “own language” always making each other laugh. They each lit up when one or the other entered the room. Rudy told Rose how much he loved her and, as weak as she was, she said “Thank you. I love you too.” Always polite. That I love you would be close to her final words. Rudy rarely left her side when she fell gravely ill.
While she was not able to attend Church in her later years, she had a deep faith in Our Lord and the Virgin Mary. She was a long-time communicant of Immaculate Conception Parish in Nashua.
Rose is survived by her loving family that will miss her deeply. She was predeceased by her sister Eileen Russo (Irving). She is survived by her beloved companion, Rudy Simon. Her family includes her devoted and loving daughter Denise Muccioli that always advocated for her rights as a Marine and Senior Citizen. Rose is also survived by Tom O’Brien whom she lovingly referred to as her son, her son Mark Muccioli and his wife Laura, daughter Diane Muccioli and partner Paula Ledoux, Alfred Muccioli, and Daughter-In-Law Patti Muccioli. Rose adored her grandkids, LaTonya Rose Muccioli, Louis John Muccioli, Anthony Muccioli, and Krystal Lee Muccioli (former Miss NH), Miss Teen NH Sienna Muccioli and Jonathan Briggs (Emmy Award Winner), great grandkids Alyra, Carmelo, Leroy, Lorenzo, Cale, Hunter, and Axel. Rose is also survived by her Sister-in-Law, Frances Newcombe-Osborne and Brother-in-Law, Leonard Muccioli and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughter-in-law, Shirley Malley. Rose will be missed by many long-time friends and especially her friends and caretakers at Premier.
Rose loved flowers, but donations can also be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Tax ID 042263040 because they saved her daughter, Diane’s life and because her husband Louis succumbed to cancer as well. https://www.dana-farber.org/non-hodgkin-lymphoma/
Calling hours will be at the FARWELL FUNERAL HOME, 18 Lock Street in Nashua, NH on Monday, July 31st from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, August 1st at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Parish at 216 East Dunstable Road Nashua, followed by burial at Woodlawn Cemetery 101 Kinsley Steet in Nashua. Let us make this a celebration of life and share your stories about our beautiful Rose!
