Mary Abramo, aged 94, of Belmont, MA and Santa Ana, passed away unexpectedly on May 4, 2020. Born in Somerville and raised in Waltham, the daughter of Joseph and Theresa Abramo. Beloved sister of Alma LaFauci, Nicholas and Anthony Abramo. Survived by a niece and many nephews, in addition to grand nieces and nephews. Dearly loved by her brother-in-law Nicholas LaFauci and his wife, Sylvia.

Mary was among the first women graduates of Northeastern University in Boston, MA, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a master's degree in Education. Mary began her teaching career in 1956 at the Plympton School in Waltham MA.  Her sense of adventure soon had her packing her bags for France, where she taught English and social studies for the Army Dependents' School.

When Mary arrived in France, the first thing she did was to buy a car, which she filled with friends for trips all across Europe. She had no hesitation driving through the mountains, villages, and cities. It was all an adventure to her. When she returned to the United States, she once again packed up her car and headed to California, where she taught French and English in Tustin CA at the UTT Intermediate and Red Hill elementary schools.

Mary boasted that her students were always respectful and that she set a good example for them by never chewing gum. After school each day, Mary and her teacher friends would head to happy hour – not for the drinks, but for the free appetizers, which were usually her dinner, as cooking was never her strength. One evening, she won a horse in a bar raffle. She declined the horse and took the cash payout.

Upon retiring from teaching for 32 years, she packed her car once again and drove back to Massachusetts, where she settled in Belmont, close to her family, including her beloved nephews. She was known as "Auntie" to everyone in her life, which she loved.
She was an accomplished bridge player (or at least her dear friends helped her believe she was). A regular at the Belmont Public Library, she loved to read the Boston Globe each day and excelled at the daily crossword. A fiercely independent woman, she lived her life exactly to her wishes.

Her family loved to tease her because no one actually ever heard her speak French. She never took the bait.  So, whether she really spoke French remains one of the great family mysteries.

Au revoir, Auntie.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be a private burial. A gathering to celebrate Mary's life will be held at a later time, when friends and family may more safely and happily come together.

Donations in Mary's memory can be made to The Greater Boston Food Bank, Attn: Accounting, 70 South Bay Avenue Boston, MA 02118.