By John Lynds
MaryAnn Cerundolo, the longtime President of the East Boston Golden Age Club, has died.
Ms. Cerundolo, who led the senior group for many years, passed away peacefully at her home after a brief illness on Tuesday, December 27 surrounded by her family.
Ms. Cerundolo was born in Italy on January 4, 1926 to the late Salvatore and Maria Cerundolo and was later raised in East Boston where she worked as a hairdresser and later at the Department of Revenue until her retirement.
However, it was her participation in East Boston’s senior groups where Ms. Cerundolo really shined. She was a tireless advocate for neighborhood seniors and fought for years to have a permanent senior center in the neighborhood. The city, this year, began working towards Ms. Cerundolo’s wish and has been in the planning stages of converting the former Orient Height Branch Library into an active senior center.
Her regular meetings and luncheons at Spinelli’s in Central Square became the highlight of the month for hundreds of local seniors. The monthly meetings and holiday parties, like the annual Golden Age’s Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day parties became huge social events for Golden Age members complete with food, music and dancing.
As leader of the Golden Age Club, she commanded the respect of East Boston’s elected officials and past and current Mayoral Administrations, who never skipped one of Ms. Cerundolo’s annual events. Knowing she controlled a large swath of politically active voters, elected officials knew better to miss out on rubbing elbows with Ms. Cerundolo and her endorsements became coveted by candidates during local elections.
“MaryAnn was a remarkable woman who loved having parties for her seniors,” said City Councilor Sal LaMattina. “She loved me and I would do anything for her because it wasn’t for her, it was for her seniors. She always wanted to make sure they had a good time. I will miss her.”
She was also a member of the Anna DiFronzo Senior Center Club and the East Boston Sempre Avanti Club.
“MaryAnn was a very special person beloved by many for her kindness and commitment to the community,” said Rep. Adrian Madaro. “Her years of dedication to the Golden Age Club leave a lasting legacy in East Boston. She will be missed by all those who knew her.”