The highlight of her life was celebrating her 100th birthday with three generations of family members
Rosemarie (DeFilippo) Grasso, a lifelong resident of East Boston, passed away peacefully at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers on October 22, 2026 at 100 years of age. She was born November 27, 1925 in Boston to the late Vincent and Florence (Ippolito) DeFilippo. She was the beloved wife of the late Luigi Grasso, a US Marine Sergeant who served in WWII; devoted mother of Kenneth Grasso, Ronald Grasso and his wife, Christina, and Charlotte Sousa and her husband, John; loving grandmother to Kenneth Grasso Jr. and his wife, Cherise and Melissa (Sousa) Tarness and her husband, Matthew; cherished great-grandmother of Anthony and Athena Grasso; dear sister of the late Vincent DeFilippo Jr. and his wife, Lena. She is also survived by her companion, Joseph Todesca, as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.
Rosemarie was a hairdresser for many years in East Boston. She loved vacationing in Florida with her husband and friends. She was a member of the Courageous Generation Club of St. Joseph – St. Lazarus Church in East Boston. She was an avid bingo player at the Church and enjoyed the many trips to Foxwoods with the Club. The highlight of her life was celebrating her 100th birthday with three generations of family members. She was honored and recognized by the Boston City Council and the Massachusetts House of Representatives with official citations from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Family and friends honored Rosemarie’s life by gathering at the Ruggiero Family Memorial Home, 971 Saratoga Street, East Boston, on Tuesday, October 27th and will gather again today, Wednesday morning, October 28th at 8:30 a,m. before leaving in procession to St. Joseph – St. Lazarus Church, Ashley Street, East Boston, for a Funeral Mass celebrating her life at 10 a.m, Services will conclude with Rosemarie being laid to rest with her beloved husband, Luigi, at Puritan Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Rosemarie’s name to Care Dimensions – Kaplan Family Hospice House, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923. May she rest in peace.
To leave an online condolence please visit www.ruggieromh.com.