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Frances C. (DiMare) Matara
March 19, 2017

Obituary

Frances C. (DiMare) Matara, of Somerville, formerly of Boston’s West End, passed away on Sunday, March 19th at the Melrose-Wakefield Hospital. She was 87.

Born in Boston, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Alfia (Gianno) DiMare and attended local schools. Frances and her husband Joseph were married on June 12, 1949 at Saint Joseph Church in Boston’s West End. Frances and Joseph lived in the west end from 1949 through 1959. They then moved to Somerville, where she has lived in the same home for the last fifty-eight years.

Frances was the matriarch in her family. She was selfless, devoted and loving. She was a genuine woman, who was non-judgmental and forgiving. In her spare time, she enjoyed cooking, especially sesame cookies and lasagna, which are her children’s favorites. In her younger days, Frances was an avid bowler and was a member of a bowling league. For over seventy years, Frances and her childhood friends, also known as the Lucky Ten Club Girls, have been getting together every Tuesday evening to eat, talk and focus on each others' lives.

Frances loved to travel. She visited Europe many times, and would frequently travel to Las Vegas and Foxwoods. She loved to be on cruise liners. In January and February, Frances annually cruised to Aruba, which she looked forward to most throughout the year. In the summer time, she and her family would vacation at Swifts Beach in Wareham.

Frances was the beloved wife of the late Joseph J. Matara, who was also known as Joe the Candy Man from the North End. The two shared fifty-eight loving years of marriage. She was the devoted mother of Joseph Matara and his former wife Rosa Matara of Somerville and Tewksbury, Elizabeth Matara Flynn and her late husband John of Melrose, Cathy McCarron and her husband Robert of Melrose, Susan Matara Rufo and her former husband John Rufo of Wilmington. Frances was the loving grandmother of Joseph, Alyssa, Brianna, Matara, Jackson, John and Nicolas and the loving great grandmother of Gianna, Mila, Ava, and Gemma. She was the dear sister of Joseph DiMare and his wife Betty Ann of CA and is also survived by her best friend and sister-in-law Margaret DiMare of Somerville and her Lucky Ten Club Girls. She was preceded in death by her siblings Josephine, Mary, James, John, Dominic and Sammy DiMare.

Her funeral will be from the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main Street, Medford on Thursday, March 23rd at 9AM followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. Mary Church, 157 Washington Street, Winchester, at 10AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday from 4 to 8PM. Services will conclude with interment at Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford.

Memorial contributions may be sent in Frances’ name to the Alzheimer's Association, 309 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452 or Lahey Hospital & Medical Center at https://philanthropy.lahey.org/.

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Dello Russo Funeral Service
306 Main Street
Medford, MA 02155
781-396-9200