Teresa Marie Tierney, a life-long resident of Somerville, passed away suddenly, at her home on Thursday, December 21st. She was 65.
Born and raised in Somerville, she graduated from St. Joseph High School in Union Square with the Class of 1969. Later in life she continued her education and earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Bunker Hill Community College. Teresa worked as a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service at the Malden Branch for over 30 years. After her retirement in 2011, Teresa spent much of her time with family and friends doing the things she loved.
Teresa enjoyed traveling. Her favorite place was Italy, but she also enjoyed Europe and trips to Cape Cod. Teresa loved being at the beach and sitting by the water. She was an avid reader, and if you couldn’t find her, there was a great chance you’d find her at the beach, bare feet in the sand, reading a James Patterson novel.
Teresa was a kind, loving and selfless person who saw the good in others. She never had a bad word to say and always wanted everyone to be friend. She was a peacemaker, and had a calming presence that was a true gift to anyone who met her.
In her spare time, she loved dancing. Her family refers to her as “The Dancing Machine”. She loved jazz music and the saxophone was her favorite instrument. It didn’t matter who you were, if you could play the saxophone, she loved you. Teresa’s favorite song was “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison.
Teresa always enjoyed holidays and family parties. She was famous for her homemade “crabbies”, also known as crab cakes, chicken wings and fudge. She was always dressed in something yellow, which was her favorite color and her hair, always perfect. What she loved most was spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Her kind spirit and loving embrace will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her.
Teresa was the devoted mother of Janelle Ricciuti and her husband Christopher of Woburn, and the late Marissa Carbone and her surviving husband Christopher Sanecchiaro of Somerville. She was the loving grandmother of Anthony Joseph Sanecchiaro of Somerville, Rylan and Leo Ricciuti, both of Woburn. Teresa was a cherished daughter of Rita F. (Cadieux) Tierney of West Yarmouth, and the late Joseph M. Tierney. She was the dear sister of John Tierney and his wife Celeste of Rhode Island, Joseph Tierney of Kentucky, James Tierney and his wife Jacqui of Arizona, and the late Stephen Tierney. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Her funeral will be from the Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main Street, Medford, on Wednesday, December 27th at 9 AM followed by a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. Catherine of Genoa Church, 179 Summer Street, Somerville at 10 AM. Visiting hours will be held on Tuesday from 4 through 8 PM. At the request of the family, interment will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Teresa’s name may be sent to St. Jude Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.