| Myrtle Casali |
| 5/31/2020 |
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Myrtle Iva Casali (Touchette), was born June 5th, 1929 in Montgomery, Vermont, to Wallace Henry and Iva Lumbra Touchette, the seventh of nine siblings. She spent her early years on farms in Vermont, a life that comprised both the idyllic Vermont farmland with its rolling hills and grazing cows, and the very hard life of a farming family. When she was about 12, her parents moved the family to Marlborough, Massachusetts seeking better economic opportunities; several of her older siblings remained in Vermont where they raised their families.
After graduating from Marlborough High School, Myrtle attended business school in Boston, and over the course of her working life had varied jobs, ranging from secretarial work to factory assembly lines to the cafeteria at her children’s elementary school – she always had high standards for co-workers and employers and was never afraid or reluctant to move on if she felt things could be done differently or better. In 1952 she married John Casali – they had two children, Joseph Michael and Donna Marie, and raised them in John’s hometown of Milford, Massachusetts. The pleasures of her family life in the years when Joey and Donna were growing up included frequent visits to her sisters and brothers in Vermont. The siblings shared a million laughs over memories of growing up, they cooked and ate and relaxed together, and their children played together - a tight knit group of cousins enjoying the liberty of outdoor play. From John’s mother, she learned Italian cooking and every Christmas the family gathered over a many course Christmas dinner that featured hundreds of homemade raviolis that had been painstakingly prepared and dried on a huge sheet that covered her bed. In her life Myrtle experienced two life-defining tragedies; first the death of her son Joey in his early 20s and then the death of her husband at the age of 50. She continued to live in her Milford home, spend time with relatives and friends and attend church. She valued her independence and lived alone and self sufficient for the rest of her life. To be closer to her daughter Donna, Myrtle moved to Jamaica Plain in 2001. There she spent her final years growing ever closer to Donna – the last great love of her life. She lived in her condo just a mile from Donna and together they spent many happy hours laughing and cooking and eating, shopping at second-hand stores, watching Survivor and American Idol, and enjoying Donna’s cats. She loved finding a cute item or a deal at the local thrift shops – for a couple of years she volunteered at a thrift shop in a Jamaica Plain church, where she was beloved by her co-volunteers. In recent years she cooked for Donna every Thursday and Sunday and they shared a glass of wine, watched old favorite shows, and enjoyed each other’s company. On the final Thursday of her life she cooked yet another meal for Donna, shortly after that she experienced her illness and she died at Faulkner Hospital on Sunday, May 31st in the early morning. Donna was at her side during her final 2 days, and they were able to share last thoughts and love for each other. Myrtle was the last surviving sibling of her family and in addition to Donna is survived by Donna’s spouse Doris, her sister-in-law Marie, and many nieces and nephews. Myrtle will be cared for by Brady & Fallon Funeral Service in Jamaica Plain and buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Milford, Massachusetts alongside her son Joey and husband John in a private graveside service. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the MSPCA of Jamaica Plain. | ||||
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