Marie Joan Cerasuolo, well known for her community outreach, died on Saturday September 15. She was 83. Marie was born to Giovanni and Concetta Bruno in East Boston. Her family moved to Medford in her teens. She married Frank Cerasuolo and moved to the Hillside area of Medford, where she lived the rest of her life.

Marie found her passion in Christian worship, which in turn inspired her to community outreach. Marie spent 10 years visiting MCI Cedar Junction with the “Prison to Praise” program, bringing Catholic communion, joyful Christian music and a message of forgiveness to the inmates. She spent 5 years working with people who put together and served sandwiches for the needy once a month with the “Bread of life” out of Malden. Mrs. Cerasuolo was a founding member of the Maranatha prayer group, which has had more than a thousand members over the last thirty-five years. She also began and hosted an interdenominational prayer meeting on Monday morning in her house for the last thirty years, with 25 to 50 people coming to pray every week. While material goods were often distributed to the needy at those meetings, the point was always the prayer. She also served for many years as lector and extraordinary minister of communion at the now closed Sacred Heart Church I Medford Hillside.

Marie was a big believer in family. She loved to feed everyone and always filled both family and guests with many courses of delicious food and great desserts.

While Mrs. Cerasuolo was a homemaker for many years, she also held many jobs, from being a seamstress before she was married, to running a luncheonette in the South Station in Boston to working as a salesperson in Teresa’s Fashions clothing store in Winchester. With all her other duties she found time to serve several families as a mother’s assistant.

Beloved wife of Frank V. Cerasuolo. Devoted mother of Vincent Cerasuolo and his wife Cheryl of Medford, Joan Orvosh of Reading, Michelle Rizzi and her husband Jim of Salt Lake City, Frances Cioffi and her husband Paul of Burlington. Also survived by 12 loving grandchildren, 3 loving great grandchildren and numerous foster children. Sister of Rose Cerasuolo and her husband Michael of Reading.

Funeral the from Dello Russo Funeral Home, 306 Main St., MEDFORD Wednesday at 9 AM followed by a funeral mass celebrated in St. Raphael Church, 512 High St., Medford, at 10 AM.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.

Visiting hours Monday and Tuesday 4-8.

Services will conclude with burial at Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be sent in Marie’s name to the Curt´s Pitch for ALS, 75 McNeil Way, Suite 310, Dedham, MA 02026 or www.curtspitch.org