Santa M "Sadie" (Aliano)Bevilacqua, in West Roxbury formerly of Roslindale, December 5, 2020. Beloved wife of the late John Bevilacqua and devoted mother of John C. Bevilacqua, of Foxboro, Richard P. Bevilacqua and his wife Maria of West Yarmouth and Paul J. Bevilacqua and his wife Dianne of West Yarmouth. Sister of the late Angelina Aliano, Mary J. Coraine and Michael S. Aliano. Loving grandmother to 9 Grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.
In compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, a visitation will be held at the Joseph Russo Funeral Home, 814 American Legion Highway, Roslindale, on Thursday, December 10 from 6-8pm. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Funeral Services and Burial are Private.
Late member of the Sgt Guido Petrilli Lodge OSDIA of Roslindale.
In lieu of flowers, Sadie may be remembered through the Alzheimer's Assoc. of Massachusetts, 309 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452.
Obituary for Santa M. Bevilaqua
In Loving Memory of Santa M. Bevilacqua from Johnny, Richard and Paul
We would like to share some memories of our mother. Sadly, her own memory was taken by Alzheimer’s, but the memories she left us are powerful and lasting.
She made a favorable impression on everyone she met and was a positive influence on all who were in the circle of her life. She taught us to be kind, loyal, and well-mannered, to set our sights high, be responsible and to work hard to earn what you get in life.
She was a versatile woman. Homemaker, mother, grandparent and eventually career woman, and she excelled at all of those.
Sadie was married to a contractor who built many homes for countless people, yet he never built one for her. So, when the time was right, she sold our family home on Durnell Avenue in Roslindale and built herself a new home on Heron St. in West Roxbury, where she lived for 28 years before moving to Traditions of Dedham, an assisted living facility where she was treated like family by Laura, May, Ashley and the entire staff.
We were asked by Beacon Hospice about our mother’s hobbies. Her hobby was taking care of the people in her life, and her job description was extensive. She was our in-house doctor and nurse, psychologist, motivational speaker, disciplinarian and the bread winner after our father got sick and was unable to work.
She would often say that God made her tall and gave her broad shoulders for a reason. There was no place for a shrinking violet among the Bevilacquas and the Alianos. And in the middle of it all stood, Sadie – proud, strong and composed – the beacon that the family followed and depended upon.
She had a few sayings that were both humorous and pertinent. When we were kids, she’d give us pocket change to spend and say, “Don’t let it burn a hole in your pocket.” When we did something bad and thought we were getting away with it, she often found out. When we asked how, she’d say, “A little birdie told me.” As we got older and had a bit too much to drink, we would pour ourselves a big glass of juice and she’d ask, “Are you putting out the fire?” When our father was building houses and he tossed and turned in bed, Ma would say, “Your father was building chimneys in his sleep.” And her advice to friends about being a good mother-in-law was to “Keep your mouth shut and your pocketbook open.”
The style of how she raised her boys wouldn’t necessarily be accepted today, but I guess you could say that it worked for us. As chief disciplinarian, she would occasionally resort to the wooden spoon. But she could restore order by simply opening the drawer and rattling the utensils. The fear factor often worked.
Everyone called our mother “Sadie” but her legal name was Santa and her birth certificate says Santina. And, she had two birthdays! We celebrated on October 23, until about 15 years ago when we discovered that she was born on October 21. Her explanation was that nobody wanted her. But that could not be further from the truth. Santa – like Santa Claus – was a giver. It was never about her. It was always about the others around her.
In the kitchen, her cooking skills were second to none. She made the best meat sauce, meatballs, homemade raviolis and lazagna, and her signature dish was Sicilian Style Chicken, which got published in the Boston Herald. If we complained when she served the occasional leftovers to give herself a break, she would simply look at us and say, “I’m not setting the table, I’m setting the mood.” And she had a knack for making something extraordinary out of nothing, which she explained by making a biblical reference about fishes and loaves.
Her cooking was not limited to the routine. Our father was born in Italy, so he was accustomed to eating things not typically found on your average American dinner table. Dad would go to the North End and Sadie would have to prepare the animal parts he brought home – like gizzards, chicken hearts, tripe, tongue, brains, pig’s feet, and snails.
Later in life, Sadie became a career woman, managing a local store (Eva DeVito’s) that sold corsets, bras and prosthetic undergarments. She would come home with an occasional story about doing a fitting for a cross dresser. From there, she went to Boston City Hall in the Elderly Commission, where after leading a somewhat sheltered life, she learned how to curse. And then finished her career at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission.
Both men in her life were named John. Our father, John, had open heart surgery in 1965. He was given a small chance to survive the surgery and a projected lifespan of a couple of years if he did. He survived the surgery, and what our mother did to keep him alive for nine years thereafter was nothing short of a medical miracle.
After our father passed, she met John Sherman at Moseleys. Ma told John he would do better to find someone else because she is a widow with three sons, a job and a house to maintain. “I have a lot of responsibilities,” she said. Unhindered by Sadie’s suggestion to look elsewhere, John told her, “I don’t care, you’re worth it.” They enjoyed 25 years of companionship after that.
Nothing is quite as powerful as a mother’s love, and our mother demonstrated that to us every day. That love was extended to her nine grandchildren and to the great grandchildren who were fortunate enough to feel Nana’s warm embrace or get bounced on her knee to the tune of Gigi de Nella.
We remember all those things, Ma, and we won’t ever forget. May you rest in peace.
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