WILMINGTON, MA — Pearl (Russo) Pizzolante, of Woburn, died April 14th at the Advinia Care in Wilmington, at the age of ninety three. She was the beloved wife of the late John M. Pizzolante.
Born in Boston on March 28, 1927 to the late Anthony and Rosina (Palmisano) Russo. She was educated in Quincy and Arlington, and graduated from Arlington High School.
Pearl met the love of her life, John, at a ballroom in Revere called The Oceanview. They loved to dance and followed many of the well-known orchestra leaders of the time. Pearl and John were married in April of 1951 at St. James Church in Arlington. Soon after they married, John voluntarily joined the Air Force to serve his country in the Korean War. The couple moved to Craig Air Force Base outside of Selma, Alabama in the fall of 1951. From there they moved to San Diego, California, where John was assigned to service at the naval hospital. John’s final assignment, at Westover Air Force Base, brought them back to Massachusetts, where a trip to see family was only a two hour drive East.
John and Pearl decided to move to California in 1962 to pursue better opportunities. Both worked in various capacities while they resided in Canoga Park in the San Fernando Valley. They would move back to Massachusetts once and for all in 1965. After settling back in Woburn, Massachusetts, Pearl made use of her specialized education, earned at Burdett College in Boston, to begin her career as a Real Estate Agent. Pearl and John enjoyed many trips to Foxwoods, Atlantic City and Upstate New York. They loved to travel by train, making trips to Florida to visit family. Pearl was also a talented artist. She attended the Vesper George School of Art in Boston, she spent some of her spare time painting and particularly liked to paint animal portraits. One of her paintings is displayed in a local bank.
Pearl often made trips around town for pleasure. She looked forward to a weekly meeting at the local McDonald’s with her core group of friends for some company and a chat. You could often find her at local establishments, scratching instant lottery tickets while hoping for a win. She claims she never lost. Pearl’s lifestory wouldn’t be complete without the mention of a chance encounter, in her later years, that brought a dear friend into her life. Pearl met Janet Giacchino, while at a hospital, after being discharged from a medical procedure. Janet offered to drive her home, and that small act of kindness bonded them together as friends for the remainder of Pearl’s life. Pearl considered Janet “the daughter she never had”.
Dear sister of the late Augustina M. Russo, Josephine A Russo, and baby Paul Russo. Lovingly survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, their families, and sister-in-law Eleanor (Pizzolante) Jean.
Due to the current situation we are experiencing with the Corona Virus, arrangements are private and under the direction of the Lynch – Cantillon Funeral Home, 263 Main Street, Woburn. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to MSPCA-Angell, Attn: Donations, 350 South Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130 or www.mspca.org.
(NOTE: The above obituary is from Lynch-Cantillon Funeral Home.)
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