Edna H. (Taracevicz) Carroll

CARROLL, Edna H. (Taracevicz)- Of Melrose, formerly of Malden, May 28th. Devoted wife of the late Malden Firefighter Leo T. Carroll, Jr. Beloved mother of Leo T. Carroll, III and his wife Elaine of Westford, Linda A. O'Donnell and her husband Richard of Westborough, Rosemary Reppucci of Pelham, NH, Arleen P. Burke and her husband Edward of Peabody, Bernard J. Carroll and his wife Patricia of Byfield, Denise J. Carroll of Melrose and the late Michael P. Carroll and his surviving wife Sherrie of West Newbury. Sister of late Bernard Taracevicz,  Joanne O'Brien, Fabian Taracevicz, Jr. and Adele Neumyer. Also lovingly survived by 16 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. Family and friends are kindly invited to attend a Funeral Mass celebrated in St. Mary's Church, 4 Herbert St., Melrose on Monday, June 5th at 10 AM.  Those attending please meet directly at the church. Visiting Hours in the Carroll Funeral Home, 721 Salem St. (Maplewood Square) Malden on Sunday from 1-4 PM. Services will conclude with interment at St. Patrick's Cemetery, Stoneham. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary's Church in Melrose, Mystic Valley Elder Services or St. Joseph's Church both in Malden.

 Edna Henrietta (Taracevicz) Carroll of Melrose, MA, formerly of Malden, passed away peacefully at age 101 on May 28, 2023.  Edna was the beloved daughter and oldest child of Fabian and Katherine (Smiarowska) Taracevicz of Malden, both of whom emigrated from Poland when they were teenagers. Edna was very proud of her Polish heritage and the accomplishments of her parents to acclimate to the U.S. She liked to say that her father displayed the U.S. flag every day of his life when he became a U.S. citizen.  He passed away in 1969 after a long life, but she never stopped missing her sweet mother who passed away from bone cancer in 1943 at the age of forty-six when she too was studying to become an American citizen.

     Edna was predeceased by her devoted, loving husband, Leo T. Carroll, Jr. (a Malden firefighter), in 2010 after sixty-six years of marriage. Together they loved to dance to “Apple Blossom Time,” a song popular during the 1940’s which tells of a longing for the time in the spring when a couple can at last be together and get married. Their wedding anniversary was June 17, 1944. In his later years, Leo often told his children, “Your mother was so beautiful and smart.  She was the only one for me.”  Theirs was an unrivaled love story.

     Edna was also predeceased by her cherished son Michael Carroll (West Newbury) who passed away in 2019.  She was also predeceased by her brothers Fabian Taracevicz (who died at the age of five in 1929) and Bernard Taracevicz ( Milton) who died in 2021 and her two sisters, Adele Neumyer (Melrose) who died in 1998 and Joann O’Brien (Lynnfield) who died in 2018. 

     Edna was most proud of her family which was her wealth. She was a mother right up to the end, often telling her adult children to straighten their collars or pull down their shirts in back. She leaves behind Leo T. Carroll III (Elaine) from Westford, Linda O’Donnell (Richard) from Westboro, Rosemary Reppucci from Pelham, NH, Arleen Burke (Edward) from West Peabody, Daughter-in-law Sherrie Carroll from West Newbury, Bernard Carroll (Patty) from Byfield, and Denise Carroll from Melrose.

     Edna was the loving Nana to sixteen grandchildren: Lisa Shattuck, Pamela Lee, Elizabeth Carroll, Elizabeth Anderson, Michelle Reppucci, Scott Reppucci, Katie Letourneau, Julie Schena, Edward Burke, Jr., Bridget Lynch, Patrick Burke, Michael A. Carroll, Bryan Carroll, Lauren Perez, Catie Liddell, and Sophie Carroll.  She was Great Nana or Big Nana to twenty-six great-grandchildren all of whom enjoyed eating her Hoodsies and playing with her coloring books and markers. 

     Edna graduated from Cheverus High School in Malden in 1940. She went on to attend Business Machine School in Copley Square before working for several companies in Boston, including the Federal Reserve and the Wilmore Steamship Company which leased ships to the U.S. Government during World War II.  Edna later left this job to care for her ailing mother.

 After marrying Leo in 1944 when he was serving in the U.S. Navy, Edna continued working very hard as a homemaker, raising their family of seven children.  When their youngest child reached school age, Edna resumed her career and worked for twenty-five years in the retail field, first at Jordan Marsh in Malden Square and later at Macy’s in the Assembly Square Mall in Somerville.  She was a whiz with numbers and a very meticulous record-keeper who rarely, if ever,  made a mistake.  She loved her CVS coupons, but she will be best remembered for her silly humor, her love for singing show tunes with anyone and everyone, and her intense love for her family and how, until the very end of her life, she never forgot to send a card for a birthday, wedding anniversary, graduation, or a kindness shown to her.  Moreover, she read more than one thousand books in all categories to occupy her time once her beloved Leo died.  Librarians far and wide commented on her literacy.

Edna was a devout parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Malden for over seven decades, and she kept the Lord busy with her constant prayers for her large family and close friends.  In short, she will be missed by anyone who was lucky enough to know her. She was a strong woman who let nothing get in her way. She led an exemplary life.

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