Miriam Roberta Casazza

Miriam Roberta (Grieve) Casazza, age 92, a longtime Wakefield resident, passed away peacefully on December 6th surrounded by her family.

Mimi was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts on September 30th, 1933. She was the daughter of the late Allan and Miriam Grieve and lived in Stoughton before moving to Arlington. Mimi and her three sisters attended Arlington public schools, and it was at Arlington High School where Mimi met her future husband, Joseph Casazza. After high school, Mimi attended Katharine Gibbs Business School in Boston.

Joe and Mimi were married on June 23rd, 1956. They lived in Arlington for five years before moving to Sycamore Road in Wakefield in 1961, where they raised their six children. Mimi was a devoted parishioner of Saint Florence Parish. When all of her children were old enough to leave home, Mimi went to work in the Guidance Department of Wakefield Memorial High during the time some of her grandchildren were students.

Although only Italian by marriage, Mimi’s meatballs and sauce were everyone’s favorite at weekly family gatherings. She was also an avid reader and instilled in her children a lifetime love of books.

Mimi spent summers in York Beach, Maine at their family cottage surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Mimi and Joe enjoyed traveling across the country and abroad. Many of these trips were with their siblings and their spouses.

Mimi was kind, generous, and the epitome of class. Above all else, nothing was more important than family. She was selfless, full of compassion and always made whomever she was with feel comfortable and welcome.

Miriam was the beloved wife of the late Joseph F. Casazza for 54 years. She is survived by her children; Stephen and his wife Kathleen of North Reading, J. Michael and his wife Mary of Derry, NH, Cynthia Jewell of Manchester, NH, Joanie Thomas of Wakefield, Judith Bayers and her husband Robert of Charlton, and Christine Good and her husband Michael of Newburyport. She was the sister of Joan McCarron and her late husband Raymond of Braintree, Ruth Ciolfi and her husband Fredrick of Watertown, and Carole Bilafer and her husband Martin of Mirror Lake, NH. She was the sister-in-law of Ann Roche and her late husband Paul of South Burlington, VT. Mimi was the proud grandmother of seventeen and great grandmother of fourteen. Mimi was predeceased by her grandson Ian Robert Jewell and great granddaughter Phoebe Marie Dennin.

Miriam’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Florence/Lazarus Center for Healing Shrine, 47 Butler Ave in Wakefield, MA on Saturday, December 13th at 10:30 am. Visitation for friends and family will be held at McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave in Wakefield on Friday December 12th from 4-7pm. Internment at Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield.

For those wishing to honor Miriam’s memory through a contribution, please consider a donation to Kaplan Family Hospice House at 78 Liberty Street, Danvers, MA 01923 at www.caredimensions.org or to Alzheimer's Association at www.act.alz.org.