Hudson – Lillian May (St. Thomas) DiRico, 91, passed away in the arms of her loving family in Longmeadow on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016 after a brief period of declining health.
Daughter of the late Oscar and Loretta (Cosgrove) St. Thomas, Lillian was born in Worcester and attended St. Peter’s Catholic School and Worcester South High School. In1946, she graduated from Framingham State Teachers College, where she earned her degree in Home Economics.
Lillian was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Joseph DiRico, who passed away in 1997. She was also predeceased by her brothers, Thomas “Bud” St. Thomas, Robert St. Thomas, and Oscar “Buck” St. Thomas, and her sister, Grace (St. Thomas) Plant, as well as her first grandchild, Christopher P. DiRico. She was the beloved mother of seven children, JoAnn Trautmann (Patrick) of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., John DiRico (Nan) of Euless, Texas, Christine Lavendier (David) of Thousand Oaks, Calif., Robert DiRico (Cheryl) of Newton, Maria O’Reilly (Michael) of Longmeadow, Joseph DiRico of Marlborough, and Elizabeth Leonard (Mark) of Marlborough. She is also survived by her 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, each of whom were special to her in their own way. She also leaves her loving sister, Loretta (St. Thomas) Hurley of Oroville, Wash.; her sisters-in-law, Mary DiRico of Marlborough and Grace St. Thomas of Worcester; her brother-in-law, Harold Plant of Birmingham, England; and many devoted nieces and nephews.
Upon graduating from college, Lillian married and moved to Marlborough, where she and Joe raised their family on Essex Street, among many wonderful neighbors and extended family.
She worked part-time for the Worcester Gas Company, as well as substitute teaching to help support their growing family, until being offered the position of teaching Home Economics at the Marlborough Junior High School, where she was the cooking and nutrition teacher for 20 years. During those years, she taught countless students, many of whom still say, “Mrs. DiRico taught me how to cook.” She enjoyed not only her students, but the many wonderful teachers and staff with whom she worked over the years.
Lillian had many interests outside of work and family. A lifelong learner and avid reader, she impressed upon her children and grandchildren the value of an education. Her Catholic faith played an active role in her life, and she was a devoted parishioner of both Immaculate Conception and the former St. Ann churches in Marlborough. She was a volunteer for the Framingham State College Alumni Association and looked forward to attending her class reunions.
In her younger years, Lillian enjoyed a good swim in Coes Pond or the ocean, and later loved to walk daily at Ghiloni Park and did so well into her 80s. Her Saturday night cribbage matches were a highlight of her week. She and Joe were fortunate to visit Europe several times, in addition to traveling throughout the United States. She enjoyed their many visits to Bermuda, as well as vacationing with family at the Cape and Maine in the summers.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, April 1, at 9 a.m., at the Immaculate Conception Church in Marlborough, followed by burial at the National Cemetery in Bourne at 2:45 p.m. Visiting hours will be held Thursday, March 31, from 4-7 p.m., at Slattery Funeral Home, 40 Pleasant St., Marlborough.
Donations can be made in her memory to Friends of the Marlborough Public Library, Attn: Tony Arruda, Treasurer, 52 Diana Dr., Marlborough, MA 01752 or Citizens Scholarship Foundation of Marlborough Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 296, Marlborough, MA 01752.
