Louise (Diodati) Cristofaro, 91

Louise (Diodati) Cristofaro, 91, died suddenly Monday, March 16 at her home with her daughter by her side. She was the wife of the late Alexander Cristofaro who died in 1999.

Born in Haverhill October 1, 1923, she was the daughter of the late Emidio and Nicolina (Onofretti) Diodati. She resided in Haverhill for many years before moving to Groveland in 1961. Cristofaro was a graduate of Haverhill High School class of 1942 and The McIntosh Business School.

Cristofaro was employed as an administrative assistant in the welfare department of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 19 years. She worked in the Amesbury and Haverhill offices before her retirement in 1985. During the depression she worked as a hairdresser with her sister Nilda to help support their family.

She enjoyed knitting, sewing, music, and oil painting. She loved to spend time with her family, cooking Italian food, and puttering around the yard. Louise was a longtime parishioner of St. Patrick’s Church in Groveland.

She is survived by her two daughters, Dr. Patricia Cristofaro and her husband, Dr. Martin Gardiner of Barrington, R.I. and Linda Cristofaro and her husband, Paul Strykowski of Newton, N.H.; a son, Alexander Cristofaro and his wife, Suzanne Edam Cristofaro of Washington, D.C.; three grandchildren, Dr. Daniel Cristofaro Gardiner of Cambridge, Thomas Cristofaro of Washington, D.C. and Elsa Cristofaro of Northfield, Minn.; a sister-in-law, Lena Hamel of Haverhill; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by three sisters, Virginia Diodati, Nilda Chiknas and Olga Diodati; two brothers, Jack and Benny Diodati; and a brother-in-law, Fred Cristofaro.

Visiting hours will be Thursday in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 129 Kenoza Avenue, Haverhill from 4 to 7 p.m. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday in St. Patrick’s Church, 114 Center St., Groveland at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will be held in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Haverhill. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to Smile Train (an international children’s charity) P.O. Box 96231, Washington, D.C. 20090-6231.