Published in the July 27, 2015 edition
WAKEFIELD — Aleta M. DeGusto, 68, of Wakefield, died suddenly on Monday, July 20, at her residence.
Born in Boston on May 7, 1947, she was the daughter of Pauline (Colby) DeGusto of Wakefield and the late John F. DeGusto.
Ms. DeGusto was a graduate of Wakefield High School, Class of 1965, and had attended the Art Institute of Boston, graduating in 1968 with a Fine Arts Diploma. She also attended Marymount College and Cooper Union College in New York — studying Business Management and Fine Arts — and Middlesex Community College, Edison, NJ. studying Construction. Ms. DeGusto also attended the Malden Sketch Group, Malden, for studio classes.
In 1968, when classified newspaper ads for job positions were listed as Male Positions, Female Positions or Other, Aleta found a listing for a “draftsman” position (male listing) and applied for the job. While being told that a woman would not be hired for a “man’s” job, she insisted on remaining in the office until she was granted an interview. Finally, frustrated with her sitting in their office all day, the firm interviewed her, just to get rid of her, and actually ended up giving her the position.
Her career until 2005 was centered in the metro New York City marketplace where she began working as a draftsperson in the interior design services industry. As with this industry and that of custom architectural millwork, she progressed into a variety of positions from Job Captain, to Production/Technical Manager, to Project Manager with projects ranging both in size (3,000 to over 300,000 square feet) and type (corporate, healthcare, academic, hospitality and high end residential).
Returning to Massachusetts in 2005 and seeing the decline in the construction industry, she had the good fortune to accept a position as a Career Coach in workforce development, where her project management experience served her well. Rather than collaborating with interior designers, architects, engineers, etc., she collaborated with her clients in their professional selves as they searched for their next opportunity.
Aleta was a more-than avid reader possessing an extensive personal library which included an eclectic range of interests. She was a vintage dancer, gardened wherever a flower would bloom, designed and made whimsical millinery creations for her own and others’ enjoyment.
In her artwork, Aleta used multiple mediums — her favorite subject being the human form and abstracts. Among some of her other interests, she enjoyed photography, sculpting and Cats!
Aleta always went above and beyond to help, encourage and support her family, friends, business associates and clients. She will be greatly missed.
In addition to her mother, Aleta is survived by her four sisters: Paula Belyea and her husband Paul of Lynn, Joan DeGusto-Burnham (wife of the late Vance Burnham) of Charlemont, Janine DeGusto-Dougherty and her husband Kevin of Wakefield and Christine Corbett and her husband Mark of Stoneham; and her two brothers, Allen DeGusto of Exeter, N.H. and Paul DeGusto of Wilmington. She was the aunt of Ashley and Kelsey Corbett and Christopher, Katherine and Nicholas DeGusto.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated in the Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 1155 Main St., Wakefield on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Interment, Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield.
There are no visiting hours.
Arrangements are in the care of the McDonald Funeral Home in Wakefield.
