Church organist/soloist sang for the Pope; dedicated to preservation of Putnam House and served as Special Police Officer and town planner
NORTH READING — Patricia E. (Spinelli) Romeo, 87, of North Reading and formerly of Revere, passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at Ashland Farms in North Andover. She was the beloved wife of the late Frank J. Romeo.
Born in Everett, Mass. on September 2, 1936, she was the daughter of the late Remo and Edith (MacLeod) Spinelli. Pat was a graduate of Revere High School, Class of 1954, and later attended Boston University from 1955 to 1957.
She has been a resident of North Reading for the past 62 years. In her early years Pat worked for the Revere Public Library and Filene’s Basement in Sales. She was an organist, soloist and Music Director for many local area churches for over 45 years, including St. Agnes Church in Middleton, St. Thomas Church in Wilmington, St. Patrick’s Church in Lawrence and St. Theresa’s Church in North Reading. She served for the Archdiocese in Boston. Her years of being a musician and soloist for the Archdiocese led her to a career highlight of traveling to Italy with a chorus and singing for the Pope.
Pat was a Special Police Officer and Auxiliary Policewoman for the Town of North Reading for 25 years and was the crossing guard at the Hood School for many years.
Pat was very involved in North Reading for many years. She was a member of the North Reading Community Planning Commission, the North Reading Historical & Antiquarian Society for 52 years, where she served as President for two years, and the North Reading Historical District Commission.
She dedicated her life to the restoration and preservation of the Rev. Daniel Putnam House. Pat was House Director and Board Member. She later spent many years giving tours of the Putnam House to local school children and sharing about the history of this community. She helped organize the town celebration of the Bicentennial in 1976 and was instrumental in the installation of the band stand on the town common.
Pat was a member of St. Theresa’s Church, a Girl Scout Leader, member of the Colonial Chorus, and she was a Merrimack Valley Guild Organist, Director of Music for Boston Catholic Television and was in the special Cardinals Choir at Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.
She was the loving mother of Lisa Romeo DiSanto and her husband Lewis, David Romeo and his wife Kelly, Christine Romeo, Daniel Romeo and Thomas Romeo and his wife Anastasia. She is also survived by her sister, Norma Vito; 11 grandchildren, Frankie, Johnny, Ariana, James, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Abbey, Nicholas, Shelby, Brittany and Danielle, and one great-grandchild, Orion Duffy.
Her funeral will be held on Saturday, September 23 at 10:15 a.m., from the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading, followed by an 11:30 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street, North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Friday, September 22 from 4 to 8 p.m. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to the North Reading Historical & Antiquarian Society, PO Box 354, North Reading, MA 01864. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.croswellfuneralhome.com.
