Leonardo Mirabile

Leonardo Mirabile of Medford passed away on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. He is 98 years of age.

Born on Wednesday, January 16, 1924 in Salemi, Sicily, Italy, Leonardo is the loving son of the late Giuseppe Mirabile and Maria (Terranova) Mirabile.  Leonardo is a warm, kind, and gentle son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, and friend who will be deeply missed.

In his childhood, Leonardo lived in Salemi, Sicily and tended to the family land. From an early age Leonardo understood the value of hard work, especially in helping to provide as a part of his large family. 

As a proud Italian, at the age of 17, he joined the Royal Italian Army in World War II. Upon the dissolvement of the Royal Italian Army, he learned the importance of resiliency as he journeyed from Rome back to his hometown of Salemi, Sicily. Leonardo experienced the hardships of war, physical endurance, scarcity of food, and a longing for his home and family. 

It was love at first sight. After a 9 month courtship, Leonardo (age 33) and Marianna Baudanza (age 29) got married in October of 1957. Throughout their 56 years of marriage, Leonardo held a profound love for Marianna, a love so strong which undoubtedly withstood the test of time. Their first son, Joseph Mirabile, was born in September of 1958 in Salemi, Sicily. 

In hopes of gaining new opportunities and building a better life for his family, in 1961, Leonardo and Marianna with their son Joseph, made the decision to immigrate from Sicily to the North End of Boston. They lived on Charter St. for 7 years and welcomed their beautiful daughters Maria in August of 1963 and Roseann in April of 1965. Keeping ties with his roots, Leonardo and his family made it a point to travel back to Sicily frequently. He cherished time spent with his nieces and nephews where he was lovingly called “Zio Nardino”. 

After years of hard work, Leonardo purchased his first home in Medford, MA where he resided for the rest of his life. Continuing to provide for his family throughout the years, he was a proud construction worker for Laborer’s Union 22-Boston and 151-Cambridge. Contributing to the growing skyline of Boston, he worked on monumental buildings such as the Prudential Center and the former NASA building in Kendall Square.  

As a proud Nonno, he welcomed his first grandchild Leonard “Leo” in January of 1986 and shortly after came his second grandson Joseph “Joey” in December of that same year. His first granddaughter Leana arrived in April of 1994 and nine months later the family was blessed with little Adrianna in January of 1995. In December of 1996, Angela made her entrance as the last and final grandchild of Leonardo and Marianna Mirabile. 

His wife, Marianna, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2000 and as the disease progressed, Leonardo and his children became her primary caretakers until her passing in July of 2013. After the passing of his beloved wife of 56 years, Leonardo stayed devoted and visited her at the cemetery every Saturday. 

In his old age, Leonardo grew more curious about the world around him. In his early nineties, his family gifted him with an Android tablet which he learned to use and called “Lo Computer”. He spent his days by the window listening to music, playing Scopa, watching Netflix, video calling family on his tablet and always looked forward to a nightly coffee with his daughter and dinners with his family. He also became more open to trying new cuisines and grew a special love for hamburgers. 

Leonardo never stopped working, if there was something that needed to be done in the yard, he was already outside doing it. He will be remembered as a man who was always young at heart and mind, a hardworking provider for his family, an affectionate Nonno, and one of the best storytellers. We will miss his endless wisdom, his countless smiles, his contagious laughter, and most of all his love for his family.

Leonardo is the beloved husband of the late Marianna (Baudanza) Mirabile.  He is the devoted father of Joseph Mirabile, Maria Cutone and her husband Mario, and Roseann DiFonzo and her husband Ralph.  The cherished grandfather of Leonard “Leo” Mirabile, Joseph Mirabile, Adrianna Coelho and her husband Dominic, Leana Cutone, and Angela Cutone. Leonardo is the doting great grandfather of Avia and Dougie Coelho.  He is the dear brother of the late Melchiore Mirabile, Teresa Mirabile Cavarretta, and Lucia Mirabile.  He is also lovingly survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Funeral from the Barile Family Funeral Home, 482 Main Street (RT 28) STONEHAM Tuesday, October 4^th at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass Celebrating Leonardo’s Eternal Life in Saint Patrick Church, 71 Central Street at 10am.  Family and friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories with Leonardo’s Family on Monday, October 3^rd from 4-7pm in the Funeral Home.  Parking attendants and elevator are available.  Entombment Holy Cross Mausoleum, Malden.

For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome