Mildred I. (Henke) Rocca

Mildred I. (Henke) Rocca of Stoneham passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 surrounded by her family.

Born on Friday, March 8, 1929 in Jasper, Indiana, Mildred is the loving daughter of the late Joseph Henke and Catherine (Keller) Henke.  Mildred is a warm, kind & gentle daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Mildred, “Millie” was quite a person. She grew up on a farm in rural Southern Indiana with 15 brothers and sisters. They grew their own food, had their own smokehouse, made their own beer and tended to their own medical needs.  I remember her telling us she fell on a pitchfork one day and they put some turpentine on it and sent her off to school!  After raising six children and the early passing of her husband she went to work as an electronics assembler in the defense industry, a job she had right out of high school.  Millie enjoyed watching the birds in the birdbath outside her window, and playing Bingo on Sunday nights, always getting there 2 hours early for a good seat and a sandwich with her friends.  She went to church at St. Patrick’s every Sunday rain or shine. She was quite a cook and baker making all kinds of Italian and German dishes.  Her pizzelle cookies were always a highlight at Christmas.   Millie was a very kind and generous person who will be missed by friends and family alike.

Mildred is the beloved wife of the late Dominic Rocca.  She is the devoted mother of Michael Rocca and his wife Paula, Kristina Purington and her husband Ken, Carla Cerrato and her husband David, Susan Haslam and her husband Brian, David Rocca and Joseph Rocca.  The cherished grandmother of Jeremy, Michelle, David, Christopher, Kevin, Daniel, Adam, Jessica, Emily, Amanda and Mallory, Mildred is the doting great grandmother of Hayllee, Alessa, Gabriella, David, Joseph, Arianna, Tyler, Joseph and Dylan.  She is the dear sister of the late Robert, Alphonse, Edgar, Otmar, Victor, Gilbert, Stella, Marylou, Francis, Walter, Gus, Rita, Caroline, Rosie and Donald.  Mildred is also lovingly survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral from the Barile Family Funeral Home, 482 Main Street (RT 28) STONEHAM, Monday, December 4^th at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass Celebrating Mildred’s Eternal Life in Saint Patrick Church, 71 Central Street at 10am.  Family and friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories with Mildred’s Family on Sunday, December 3^rd from 2-5pm in the Funeral Home.  Parking attendants and elevator are available.  Interment Saint Patrick’s Cemetery, Stoneham.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in Mildred’s memory to the Charity of Your Choice or  Bear Hill Nursing Home Residents Counsel Fund 11 North Street, Stoneham, MA 02180.

For more information, www.facebook.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome