Consiglia "Celia" Barrasso

It is with deep sadness that the family of Consiglia "Celia" Barrasso, of East Boston and Needham, MA, must announce her passing, which took place April 17th at the age of 92 years.

Celia was the devoted wife of Domenic (Dom) Barrasso for 67 years, before he predeceased her in 2019. She is survived by her daughter Corinne Troiano and her husband Mark Troiano, her daughter Crista Barrasso Williams and her husband Jason Williams, and her only grandchild, Joseph Troiano. Celia was the beloved sister of Joseph Zarrella, who predeceased her, and is survived by his wife, Camille Zarrella. She was “Auntie Celia” to their children, Marc and Maria, and their families as well as to her husband’s many nieces and nephews.

Celia was born and raised in East Boston, where her precocious talents were first recognized. She was an excellent student and won the writing prize for the Class of 1950 at East Boston High School. Although life did not bring her to a college campus as she would have liked, she remained a life-long learner. She will be fondly remembered with her feet propped up, reading a book, and calling to her children to listen to a piece of writing she found beautiful and necessary to hear. She and her husband took their daughters to libraries, museums, and concerts, and passed on to them their love of movies, both old and new.

Celia’s greatest superpower, however, was her ability to form life-long friendships.  She and Dom, as a young married couple, found other young married couples with whom they would share a lifetime of great memories. Calling themselves “Club,” they even performed comedy skits for one another. When Celia moved to Needham, she quickly made friends with other young mothers.

Kids from the neighborhood knew Crista had cool parents, and they gravitated to Celia’s house, where they were always welcome. Celia delighted in reading stories to the neighborhood kids and her nieces & nephews, creating cozy moments that left lasting memories. She also learned to play bridge with a group of very kind women with whom she remained very close.

Later in life, Celia was the office manager of a local auto body shop in Needham. She retired at 80 years old, knowing just about everyone in town. She lived on her own, and on her own terms until the very end. We would like to give special thanks to Marie, her home health aide for the last couple of years, who helped make this possible.

She will be missed by many.

Relatives and friends who would like to celebrate Celia's life are invited to do so on Saturday, May 17, 2025, between 10:00am-12:00pm at Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Ave, Needham, MA. Luncheon to follow from 12:15pm – 3:00pm at Spiga Restaurant, 18 Highland Circle, Needham, MA

Contributions in her memory may be made to Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Please visit their website at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/CTY

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