Rosemary Cancian, 96, died on February 24 at Neville Center, Cambridge Massachusetts. Born Rosemary Sacco in Braintree MA, she attended Girls Latin School and Radcliffe, graduating in 1945. In 1949 she married John Cancian (Harvard 1942, Harvard Law school 1949), whom she had known since childhood. They settled in Belmont, where she raised their five children. Active in the Belmont community where they had many friends, she and John were founding members of the Belmont Hill Club. After her husband’s untimely death, she raised the children as a single parent. Later, she bought a house in Hyannis Port, where she lived for many years and which became the center of her extended family’s gatherings.
She had boundless energy and an active mind. She was active with Radcliffe alumnae activities, organizing her class reunions for many years. Her passion for the arts kept her deeply involved with those communities. She volunteered as a docent at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, giving tours and lectures. She taught a course on American painting and furniture at Regis College until 85 years old. When she moved to Cape Cod, she became deeply involved with the Sandwich Glass Museum and the Cape Museum of Fine Arts. She also served on the board of directors of Union Chapel in Hyannis Port. She became a master gardener and kept a vegetable garden for many years to the delight of the local rabbit population.
Her love and devotion to family will be remembered by her five surviving children (Mark, David, Elizabeth Rust, Maria Klutey, Alisa Morrison), 12 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, one sister (Joanne Pugh) and many nieces and nephews. She will be interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery with her husband and infant daughter. Because of the pandemic, funeral services will be private. Instead of flowers, donations should be sent to Union Chapel, 5 Wachusett Ave, Hyannis Port, MA 02647.
The service for Rosemary will be live-streamed at 1:30 PM on Saturday March 6th, 2021. To watch live-stream please click the link below which will be available on Saturday March 6th, 2021.
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