Joanna M. Carrancho Obituary
Joanna M. (Cecilio) Carrancho, 97, of Gloucester, wife of the late Manuel Carrancho, passed away on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at CareOne at Essex Park in Beverly.
She was born in Gloucester on May 25, 1927, daughter of the late Joseph and Turibia (Maia) Cecilio. She was one of nine children, raised on Sadler Street in a close-knit Portuguese neighborhood. As the only daughter in the family, after her father's death when she was just 12 years old, Joanna helped care for her eight brothers and supported the family by helping her mother run a boarding house for Portuguese fishermen. Despite the hard work required by her family's circumstances, Joanna was determined to stay in school, and she was very proud that she was the first in her family to graduate from high school with the GHS Class of 1945. In December of that same year, Joanna married the love her life, Manuel, and they soon started a family.
Joanna always enjoyed working and keeping busy. Over the years, she worked at Cape Ann Laundry where she ironed sheets, Mighty Mac where she sewed buttons on pea coats, and Jordan Marsh as a sales associate. Most of her working years were spent at Gloucester Cooperative Bank, where she served as a teller. While there, she enjoyed talking with people and helping Portuguese customers who couldn't speak English. Joanna enjoyed working and had a tremendous work ethic, but she also loved her free time traveling with family and friends and seeing many parts of the world. Among the many places she visited with her family were Austria, Alaska, Brazil, France, Italy, Holland, and two trips driving across the United States. Joanna and Manny also visited her family home in Portugal many times. During their retirement, they enjoyed spending time at their condo in Lake Worth, Florida, where they made many long-lasting friendships.
Joanna was a devout Catholic and lifelong communicant of Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. Her faith and family were most important to her. She was a devoted daughter who retired early to be her mother's full-time caregiver. She especially loved family gatherings to celebrate holidays and special occasions. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend who will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
She is survived by her daughters, Turibia Joyce, and Manuela Zerilli and her husband Anthony all of Gloucester; her son, Michael Carrancho and his wife Nancy of Fredericksburg, Virginia; grandchildren, Joanna Joyce and her husband David Murray, Colleen Rowe-Joyce and her wife Ashley, Leonardo Zerilli and his wife Kristen, Anthony Zerilli and his wife Sheela, Christopher Zerilli and his wife Ashley, Katherine Lewandowski and her husband Mark, and Emily Carrancho and her partner Ashantie Mitchell; and four great-grandchildren, Calla, Kathleen, Macie, and Piper. She is also survived by one brother, John Cecilio and his wife Charlotte, and sisters-in-law Shirley Cecilio, Mary Lou Cecilio, Turibia Cecilio, and Natalie Pimenta, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
In addition to her husband Manuel, with whom she shared 71 years of marriage, she was predeceased by seven brothers, Cil, Joe, Tony, Dom, Narcise, Chris, and Manuel, and her son-in-law, Kenneth Joyce.
The family would like to acknowledge the loving care given to Joanna at CareOne at Essex Park, especially the kindness and individual attention from Darlene and Sheila.
Joanna's Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church on Friday, January 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. There will be no visiting hours, and the burial will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to St. Vincent de Paul Cape Ann, 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930.
