October 17, 1926 — June 1, 2023
Edwina F. (McCormick) Kasper, 96, of Reading, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, June 1.
Edwina grew up and went to school in Boston, and married the love of her life, Francis Kasper, on August 16, 1947. They raised their family of six children in Stoughton, Mass., and moved to Reading in 1963. Their home on Village St. was the gathering place for annual Thanksgiving dinners and Memorial Day cookouts for extended family and friends. No matter how many were gathered, there was always room for one more.
Edwina was widowed at age 49 and began a 20-year career working for Boston Gas in customer service while raising her three teenagers still living at home. After retiring, she was a precinct captain for local elections for many years and volunteered for the VITA tax preparation program every tax season. She delivered meals on wheels and was an active member of the Reading Senior Center. Edwina loved sewing and knitting and formed lifetime friendships sharing these hobbies with friends from Stoughton to Reading. The Town of Reading quilt hanging on the Senior Center wall was made by the Nimble Thimblers quilt group of which she was a founding member.
To her family, and to everyone who entered her home, Edwina/Nana had the singular ability to be the center of attention without saying a word. She sat quietly as her children, their children, friends and friends of friends chatted and joked, occasionally contributing a comment and inevitably evoking a comment that she was “such great company.” She did not want the spotlight on herself, leaving plenty of room for it to shine on others.
She was the good-natured butt of countless jokes, about her “chickenless” chicken soup, her diminishing height, her occasional malaprops – as her birthdays piled up, she struggled sometimes to find the right word. But never was the ribbing intended to hurt – she was revered by her family, more than she even knew. Our collective hearts ache at her loss.
Edwina is the beloved wife of the late Francis J. Kasper. She is the devoted mother of Diane Chandler and her husband Steven, Deborah White and her husband Malcolm, James Kasper and his wife Irene, Stephen Kasper and his wife Stacy, John Kasper and his wife Mary Amaru and the late Francis Kasper III and his surviving wife Christine Daugherty. She was a beloved grandmother to her 12 grandchildren: Steven Chandler Jr. and his wife Emily, Kristin Baker and her husband Ben, Matthew Chandler and his wife Rachel, Malcolm White and his wife Laura, Casey Kasper – Welles and her husband Todd, Max Kasper and his wife Veronica Ventocilla, Michael Kasper and his fiancée Natalie Schrimpf, Molly Kasper and her husband Anthony Borasso, Nathan Kasper, Corinne Kasper, Devon Kasper Sloat and her husband Adam and Caitlyn Kasper. She was the great-grandmother “Nana Weena” to fourteen great-grandchildren and dear sister of Michael Bille and Paul Bille and the late Edward “Bud” McCormick, John McCormick and Marjorie Scioletti. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are kindly invited to gather and share memories with the family on Thursday June 8th, 2023 from 9 am – 10 am in the Doherty Barile Family Funeral Home 11 Linden St. READING followed by a Funeral Mass Celebrating Edwina’s Eternal Life in St. Agnes Church 186 Woburn St. Reading at 10:30 am. Interment will follow in Forest Glen Cemetery, Reading.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in memory of Edwina to the Reading Senior Center 49 Pleasant St. Reading MA 01867.
