Feb 25, 1934 — Jul 2, 2026
Born in 1934, Esther was raised on a chicken farm in Lexington, one of ten children in a large, close-knit Italian family. Her parents, Dominic and Lilliana (Belladonna) Iovino, immigrated from Avellino, Italy, and instilled in their children the values of hard work, resilience, and dedication to family—values that would guide her throughout her life.
After graduating from Lexington High School and completing secretarial school, she began her career in Boston before joining Lincoln Laboratory. She later became part of the original group that helped launch The MITRE Corporation in the mid-1950s, where she served as an Executive Assistant to the company president and remained for an extraordinary 52-year career.
In 1956, she married, and they settled in Reading, where she raised her daughter, Denise. Although the marriage ended after 25 years, she remained in the home, where she lived for nearly 70 years. She was a devoted mother whose greatest joy was supporting her only child. Whether it was years of dance classes, horseback riding lessons and competitions, or musical pursuits, she enthusiastically encouraged every passion and celebrated every accomplishment.
Family was at the center of everything she did. While she maintained friendships through work and throughout her life, her closest bonds were with her seven sisters and two brothers. She was known for her strong will, her sense of humor, and her unwavering presence in the lives of those she loved. She was steady, dependable, and deeply devoted.
In later years, she faced the challenges of cognitive decline with quiet strength. In 2024, she moved to The Delaney at The Vale in Woburn, where she was cared for with compassion and dignity. With time, she settled into the community, found enjoyment in activities and social events, and formed meaningful relationships with the staff who became like an extended family.
Esther was preceded in death by her parents, Dominic and Lilliana (Belladonna) Iovino; her sisters, Mary (Iovino) Kennard of Jacksonville, Arkansas, Josephine (Iovino) Caporizzo of Bedford, Massachusetts, and Violet (Iovino) Foster of Acton, Massachusetts; her brothers, Pasqualino Iovino of Bedford, Massachusetts, and Dominic Iovino Jr. of Bedford, New Hampshire; her niece, Lyn Marie (Kennard) Canon of Jacksonville, Arkansas; her niece, Helen (Iovino) Psomiades of Hudson, New Hampshire; and her nephews, David Iovino of Billerica, Massachusetts, and Charles Iovino of Bedford, Massachusetts.
She is survived by her daughter, Denise diLuca of Wakefield, Massachusetts; her sisters, Frances (Iovino) Falcione of Bedford, Massachusetts, Jean Iovino of Bedford, Massachusetts, Ruth (Iovino) Benoit of Reading, Massachusetts, and Nadine (Iovino) Kostriza of Lexington, Massachusetts; twenty-nine nieces and nephews; and many great-nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Road, Bedford, on Wednesday, July 8, from 3:00–7:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 9, at the Bedford Funeral Home, followed by interment at Shawsheen Cemetery in Bedford.
