Patricia A. Pacelli

LITTLETON, MA — Patricia “Patty” Ann Pacelli, 72, of Littleton passed away peacefully at her home on October 2, 2024. Born at the Franklin County Hospital in Greenfield, MA., she was the loving daughter of Mass. State Police Sgt. James H. Marshall and Nellie I. (Grigonis) Marshall. 

Patty was predeceased by her parents and her brother Jimmy who was so special to her, and her sister Christine who was her best friend up until her passing nearly five years ago to the day that Patty died. 

Patty is survived by her three children, daughter Lisa Pacelli Igoe and son-in-law James Igoe of Newbury, daughter Marie Pacelli of Boston, and son Tony Pacelli and wife Kim of Littleton, and her former husband John Pacelli. She was a loving “Mimi” to her grandchildren Drew, Jimmy, Johnny, Lillianna, Alina and Lila. 

She also leaves her niece Elizabeth Marshall and her daughter Madelyne, nephew Mat Ainsworth, wife Annie and daughter Jules, her niece April Greene, husband Corey and children Carter and Chase and many in-laws who loved her dearly. 

Patty’s father sadly passed away at 35 when Patty was only eight years old, helping to jail an unruly prisoner in the State Police Shelburne Falls Barracks. Her mother raised her and her two siblings working as a legal secretary. 

Patty grew up at the end of Conway St. in Greenfield, graduated from Greenfield High School, then studied nursing at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. She became a full time nurse and met her husband John Pacelli of East Cambridge. 

They moved to the Littleton/Acton-Boxborough area to raise their family. She continued to work as a nurse, raise her three children and supported her then husband John with the family restaurant business, a sandwich shop in Concord. She semi-retired at 62 where she continued private nursing, facial aesthetics, and subbed in the Littleton public school system. She especially liked working in the case classrooms throughout her career.

Patty volunteered at Emerson Hospital in Concord and for the American Red Cross during its blood drives, belonged to the Boxborough Garden Club, and initiated the inaugural Boxborough Winter Carnival. 

Throughout her life she loved traveling, be it to tropical islands, on Caribbean cruises or just a simple day trip in New England. She loved her house that she built in East Burke, VT., where her family and friends loved to visit, enjoyed snowmobiling and skiing on Burke Mountain and swimming and boating on Lake Willoughby. 

She was an excellent cook and loved gardening. Patty invited friends and neighbors into her home for conversation and was welcoming to everyone she met. You would never ever leave Patty’s house hungry with her endless dishes and food supply. She was the hostess with the mostest and also was always one hot ticket! 

Patty was active her entire life and was an avid walker where she would visit with her friends and neighbors daily. She enjoyed all of her friends, especially the ones in her Littleton neighborhood “The Village People” as she called them. Throughout the years she would go on long walks with her beloved german shepards — Skippy, Woody and Gus. More recently she got into the pickleball craze and became an avid pickler.

After fully retiring she loved spending time with her children and grandchildren and loved getting together at parties. She loved, supported and encouraged her children and grandchildren. She was a kind and generous friend. Her energy, spirit and humor filled the room. Patty never met a stranger.

At Patty’s request, there will not be a wake or formal funeral service. “Only a party sometime soon with lots of friends, music and celebration,” said her daughter Marie. “That’s how my mom wanted to be remembered.”