Obituary of Rose Lena (Tavella) Drinkwater

Rose L. (Tavella) Drinkwater PEABODY--Rose Lena (Tavella) Drinkwater, wife of the late Lawrence Joseph Drinkwater, went home to be with our Lord peacefully from the Kaplan Family Hospice House on Sunday, December 16, 2007. She was born in East Boston on August 18, 1917, to the late Rosina (Avola) and Giuseppe Tavella, both of Sicily. Rose spent most of her early life in East Boston, and resided in Peabody since 1952 with her late husband Lawrence Joseph Drinkwater. Rose was a sample maker for a Boston area fashion designer before staying at home to raise her four children. When her last child was a teen, she began working as a Hostess for McDonalds at the North Shore Shopping Center in Peabody where she retired after 11 years. She and her late husband were ballroom dancing instructors for 30 years, and were known for their grace, elegance, and style on the dance floor. She enjoyed Sundays at church worshipping God, gardening in her yard, and cooking her memorable Italian meatballs and sauce. She has four children, the late Dianne Pellegrini and husband Robert Pellegrini of Revere, Carol Gauthier and husband Dr. Leonard Gauthier of Danvers, Lawrence Drinkwater and wife Karen Drinkwater of Peabody, and Lisa Cantalupo and her husband Guy Cantalupo of Newmarket, New Hampshire. Rose cherished her grandchildren, Ronald Tashjian and wife Heather of Watertown, Amy Harrington and husband Keith of Roslindale, Robert Pellegrini and Amie of Rhode Island, Joseph Pellegrini of California, Marc Drinkwater of Peabody, and Giovanni and Gianluca Cantalupo of New Hampshire. She also leaves behind six great grandchildren, Will and Caroline Harrington, Regina and Nicholas Tashjian, and Sam and Max Pellegrini. Rose is also survived by her brother Joseph Tavella and wife Catherine “Dolly” of Salem, her sister-in-laws Sarah Tavella of Peabody, Kaye Tavella of Revere, Grace Nardizzi of Malden, and Mary Bevilacqua and Rose Bevilacqua of Florida, and her many cherished nieces, nephews, and friends. She was the beloved sister of the late Mary (Tavella) Albano, Frank Tavella, Anthony Tavella, and Phillip Tavella. We will all miss the prettiest Rose on Earth. A visitation will be held on Wednesday from 4 to 8 P.M. at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn Street location, Peabody. Her Funeral Service will be held on Thursday at 12 Noon in the Calvary Christian Church, 47 Grove Street, Lynnfield, MA to which relatives and friends are kindly invited. This will be followed by burial at the Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody. The family encourages donations to be made in her memory to the Kaplan Family Hospice House/Hospice of the North Shore, 10 Elm Street, Danvers, Massachusetts 01923.