Esterina Venturo

Esterina Venturo, age 91, of Somerville and Medford, died Sunday, September 12 at the High Point Hospice House in Haverhill.

Born in Pretoro, Italy on May 18, 1930 she was the daughter of the late Domenico and Maria (Addario) Balerna.

Esterina was born and raised in Pretoro, Italy. In 1963, along with her two children, she moved to America, joining her husband and the family settled in Somerville. She was very proud to have become an American citizen in the late 1980's. Esterina and her husband were proud owners of the Ball Square Italian Bakery of Somerville. She was a member of both St. Clements Church of Somerville and St. Francis of Assisi Church of Medford. She enjoyed cooking, baking, gardening, and taking numerous trips back to Italy to visit family as well as a trip to South America to visit her brother and trips to Canada to visit her sister. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family.

She was the beloved wife of the late Antonio Venturo. She was the loving mother of Maria Plunkett and her husband Jim of Wakefield and Paul Venturo of Medford. She was the sister of the late Antonio Balerna, Lea Scelsa, Nicola Balerna, and Angela Balerna. She was the most proud "Nonni" to her four grandchildren: Holly Kane and her husband Justin of CA, James Plunkett and his wife Cassie of Lynnfield, Ashley Dobbs and her husband Erik of CO and Shelby Meeker and her husband Isaac of CO, as well as her to her five great grandchildren.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield on Tuesday, Sept 21 at 10am. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Monday, Sept 20 from 4-7pm. Entombment, Holy Cross Cemetery & Mausoleum, Malden.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 309 Waverley Oaks Rd, Waltham, MA 02452.

September 20, 2021
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

McDonald Funeral Home
19 Yale Ave
Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 245-3550

September 21, 2021
10:00 AM

St. Joseph Church
173 Albion St.
Wakefield, MA 01880