Ida Mary Ciancio

Ida was born in Italy on August 22, 1915 to Serafino and Edelizia Zarrella. She was one of four children. Ida lived in Italy till 1924. At the age of 8 years old she came to America and landed in Brockston, Mass. She graduated from Brockston High School in 1934 and then went to the Mansfield Academy of Beauty Culture. Ida met Alfred Ciancio there and they went together for 2 years then married in March 28, 1937. The newlyweds lived with Ida's mother for 2 years in which time they had saved enough money to buy everything they needed, with cash, and moved into a two apartment house. In 1941 Alfred was inducted in the United States Army Medical Corp and when he returned in 1943 they bought a piece of land in a small town where he opened a barber shop. Ida and Alfred then sold their home and built a Cape Cod house and they also bought the building where the barber shop was which had 2 stores and 3 apartments. Alfred and Ida had real bad hay fever and so did her brother. While in California Ida's brother told them that he had no hay fever problems and that he was gonna sell his grocery business and move to California. Ida and Alfred both followed him and sold their home and business to move to California in 1952. They lived in a furnished apartment in Compton while Alfred went to barber school in order to get his license. Once he received it he opened a shop in Pasadena opposite Sears. After a slow start business picked up and they had some money to invest so they bought a lot on Lake Ave. in Pasadena and built 6 apartments. They lived in one and rented the rest and Ida was the apartment manager for almost 10 years. They also bought the house next door to the apartments. They eventually sold the house and apartments to a gentleman who owned a Italian store next to the apartments and they moved into a Spanish style house on the street behind the barber shop. In 1984 Alfred and Ida went on trips to Mexico, Hawaii, many states back east and a month and a half long trip to Italy. Alfred began to get ill and suffered a stroke and within a month he passed away (November 20, 1986.) The memories of the 49 wonderful years that they spent together and family and friends is what kept Ida going until her death on June 26, 2009. She died peacefully at her home in Monrovia. Ida is survived by her many nieces and nephews and friends and will be deeply missed. A Rosary will be held on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 7:00 Pm at Douglass & Zook Chapel of Remembrance. Funeral Mass will be On Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 10:00 AM at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church with burial to follow at Live Oak Memorial Park.