Carol Zani

Carol Ann (Porrazzo) Zani, 80, of Uxbridge died June 22 at Milford Regional Medical Center after battling a recent illness. She passed away peacefully with family by her side.

Carol Ann was born in Framingham on Sept. 16, 1943, to Caroline (DeStefano)and Alfred Porrazzo. She lived nearly her entire life in Hopkinton before moving to Uxbridge in 2007.

She was a 1961 graduate of Hopkinton High School, where she was on the girls basketball team. She also played college basketball at Framingham State, where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1965. She then became a fifth grade classroom teacher at Elmwood School, leaving a few years later to start a family.

Carol grew up on Chestnut Street, where she later raised her four girls in her childhood home. From 1969 to 1971, she owned and operated Chestnut Hollow Kindergarten & Nursery School, until kindergarten became part of the public school system, something for which she advocated. While raising her family, Carol always was very involved in the town of Hopkinton, from teaching and volunteering in the school system to coaching Little League and leading Girl Scout troops.

Her faith was very strong, and her church played a significant role in her life.

A lifelong educator, Carol worked in the Hopkinton Public School system as a health teacher at both Center School and Elmwood School for several decades.

Carol was a devout Catholic and devoted parishioner at St. John the Evangelist Church in Hopkinton, teaching CCD classes for many years. She eventually became the director of religious education and served in that position for 34 years. Prior to that, she held the same title at St. Cecilia’s Church in Ashland for many years.

Carol loved (and lived) her work for the Church, fully committed to her faith and her career and all the hundreds of families she encountered over the years. Preparing children for their First Holy Communion was something she enjoyed immensely.

When not working or volunteering, Carol loved spending time with her family, both immediate and extended. As Carol was an only child, her cousins were more like siblings to her, and they were all very close throughout all of their lives. In more recent years, she had reconnected with several high school friends and looked forward to spending time with them, meeting for lunch on a regular basis. She liked attending programs at the Uxbridge, Sutton and Hopkinton senior centers with her cousin Marie.

Carol was always extremely proud of her four daughters, and her grandchildren were her pride and joy. She always loved sharing stories about them with anyone who would listen! They all thank her for her undying commitment, support and unconditional love.

Carol loved visiting Maine with her family and spending time at the beach. She also enjoyed a few memorable road trips with her cousins, including to Nashville and Disney World.

For many years, Carol worked for Sadlier, an educational publishing company, as a trainer for the religious education division. She visited parishes around the state, teaching their staff and volunteers about implementing the curriculum.

Carol is survived by her children, Lisa Zani, Caroline Zani, Nicole Zani and Monica Zani, along with two granddaughters, Amanda Zani and Victoria (Tori) Stratton, and her grandson, Sebastian Zani, who is preparing to be commissioned this summer as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She also leaves behind many cousins and friends who will miss her dearly, especially Liz Ross, who was like a sister to her.

Memorial calling hours will be 3-6 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, at Callanan Cronin Funeral Home, 34 Church Street, Hopkinton. A memorial funeral Mass will be held Friday, June 28, at 10 a.m. in her beloved St. John’s Church.

Following cremation, burial will take place at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Carol’s memory to the religious education program at St John’s Church, 20 Church Street, Hopkinton.

The family wishes to thank the staff at Milford Hospital for their professionalism and compassion, and family friend Eileen Bernier, who assisted with Carol’s in-home care during the last several months.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.