Rosanne (Arruda) Keating, of Lunenburg

Rosanne (Arruda) Keating was welcomed into the loving arms of God and her parents in heaven on January 21, 2026. Rosanne was born on September 5, 1950 in the Flint area of Fall River, Massachusetts to Louis and Angelina (Leite) Arruda. She was a 1968 graduate of Durfee High School, a 1972 graduate of Fitchburg State College majoring in Early Childhood Education and received her Master’s degree in English as a Second Language from Boston State College in 1976. Rosanne taught for 34 years in the Fitchburg Public School System. She worked as a Title 1 Instructor, Kindergarten teacher as well as a Reading teacher and English as a Second Language teacher. Rosanne is survived by her husband of 54 years, Stephen J Keating of Lunenburg, MA, a sister Theresa Arruda-Tanner and her husband, Carl, of Oakley, CA. She leaves her 2 children, Melissa (Keating) Roane and her son-in-law Bert Roane of Greenup, KY, Abi Keating of Lunenburg, MA, grandchildren Kaitlyn R. Roane of Greenup, KY, Hannah A. Roane of Leominster, MA, Brendan K. Roane of Greenup, KY and the joy of her life, great-granddaughter Grace, in Rosanne’s words: the “pepper of my life” of Greenup, KY. In addition, Rosanne is survived by her sisters-in-law Paula Keating Beauvais (William), Kerry Keating Boudreau (Steven), Scherrie Keating (Shawn), and Maureen Keating (Paul) and her brother-in-law Christopher Keating (partner Laurie Raimon). Rosanne was a most gentle and loving person who enjoyed sitting on the beach in South Carolina, tending to her flowers and plants, giving heartfelt advice to her grandchildren, keeping up with her favorite movies on the Hallmark Channel, cavorting around town with her sisters-in-law Paula Beauvais and Kerry Boudreau and keeping in touch with her lifelong friends, Margaret Clancy, cousin Helen Jackson, Madeline McHugh, Betty Berthiaume, as well as her Southern friends Kim Catrone, Elaine Martin, Vicky Bartus and Sue Taylor of South Carolina. A visitation will be held on Wednesday morning, January 28 at St. Boniface Church, 817 Massachusetts Avenue, Lunenburg, at 10:00am followed by the celebration of a funeral Mass at 11:00am. A private burial will take place in St. Bernard’s Cemetery, Fitchburg, Massachusetts in the Spring. A reception will take place immediately following the funeral service at Slattery’s Restaurant on Lunenburg Street in Fitchburg. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers please consider sending a generous contribution to Lunenburg Turkey Hill Family Lions Club Food Bank, PO Box 316, Lunenburg, MA 01462. Rosanne’s family wishes to gratefully thank the angels of HealthAlliance Home Health and Hospice of UMASS Memorial Health Care for the kindness, gentleness, and consideration they offered to Rosanne and her family through her last days.

Tributes

Rosanne (Arruda) Keating, of Lunenburg

September 5, 1950 - January 21, 2026