Laura Geraldine Camello, 104

ONSET – Laura Geraldine Camello of Onset, passed away on Friday, May 23, 2025. She was 104 years old. In November of 2024, Laura was awarded the "Boston Post Cane" by the Select Board of Wareham, an honor given to the town's most senior resident.

Laura was born in Canton on August 16, 1920, to parents Frank and Joanna Camello. Before reaching kindergarten, her family moved to Wareham, where she would remain until her passing, still living in the house that her father built on Doherty Street. She was preceded in death by her parents and her two loving sisters, Caroline and Mamie.

The Camello family were popular in the neighborhood as they often hosted dances in a hall attached to their home on Doherty Street. One of Laura's duties was to sell hot dogs, soft drinks and candy to the patrons that would attend the dances.

In 1939, Laura graduated from Wareham High School where she was a member of the Honor Roll. One of her first jobs was in a bowling alley, resetting bowling pins. Then, at the start of World War II, she took a hob in a factory in New Bedford making military parts. When she earned her driver's license, one of her duties was to drive her father and others to Plymouth each morning, where they would serve as railroad workers. Later, Laura had a long, professional career working at Aerovox in New Bedford until her retirement.

Laura's hobbies included crossword puzzles, word searches, reading and cake decorating, the latter of which she became very skilled at. The cakes that she made were professional-grade level and often were for special occasions like graduations, holidays and birthdays. Themes for her cakes included baseball diamonds, football fields, ladies' dresses, musical instruments and more. Her cakes became extremely poplar among her many extended family members. She was also an intelligent woman who often assisted family members with their taxes or other finance-related questions. Laura was also a devout Catholic and a parishioner of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Onset and a member of the Women's Guild.

Although she did not have children of her own, Laura and her two older sisters provided a lifetime of fun and memories for four generations of nephews, nieces and grandchildren. For decades, every year, without exception, Laura served as the driver, taking multiple generations of her nieces and nephews to various fun destinations. Those excursions included trips to Lincoln Amusement Park, Onset Beach, Edaville Railroad, La Salette Shrine, Plimoth Plantations, Provincetown and more. Annual trips to Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics games were also a part of the adventure. For most holidays and for long stints every summer, the house on Doherty Street would be filled with multiple children.

Laura had many endearing characteristics. One of which was that she was a very giving woman. And what she was best at was the giving of her time, which is why she will be remembered with eternal love and appreciation.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Chapman Funerals & Cremations – Wareham, 2599 Cranberry Hwy. (Rt. 28), Wareham from 9 to 10:30 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary's Church, Onset at 11:00 AM. Interment in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Wareham will be at a later date.

For directions or to leave a message of condolence visit: www.chapmanfuneral.com