"Miss your beautiful smile and all the great times we shared. Thinking of you at this 5 year anniversary when we lost a beloved family member! Always in my heart and thoughts! ??"
In loving memory of
Teresa Lupoli Russell
June 30, 1945 - July 13, 2018
Teresa Lupoli Russell, 73, of Prudence Island, R.I. passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, July 13th 2018.Growing up in East Boston, MA, she was the daughter of the late Nicola Lupoli and Rita Glynn. She was the wife of Thomas Russell for 51 years.Teresa graduated from Fitton Central High, East Boston. Teresa then received Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Massachusetts College of Art. She then applied her education first in the Riverside Unified School Department, California and later in the Providence School Department in Rhode Island, as an art specialist at the E.W. Flynn Model School. She then received a Master of Arts in Education degree from Rhode Island School of Design. During which time she participated in the Interrelationships of the Arts, an experimental program based in the Netherlands uniting art, music, theatre and dance studies. This experience would shape Teresas many program achievements over a 30 year teaching career. As a R.I.S.D. professor of art education and critic teacher, she trained aspiring art teachers in her Flynn School classroomActive in Rhode Islands Art community she was co-founder of the Society for Education through the Arts, serving as vice president and president. During her tenure she sponsored Green Spaces for People a public forum on art in the parks resulting in Sunday concerts, annual arts festivals and childrens days. As a member of the Rhode Island Art Teachers Association, she was state chairman of Start with Art promoting public awareness for childrens art. Teresa was also instrumental in initiating television programs especially for children Art Train and Allamaze. School and community pride programs include The Litter Critter Campaign. Most notable among her many achievements was the creation of the Flynn Sculpture Garden Project, transforming a rarely used asphalt courtyard into a sculpture filled, beautifully landscaped garden for inner-city children. During the last decade of teaching she co-ordinated the Adopt a School Program between E.W. Flynn Model Elementary School and Woman and Infants Hospital.Funding for her many projects came as grants from the R.I. State Council on the Arts, the R.I. Foundation, the City of Providence and in-kind assistance from local agencies and individuals.In all these efforts, Teresa endeavored to synchronize art room lessons and activities with other discipline programs throughout Flynn School in order to provide support, continuity and success to all class teaching and to promote synergy among administration, staff, students and community.Upon retirement she and her husband became year round residents of Prudence Island. Active in the community she served as president of the Prudence Island Quilters Guild and supported many island causes. Teresa enjoyed travels through out Europe especially Italy, returning every 5 years with her husband to commemorate anniversaries. She dearly loved her growing family, gifting, hosting gatherings, dinners and friend days on Prudence Island. This after many years of 4th of July parties while living in Bristol.In all things familial, social and professional, Teresa celebrated life, radiating her warmth, compassion and generosity to everyone around her.In addition to her husband Thomas, she is survived by her her sisters Lillian Grady and her husband Kenneth Grady, Mary Jean Matarazzo and the Late Steven Matarazzo, and Roseanne Ankiewicz and the Late Stanley Ankiewitz, her brothers Nicola Lupoli and his wife Deborah, and Dana Lupoli, sister in-law Joanne Poland and her husband David Poland, Brother in Law James Russell and his wife Ann Russell and aunts, cousins, many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her brother Dominic Lupoli.Calling Hours will be held on Tuesday July 24 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at Connors Funeral Home 55 W Main Rd Portsmouth, RI.A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday July 24 at 11:00 AM at St. Marys Church 330 Wood Street Bristol RI 02809A graveside service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Clinton, MA on Wednesday July 25th at 11:00 AM.Memorial donations can be made to the Prudence Island School Foundation at prudenceislandschool.org, Prudence Island Volunteer Fire Department at www.pivfd.org and the Prudence Conservancy at www.prudenceconservancy.orgFlorist by Daisy Digins, Flowers and Gifts, daisydigins@aol.com.
Tributes
"Words cannot express how you feel about the loss of your loved one, Teresa Lupoli Russell. I would like to share with you these words of comfort and encouragement found in Hosea 14:13. It says: From the power of the Grave I will redeem them; From death I will recover them. Where are your stings, O Death?A promise from God to bring to life our loved ones who have fallen asleep in death. What a wonderful promise from a God who cannot lie. JW.org."
"I am so sorry for all or our loss, my heart reaches out to you, Tom, and surviving family. Sorry I will not be able to attend services, but you have my most sincere condolences.Brian Weber"
"Tom, we are so sorry to learn of such a great loss of such a wonderful woman!"
"Please accept my familys heartfelt condolences on the loss of your dear loved one. May you find comfort in fond memories of them, and Gods promise to restore those asleep in death to perfect life on a paradise Earth, and to rid us of death forever."
"I am sorry to hear of this loss. I was in Ms. Russell's art class in Flynn decades ago (late 80s). I love the photo of her you chose; she looks like I remember - fun and energetic and like you want to be around her. I have lots of little memories of her class, like peeling glue off my fingers like skin, making paper mache animals, and the painting I made that was not perfect but my mom still has it on her wall. Mostly I remember a warm, welcoming room where you would always learn something new - Ms. Russell created that and I still remember it after all these years. She was a joy."
"Dear Tom, We are so very sorry to hear of Terry's passing. Wishing you peace. Love, Don and Barbara Tattersall"
"A Respect was sent on July 23, 2018We will all miss you, Terry, may you find peace and love forever. Love and prayers, Sam & Denise Lupoli and Auntie Vivian"
"Id like to express my sincerest condolences. I had the great pleasure to meet Tere as I embarked on my teaching career at Flynn School, first as a student teacher and afterwords as a full-time teacher. Tere brought the arts to life at our school and was always ready to dive into a cross curricular endeavor. She was a great colleague. Tere left many wonderful impressions upon me. Most memorable was the fact that upon her retirement she gave a gift to the children of Flynn School with a performance by Dan Butterworth and his marionettes. That was followed by an amazing Cupcake Parade. Tere truly lived on the idea that it is better to give than to receive."
"A Wild Comfort was ordered on July 21, 2018"
"I had the pleasure of working with Tere at the E.W.Flynn Model Elementary School. She was an amazing educator and her students loved her. She interrupted my classroom one day to congratulate me and to present me with a hand made certificate for becoming a redhead like her. She was such fun. Her 4th of July Parties, Cake Parade, wit and charm will live on in happy memories of a lovely person who brought such life to everything.The last time I saw her was at Tom's fantastic art show in Newport, bejeweled with many ropes of pearls. It was such a happy occasion.Tom, and your families have our deepest sympathy."
"What a joy it was to know Tere. I had many occasions with Tere at Quilters, a Sewing Club and at the Farnham Farm and Hope Brown Center, all on Prudence Island. She enthusiastically helped on our clean-up and beautification days at the Farm every year.She was present at all our Dining Around the World events and special parties for the Prudence Island School. I would look at the list of people signed up to attend and if Teres name was not there would get on the phone.. I had the sense that once Tere and Tom arrived the party could begin. She would proudly wear her gingko leaf pendant whenever she came to the Farnham Farm. Her smiling face would greet everyone as she traveled around the room visiting with old friends and making new ones. She was the kind of person who embodied the phrase, lit up the room. She was full of dignity and grace and is sorely missed already. Priscilla Gill"
"Tom, So sorry to hear of Tere's passing. Know that my thoughts and prayers are with you."