Geraldine (DeMauro) Shemeligian

Geraldine Shemeligian, a nearly lifelong resident of Worcester, died Thursday at UMass Medical Center following a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 82. Born in Portland, Me., the daughter of Santo and Beatrice (Marcisso) DeMauro, she and her family moved to Worcester when she was an infant. As a young girl and as a teenager, who lived with her family on Shrewsbury Street, Gerry was a beautiful young girl with long blonde hair. Known as the “can-do” girl, Gerry displayed boundless energy and was never afraid to tackle a problem. To help out around the house, she babysat her younger brothers and sisters for her mother and father, often taking them to double features. A graduate of Commerce High School, Gerry was working at a local market when she met her soon-to-be husband, Ralph Shemeligian. “You should date an Armenian girl,” she told Ralph, who persisted until she gave him her hand. Over the years, as Ralph, a Worcester police officer, would purchase apartment buildings, Gerry would spend evenings painting and wallpapering after she took care of her own children. In addition, Gerry would look after her own family, helping her mother purchase her home on Colby Avenue, and looking after her sister Lucille and other family members. After Ralph died of cancer in 1989, Gerry continued to work on her late husband’s apartments and to care for her family. She shared a two-family mansion on Salisbury Street and cared for her aging mother-in-law, who lived upstairs. A weekly communicant at Blessed Sacrament Church, Gerry often performed charitable acts for family members, friends and her tenants. The list is too long to describe. She enjoyed traveling to visit relatives and friends, and enjoyed her Florida trips with her brother. Geraldine loved being with her family that meant the most to her. She will be sadly missed by her family and friends. She is survived by two sons, Robert and his wife Kimmie of Las Vegas and Benjamin of Worcester, and her daughter Catherine of Warwick, R.I. She also leaves her brothers Patsy, Joseph, Michael and Santo Jr., all of Worcester, and her sister Mary of Aurora, Colo. She is preceded in death by her husband Ralph, her sister Lucille and her brother James. The family wishes special thanks to the staff of Tatnuck Park Assisted Care and of Golden Living Hermitage. Geraldine’s funeral will be held on Wednesday at 10:00AM in the MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 370 Plantation St. Calling hours will be held on Tuesday evening from 4PM to 7PM in the funeral home. Interment will be with her husband in Hope Cemetery. To leave a message of Condolence or share a special memory of Geraldine please visit her memorial site at mercadantefuneral.com