Arlene Mary Fragata Landry, beloved wife and mother and former Manchester-by-the-Sea resident, passed away peacefully at age 89 in Boca Raton, Florida on November 22 with family by her side. Born in Gloucester, Massachusetts on October 2, 1931 to Mary Viera and Eduardo Fragata, Arlene came from a proud family of fishermen and always valued and paid tribute to her Portuguese heritage. Arlene graduated from Gloucester High School in 1950 and Chandler School for Women in Boston in 1952. Her career included positions at Sylvania Electric in Ipswich, the medical practices of Dr. Robert Lundberg and Dr. Warren Babson in Gloucester, and Community Savings Bank in Jupiter, Florida.
In 1955, Arlene married her next-door neighbor and childhood sweetheart, Donald H. Landry, Sr. Together Arlene and Don raised their five children while living in Manchester and later in life relocated to Jupiter and Delray Beach, Florida. An active member of the Manchester community, Arlene spent many hours volunteering with the Manchester PTA, the Manchester Girl Scouts, and the Sacred Heart Women’s Guild, where she chaired the publication of the 1973 cookbook, “Holy Smoke What’s Cooking.” Despite Arlene’s healthy fear of the water, she left Manchester in 1979 to follow her husband’s dream of sailing the world in a 40-foot Hinckley sailboat. In her later years she enjoyed traveling to visit her family and cheering on her grandchildren in all their pursuits.
Arlene always had a sparkle in her eye and made a friend wherever she went. She was an amazing cook and loved a day in the sun, catching up on local news in the Manchester Cricket and Gloucester Daily Times, and reading biographies of famous women. Her family admired her special gift of making each of them feel like they were the most special person in the world and she always made room for anyone who walked in the door around her dinner table. Arlene’s proudest accomplishments were her five children and 11 grandchildren, and she found her greatest happiness when she was surrounded by family and friends.
Arlene leaves behind her loving husband of 65 years, Don, and their cherished children and families: Lawrence and Antonette Landry, Donald H. Landry, Jr., Dana Landry and William Moody, Leslie Snavely and Wayne Loring, and Lee and Robert Ward; her grandchildren, Matthew, Claire, and Christopher Landry; Heather and Travis Landry; Emily, Cameron, Amanda, and Lexi Snavely; Alexander, Madeleine, and Olivia Ward; and her first great-grandson Jack Landry, born just this year. She is predeceased by her parents, Eduardo and Mary Fragata; her siblings, Antonio and Mary and their spouses; and her son-in-law, Mark Snavely.
A memorial service is planned for summer 2021 in her beloved Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she will rest beside family that has passed before her. A mass intention will take place on January 31, 2021 at 10 am at Ascension Catholic Church in Boca Raton, Florida. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org/donate.
