Constance "Connie" Leasca of Cumberland passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, with her children by her side. She was born on June 13, 1927, in Fabyan, CT, to Demitri and Rena Angelo. The daughter of Albanian immigrants and the 7th of 10 siblings, she was most ebullient when surrounded by family. She grew up on a farm and never allowed the memory of that dreamscape where she once gathered green and yellow beans with her sisters to leave her. Mrs. Leasca, to her kindergarten students, Aunt Connie to dozens of nieces & nephews, and Nana, to her grandchildren & great-grandchildren, her mission was to show people they belonged everywhere. She was energetic, clever, selfless, wise, admirably stubborn, and stronger than imaginable. These traits served her well as she taught hundreds of students as a teacher's aide, raised her son Arthur never to fear staking his claim in the world, and brought her widespread family home to be together, wherever their travels had taken them. She was no stranger to adventure, having traveled the world and crisscrossed the country, so nobody had to go too long without feeling her radiant love. She pushed her loved ones to be fiercely independent, but her magnetism never failed in bringing them all back together.

One of her favorite questions was, "when are you coming home to visit?" She did not need to ask. Whenever anyone thought of her, they were home with Connie. She was 95 years old and proud of it. Her memory is a blessing.

Constance was preceded in death by her husband, James Leasca, and siblings, Vasile Angelo, Theodore Angelo, Evangelos Angelo, George Angelo, Theresa Kollios, Celia Popiak, Germaine Dono, and Arthur Angelo. She is survived by her sister, Grace Arsenault, and daughter Melanie Smith of Dallas, TX; son Thomas Leasca and his wife Joslin of South Kingstown; daughter Maria Leasca of Baltimore, MD; son Arthur Leasca of East Greenwich; grandchildren Amy Leasca Casey, Stacey Leasca, Andrew Smith, Angela Leasca, Theo Leasca; and great-grandchildren Edmund "Teddy" Casey and Frances "Frankie" Casey.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Funeral Service on Saturday, June 18 at 11:00 am at Saint John the Baptist Romanian Orthodox Church, 501 E. School Street, Woonsocket. Burial will follow in St. John Cemetery, Woonsocket.

Visiting hours will be held Saturday from 9:00-10:00am in the O'Neill Funeral Home, 3102 Mendon Road, Cumberland.