Sally Jo (Rancier) Caira

Sally J. (Rancier) Caira, 76, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Monday, June 19, 2017. Born in San Antonio, Texas on August 1, 1940, she was the daughter of the late William H. Rancier and Lenelle (Gobble) Rancier. As children of military parents, Sally and her brother Barry travelled within the US and abroad. Her fondest memories were the years in Germany with their beloved two boxers.

While her father was stationed in Arizona at Williams Air Force Base, it was there that she met her husband, Armando, known to all as Al. After traveling from Arizona to Alaska, the couple settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts in 1964 to raise their family. It was in Sudbury where they became members of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church and formed life long friendships within the parish, the quilting guild, and the Sudbury Senior Center. Sally looked forward to the many trips and events with her group of friends she made over the years and also helped make many of the beautiful quilts that would get raffled off at the church.

Sally worked as a lunch/recess aid at Fairbank School in Sudbury, was a CCD teacher, and worked at CVS in West Concord where she loved working in full costume on Halloween. Sally was an avid reader, she could always be found with a book in her hands but one of her favorite authors was Stephen King. She and Al loved gardening and could often be seen tending to the many flowers and plants in the yard or resting in the shade with a glass of iced tea.

Sally Jo was a generous spirit who enjoyed people, loved to ask questions and find out what made others tick. She was proud of her Texas roots, which were never far below the surface and loved to tell stories about her growing up - usually exaggerating her Texas drawl for added effect! She enjoyed a good conversation because she liked to learn about the world and the opinions of other people and would openly share her opinion on any topic of interest. She was honest and straightforward and loved to make her funny, irreverent observations with a straight face - just to keep you guessing! Her sense of humor was dry, but gentle because she was a generous person who had a gift for making others feel welcome. She knew who she was and from that place she knew how to live and let others live.

She is predeceased by her husband Armando J. Caira. She is survived by her children Maria Caira, Wendy Caira and Anthony Caira, grandchildren Leonard Caira, Dean Caira, Anthony Caira and Dominic Dallaire, and her brother Barry Rancier , cousins from Texas and her many nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Sally on Sunday, June 25, 2017 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Fowler-Kennedy Funeral Home, 42 Concord St., Maynard. Funeral Mass Monday, June 26, 2017 at 9:00AM Our Lady of Fatima Parish 160 Concord Road, Sudbury MA 01776. Burial will follow at Wadsworth Cemetery, Sudbury.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer's Association. https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=32112&32112.donation=form1&