Obituaries

Host of Italian American Radio Program Pearl Oliva Has Died

Family and friends may visit Norton Funeral Home on Monday, Oct. 14 with a Funeral Mass Tuesday at St. Tarcisius Church.

Born and raised in Framingham, she was the daughter of the late Guido “Jack” and Michelina “Lena” Oliva.

She was the wife of 12 years to the love of her life, Francis J. Cristofori who died in 2013.

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Oliva was a graduate of Framingham High School and Framingham State College where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She then graduated from Boston College earning her Master’s Degree in Education. She received her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies Degree (CAGS) from Harvard University and then received her Certification License as an Italian Language Teacher from the State of Massachusetts. 

She was also an Italian Fulbright Scholar.

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Oliva started teaching at Framingham North High School as an English teacher and then as an Italian teacher for a span of 35 years. She created the Italian Department at the High School and also taught evenings for adult learners and night school.

Her father Guido started the “Guido Oliva Italian American Program” in 1950 and five years later Pearl joined her father and continued hosting this radio show. 

Pearl’s radio career began by handing her father records of the Operas he loved and the “cue sheet” with all the commercials and announcements. It then shifted into adding her own thoughts and materials to grow the show into one of the longest continually running Italian-themed radio shows in the U.S. The program will continue under the direction of her good friend Frank Urbani. 

In July 2012, Governor Deval Patrick helped Pearl celebrate her birthday and 62 years on radio station WSRO.

She organized many trips to Italy through her parish of St. Tarcisius Church, where she also served as Lector for many years.

She is survived by her sister Lillian Travaglini of Framingham; her nieces and nephews, Janis Byers of W. Yarmouth, John J. Travaglini, Jr. and his wife Kristine of Seattle, WA, Denise Sabino and her husband Ron of Framingham and Michael Travaglini-Hoare and his husband Dana Hoare-Travaglini of Boston. She is also survived by her great nieces and nephews, Casady Cadillac, Heather Ward, Suzanne Sabino, Grace and Clark Travaglini, her great-grand nephew Jackson Steele Ward, many cousins in the U.S. and Italy and several close friends. She was the aunt of the late Mary Ann Travaglini.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral on Tuesday at 9 a.m. from the Norton Funeral Home.

Framingham, followed by her funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Tarcisius Church, 562 Waverley St. (Rt. 135), Framingham.

Burial will follow in the family lot in St. Tarcisius Cemetery in Framingham.

Visiting hours at the funeral home will be Monday from 2 – 4 & 6 – 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in her memory may be made out to the Pearl Oliva Scholarship Fund c/o Natick Sons of Italy 37 Washington Ave. Natick, MA 01760.


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