James P. Cifrino

James Paul Cifrino died on Friday, February 21, 2020 at his home in Cohasset after a long and happy life at the age of 94.  Mr. Cifrino was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1925 of Italian immigrants who had come to America as children: his mother Mary Ferroli from Tramonti de Mezzo in northern Italy; and his father, Paul Cifrino, from Prepezzano in Campagnia, southern Italy.  Mr. Cifrino attended Boston Latin School and St. Phillip’s Preparatory School before entering Harvard University in 1943.  During his freshman year at Harvard, Mr. Cifrino enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during and after World War II in the Philippines and Japan.  He returned to Harvard in 1946 and graduated in 1949.  After college, he joined the family supermarket business first founded by his father and uncle John as the Upham’s Corner Market in Dorchester, a vast food store which was attributed in the book Once Upon a Store as “the World’s First Supermarket”.  In 1950 he married Anne E. Garvey of Dorchester and together they had eight children.  James and his brothers expanded the family business, which had become Supreme Markets, with numerous locations in Boston, Cambridge and the South Shore area of Boston.   After merging with the Purity Save-Mor stores in 1970, Mr. Cifrino worked briefly for the newly formed and publicly-held Purity Supreme supermarket chain, but, preferring to work in a family business, he became President of Dorchester-based Superior Realty and Supreme Liquors working side by side with his beloved wife Anne, who served as the bookkeeper, until her death in 1989.  Mr. Cifrino was an avid golfer and long-time member of Wollaston Golf Club and Cohasset Golf Club in Massachusetts and Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach, Florida.  He was also an avid sports fan who loved to read and to listen to classical music. Mr. Cifrino is survived by his eight children: Mary Ellen McNamara, and her husband Martin of Ellicott City, Maryland, James P. Cifrino, Jr. and his wife Olivia of Okatie, South Carolina, Thomas M. Cifrino of Cohasset, David A. Cifrino and his wife Sheryl of Cohasset, Anne Cifrino, of Duxbury and Cohasset, where she cared for her father lovingly for many years at his home, Michael Cifrino and his wife Frances of Hingham, Steven Cifrino and his wife Patricia of Cohasset, and Amy Rooney and her husband William of Charlotte, North Carolina.  He is also survived by his sister Mary Roever of Hingham; sisters-in-law Helen O’Meara of Hingham, Dolores Cifrino of Westwood and Judith Chute of Cohasset; fifteen grandchildren: Katherine, James (and his wife Emily Tredeau), and Steven (and his wife Annie) McNamara; Thomas Cifrino, Jr. (and his wife Erica) and Jennifer Avellino (and her husband Joseph); Joseph and Taylor Cifrino, Francis Charles (and his wife Meghan), Clare and Aidan Cifrino; Jack and Emma Cifrino; Alison, William Jr., and John Rooney; and five great grandchildren: Rebecca and Abigail Avellino and Evan, Will and Tess Cifrino. He was predeceased by brothers John and Paul and sisters Anne, Elizabeth and Eleanor and daughter-in-law Jane Cifrino. He also leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews and their families.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, February 27 at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 2 Summer Street, Cohasset at 11 a.m.  Relatives and friends invited.

Visiting hours Wednesday, February 26, 4-8 p.m. at the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald Street, Hingham, Massachusetts.

Burial at Woodside Cemetery, Cohasset.

Donations in James’ memory may be made to The Carroll Center for the Blind, 770 Centre Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02458.