Angelina "Julia" Rose (Alfano) Bisbano of Portsmouth, died Friday, Aug. 12, 2016, at home. She was 94.

She was the wife of the late Capt. Anthony Bisbano, Jr., USN-Ret. to whom she was married 57 years.

Born in Bristol on Dec. 6, 1921, she was the daughter of the late Louis and Bianca Alfano. She had been a Portsmouth resident since 1964.

Julia was a 1940 graduate of the former Colt Memorial High School in Bristol, where she was a cheerleader and played softball. She developed her work ethic early, helping her parents in their neighborhood market, learning to bake bread, helping with deliveries and tending to the family chickens.

She attended the Rhode Island School of Design and earned an associate’s degree in business from Bryant College, now University. During her work life, Julia designed dresses for a factory in New York City and was employed by a variety of Rhode Island businesses, including U.S. Rubber, Collins and Aikman textiles, Converse, MRT Co., Burger Chef, Tasca Ford. In her last job she was a secretary at Roger Williams College, now University.

She loved yard work and gardening, sewing, rug braiding, knitting and crocheting, cooking and baking. She kept a stash of candy on hand for neighborhood youngsters.

She was a sports fan with the Boston Red Sox as her first love. Into her 90s, she worked out with mini-weights, performed toe touching and bending calisthenics, as well as riding a stationary bike while watching a Tom Hanks movie or a "Columbo" rerun. She labored to solve the daily Jumble word puzzle, using a magnifying glass to decipher the proper phrase. And she was a fierce Scrabble player, scoring high a week before her death.

Mrs. Bisbano valued nothing more than family. Her last public outing was her sister's 90th birthday party on July 2.

She is survived by her daughter,s Charlotte A. Martino of Bristol, and Julie A. Bisbano of Portsmouth; as well as son-in-law James J. Gillis of Portsmouth.

Also surviving her is sister Frances G. Scott of Bristol. She was pre-deceased by brother Louis P. Alfano and sister Josephine M. Cirillo.

She leaves granddaughters Tammy Bouchard (Kenneth) of Warren, and Andrea Leonard (Dale) of Bristol. Great-grandsons are Sean Boughton and Timothy Boughton of Warren, and Jarid Butler and Jacob Pacheco of Bristol. She leaves a great-great grandson, Blake Boughton of Warren.

Family, friends and neighbors will miss her greatly.

Calling hours will be Friday, Aug. 19 from 4-8 p.m. at Sansone Funeral Home, 192 Wood St., Bristol. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony's Church, East Main Road, Portsmouth. Prior to the Mass, family and friends may gather at the funeral home at 9 a.m. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her name to Hospice at Visiting Nurse Services of Newport and Bristol Counties, 1184 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871.

For online condolences, shared memories, information and directions go to www.sansonefuneralhome.com.