Cypriana Veronica Coelho of Tyngsboro, MA, died on March 1, 2026, after a tenacious two-year battle with cancer. She was three days shy of her 49th birthday.

Cypriana (known as "Cyp" to many) was born on March 4, 1977, in Worcester, MA, to Jack Slosky and the late Ursula Kocemba-Slosky, both research chemists who had defected from then-Communist Poland. As an infant, she moved with her parents to Brazil and lived there until 1979, when the family returned permanently to the U.S. and settled in Shrewsbury. She became a "big sis" upon the births of brothers Sebastian in 1980 and Justin in 1981.

Cypriana attended Saint Mary School and Notre Dame Academy, where she was an outstanding student and sang soprano in the chorus. She later graduated cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross with a double major in Music and French and Tufts University where she earned a master's in teaching.

Cypriana was hired by Kittredge Elementary School in North Andover in 2001. Beloved by her students, she taught 2nd and then 3rd grade there for nearly 25 years.

Having cultivated a passion for music beginning with her pre-teen obsession with New Kids on the Block, Cyp also developed a professional career as a singer. A two-decade member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, she sang with the Boston Pops and the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Keith Lockhart, James Levine, and even Jaws legend John Williams. Cypriana also shared her love of music with St. Irene Parish in Carlisle, where she served as music director, and St. Mary's Parish in Shrewsbury and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Jamaica Plain, where she served as a cantor.

In 2005, a first date quickly got hot when Cypriana met with a man named John for dinner at Taqueria Mexico in Waltham. Eager to make a good impression, Cyp pretended to enjoy her chile pepper-spiced meal despite her nonexistent heat tolerance. Thankfully she sweated it out, she and John clicked, their relationship flourished, and in 2007 Cypriana and John Coelho were married. In 2009, the couple welcomed their wonderful daughter Julia Grace.

Cypriana will be remembered for the great enjoyment she took in life, from singing in the car with Julia (especially musicals) to going berry picking with her nephew and nieces and making them delicious blueberry pancakes. Cyp loved wearing pearls on every occasion to go with colorful dresses, and when not planting or gardening could always be found by a pool reading a good book. Always willing to lend a helping hand to those around her, Cypriana took great pride in her students, was generous to friends and family with care packages, and made a warm and loving home for John and Julia.

Cypriana is survived by: Julia Coelho, daughter; John Coelho, husband; Justin Slosky, brother, of Sierra Madre, CA; Henry, Alicia, and Genevieve Slosky, nephew and nieces, of Sierra Madre, CA; and Jack Slosky, father, of Scarborough, ME. She is predeceased by: Sebastian Slosky, brother, and Ursula Kocemba-Slosky, mother.

Relatives and friends will gather to celebrate Cypriana's life during her Funeral Mass on Saturday, March 21st at 11 am in St. Irene Parish, 181 East Street, Carlisle.  In remembrance of her joyful spirit, attendees are encouraged to wear purple (her favorite color) or other bright colors. Please click here to view the church live stream, for those who wish to attend remotely.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Cypriana's honor to the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute .

Arrangements have been entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.