Florence Pellecchia

Former Staten Islander Florence Pellecchia, 77, of Venice, Fla., a loving matriarch who enjoyed hosting dinners for her family, died Saturday in Venice Regional Hospital.

Born Florence Donnaruma in Brooklyn, she moved to Oakwood in 1968 and to Woodrow 19 years later. She had lived in Florida since 1999.

Mrs. Pellechia was a data entry operator at the World Trade Center, Manhattan, for 10 years, until retiring in 1997.

She enjoyed dining out, and playing golf and mahjong.

Mrs. Pellecchia loved hosting her family in her Woodrow home, and often held barbecues for her children and grandchildren.

She was the sweetest person,' said her granddaughter, Joanna Pellecchia. She was a loving, dedicated wife and mother. She adored her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.'

Mrs. Pellecchia had strong religious beliefs and was a frequent churchgoer. She was a parishioner of St. Joseph-St. Thomas R.C. Church, Pleasant Plains, while living on the Island.

Her husband of 46 years, Joseph, died in 2002.

Surviving, along with her granddaughter, are her sons, Salvatore, Joseph and Anthony; her daughter, Evelyn Aswad; a brother, Joseph Donnaruma; nine more grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be Thursday from the Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, Tottenville, with a mass at 10:30 a.m. in St. Thomas the Apostle R.C. Church, Pleasant Plains. Burial will follow in Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp.

Services: St. Thomas the Apostle RC Church Thursday, June 5, 2014 10:00AM

Visitation: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home Wednesday, June 4, 2014 2-4 & 7-9PM

Cemetery: Moravian Cemetery

Location: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home

Church: St. Thomas The Apostle RC Church