Gloria Josephine Semento

She was the daughter of Lauretta Ialongo Pennacchia and Francesco Pennacchia, who predeceased her, and was born on November 22, 1928 in Queens, New York. Loving wife of 69 years to Luigi Ernesto Semento who predeceased her in March 2017.

Gloria treasured her time with her grandfather Giuseppe (her namesake) Ialongo who lived with her family in Bayshore, Long Island. She enjoyed the many Jewish foods her mother cooked for her and her grandfather. During these times Yiddish was spoken.

One of Gloria’s attributes was that she was very smart, receiving a scholarship to Bishop McDonnell Memorial High School for Girls, located in Brooklyn, New York. At age thirteen she commuted by train one and half hours each way from Bay Shore, Long Island to Brooklyn, New York. At age sixteen with honors Gloria graduated High School and attended Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. Gloria met the love of her life, her husband Luigi and while attending college they married and had three daughters in Pittsburgh.

Gloria and Luigi lived 62 years in Milford, CT and had their last child a son while living in Milford. While living in Milford she was a Eucharistic Minister, taught catechism and gave communion to patients in the local hospital. She was a founding member of the Ladies Guild at Christ the Redeemer Church. She also worked as a Manager of the Milford Tie Shop once her children were in high school.

Upon Luigi’s death in March 2017 she moved in with her daughter Ann and son in law John. In 2018 she moved with them to North Carolina. While living in North Carolina she enjoyed fishing at the local lakes (Gloria’s Uncle Albert taught her how to fish when she was eight years old). She was proud to have a North Carolina fishing license. Other activities that she enjoyed was eating out, drinking hot cocoa with whip cream, going to a museum and Chinese lantern festival, going on vacations, having “mani’s and pedis” (loving the massages), having her hair done and eating a variety of different ethnic foods (Jewish, Mexican and Chinese a few of her favorites). Sitting out in the sun was a favorite pass time. Her home in North Carolina had a screened in porch which allowed her to sit and watch the birds and enjoy the silence of nature. Gloria could speak Italian fluently and was an expert in spelling and pronunciation of any English word.

She was loving, sweet, smart and funny.

Her surviving family members are:

Children: Ann Staudt (John) North Carolina, Shelley McLaughlin (Barry) North Carolina, Camille Mastrianni (Russell) North Carolina, Anthony Semento (Shari) Texas.

Siblings: Nina Holmes (Charles) Long Island, John Pennacchia (Jeannette) Long Island, Celestina Pennacchia who predeceased her

The Semento sister in laws and brother in laws who accepted her into their family with loving open arms: JuneAnn Cataldo (Anthony), Ernestine Semento, Ernest Semento, Albert Semento (Paulette) all of New Jersey

Eleven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild

A special thank you to Andrea, Tiffany, Rosemary and Colleen. Four very special ladies who loved Gloria like family.

Gloria will be buried alongside her husband in St Mary Cemetery, Milford, CT. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 at 11a.m. at Christ the Redeemer R.C. Church, 325 Oronoque Road, Milford, CT 06461. Interment will be private. Family and Friends are invited to pay condolences to the family from 10a.m. to 11a.m. at the church.