Orienda A. Profenno

Portland- Orienda A. Profenno, 97, died Thursday at a local nursing home after a short illness. Orienda was born in Lettomanoppello, Italy on July 25, 1913 to Augustino and Donata (Dibiase) Breggia. At the age of seven she left Italy and sailed to America with her mother to start a new life in Maine with her father who had come ahead to find work. They settled on Newbury Street in what was then the Little Italy section of Portland. Her father, a blacksmith, had found work nearby at the Thomas Laughlin Iron Foundry. Orienda, the eldest child, was forced to leave school at a young age to help support her family when her father died. She worked for many years at the old National Biscuit Company.

In 1937 Orienda married John A. Profenno of Portland. They settled on Munjoy Hill and raised three boys. John passed away in 1999, but Orienda continued in the same home for 68 years. Orienda and John were very active in their community. They were founding members of the Italian Heritage Center and lifelong members of St. Peter’s Catholic Church. Orienda was a familiar face to generations of people on Munjoy Hill who new her from Breggy’s Pizza, her brother’s store. She also liked to cook for the Italian Heritage Center’s kitchen. Orienda loved to travel with her husband and she traveled all over the world including several trips back to her native Italy. Her biggest joy though was her family. She will always be remembered as cooking or knitting a sweater for one of her grandchildren.

She is survived by three children, Louis Profenno and Richard Profenno of Portland and John R. Profenno of Westbrook. She is also survived by a brother Augustino (Red) Breggia of South Portland, ten grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be Sunday January 9, 2010 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home 199 Woodford St. Portland

Prayers will be recited Monday 9 a.m. at the funeral home to be followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church 72 Federal St. Portland at 9:30 a.m.

Interment will be in Old Calvary Cemetery South Portland.

Please visit www.jonesrichandhutchins.com for additional information and to sign