Caroline E. Pompeii

Caroline Emilia (Coletta) Pompeii, 89, passed away peacefully on February 4, 2026, surrounded by her loving children, grandchildren, son in law and family who adored her with all their hearts.

Born in Providence, Caroline was married for 60 years to her beloved husband the late John A. Pompeii. She was the daughter of the late Roberto Coletta and Emilia Pepe, sister to the late Mario and Anthony Coletta, and devoted mother-in-law to the late Stephen Balestra.

She is survived by her loving children, Patricia A Balestra and John A Pompeii Jr.,his husband Justin Burley, and her treasured grandchildren Stefan and Michael Balestra, who were the greatest joys of her life.

Caroline graduated from Mount Pleasant High School. She dedicated 20 years of service as a secretary in the North Providence School Department before retiring from her position as secretary to the Director of Special Education. Even in retirement, she stayed engaged and connected to others by returning to work part-time at the North Providence Library where she continued to find joy in people, conversation, and purpose until the age of 84.

Caroline’s early life was marked by profound loss when at the age of eight her mother passed away from breast cancer. In the wake of that tragedy, Caroline and her brother spent a year living with her aunt and uncle in the North End of Boston while their father worked to settle medical bills and rebuild their lives. Despite the hardship, her father visited faithfully each weekend, and together they leaned on one another for strength and support. The sorrow of those early years shaped Caroline’s heart forever. From that loss grew a woman of remarkable grace, warmth, and gentleness. Though she never had the chance to grow up with a mother, Caroline became the most beautiful example of one, gentle, nurturing, and endlessly loving. She embodied everything a mother and grandmother should be.

Caroline carried deep pride in her heritage, including her relationship to Saint Giuseppe Moscati, her second cousin on her mother’s side, a physician who gave his life to caring for the poor and suffering of Naples. Though she never stood in the chapel dedicated in his honor, she lived his values every day. In a deeply meaningful and almost surreal way, Caroline embodied the same spirit of living a life defined by compassion, humility, and love for others.

Gentle, sweet, kind, and absolutely beautiful, Caroline’s beauty radiated from deep within her soul. It lived in her quiet listening, her soft presence, and the way others felt calmer by simply being near her. She did not seek attention, yet she left an imprint on every heart she touched. She showed us that strength can be gentle, that love can be quiet, and that even the deepest childhood sorrow can blossom into extraordinary goodness.

Caroline Emilia Coletta Pompeii now rests in peace, reunited with those she loved, especially her mother. For that we are grateful. Although her work on this Earth is complete, her legacy lives on in us her children, her grandchildren, and in every life made warmer by her presence. She will be missed beyond measure.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the PONTARELLI-MARINO FUNERAL HOME, 971 Branch Avenue, Providence.

Funeral will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 11:30 AM from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12:30 in St. Anthony’s Church, 1413 Mineral Spring Avenue, North Providence. Entombment will follow in the Saints Peter and Paul Mausoleum in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to the research being done by Caroline’s care team led by Dr. Chuang-Kuo Wu, MD and Dr. Scott G. Warren, MD.

https://alz.carney.brown.edu/