Dina D'Alessandro

Dina (Petrella) D’Alessandro, 87, of Rocky Hill, devoted and loving wife of the late Lamberto “John” D’Alessandro, died peacefully, Friday, May 6, 2016 at St. Francis Hospital with her family by her bedside. Born September 2, 1928 in Sulmona, province of L’Aquilia, Italy, she was the daughter of the late Cesidio Petrella and Olivia (DiBacco) Petrella. She retired from Sorenson Lighted Controls, Inc. where she was the Shipping and Receiving Supervisor.

Sundays will never be the same without Mom’s sauce, pasta, meatballs and pizza which drew friends from near and far. Dina welcomed everyone with open arms and made sure there was always plenty to go around. She is survived by her three children, Maria Olivia Chanin and husband, Steven of Newburyport, MA, Angela D’Alessandro and Joe McGraw of Hebron and Tony D’Alessandro and fiancée, Jennifer DiCaprio of Rocky Hill, three adored grandchildren, David John Chanin, Rachael Beth Chanin and Jack John-Gabriel D’Alessandro; nieces and nephew, Donatella Petrella, Maria Emma Petrella, Cesidio Petrella and his son, Graziano Petrella; dear cousins and “baby sisters”, Gina D’Angelo and Lina D’Angelo. She was predeceased by her brothers, Americo Petrella and his wife Marisa, Ercole Petrella; sister Marzia Grilli and her husband Guido. She also leaves behind two sisters-in-law, Savina DiTuccio and her late husband Eugene of Wolcott and Vincenzina “Enza” Fontana and her late husband Vittorio of West Hartford; nieces and nephews, Martin DiTuccio and wife Kathy, Anthony Fontana, Joseph Fontana and wife Janis, Maria Shoaf and husband Michael, as well as many great-nieces and great-nephews and her faithful dog Buffy (Scruffy) Bussy. A special thank you to Dina’s chiropractor, confidant and dear friend, Dr. Eric Damato for keeping her limber and aligned all these years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at Corpus Christi Church, 601 Silas Deane Hwy., Wethersfield. Everyone is asked to please go directly to the church. Burial will follow in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. Calling hours are Monday 4-7 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd. Wethersfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dina’s memory may be made to Foodshare, 450 Woodland Ave., Bloomfield, CT 06002 or North Shore Animal League, 25 Davis Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050. To share a memory of Dina with her family, please visit www.desopo.com.