Maria Tralongo

Maria (DiNatale) Tralongo, 88, of Hartford, beloved wife of Paolo Tralongo, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, January 13, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. Born in Floridia, Sicily on March 11, 1934, she was the daughter of the late Antonino and Giovanna (Pistritto) DiNatale. Maria came to America in 1955 at the age of 22 with her family; she returned to Sicily to be married in 1956 and came back to America with her husband, where they settled to make a home in Hartford’s “Little Italy.” Maria will be remembered as a hard worker; she took care of the household while also juggling jobs at Royal Typewriter and Arrow, Hart & Hegeman. Family holidays were always filled with her great cooking and delicious desserts. Maria’s greatest joy in this life was being around her grandsons. She enjoyed spending time with them and feeding them as many Italian meals as possible. She was always known as “Nonna” to her grandsons and all of their friends, who were always welcome to enjoy her cooking. She was often greeted with cheers at summer camps when she arrived with enough plastic bags of homemade food to feed everyone.

Maria will be forever missed by her husband Paolo, with whom she celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary in August 2022, and her two daughters, Carmela Piretti and her husband Steven of Newington and JoAnne Hopkins and her husband Jeffrey of Wethersfield. Also surviving their beloved “Nonna” are her three adored grandsons and their wives, Joseph Hopkins and his wife Sabrina of Marlborough, Jeffrey Hopkins and his wife Alexa of Wethersfield and Jonathan Hopkins of Wethersfield. In addition, she is survived by her sisters, Josephine and Lucia of Florida, as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins in Sicily and Canada. She was predeceased by her brother, Antonino DiNatale. Special thanks to Maria’s wonderful nurses, Anona and Joyce, and her aides, whose compassionate care made it possible for Maria to stay at home, Monika, Kasia, Ocha, Mariola and especially Maria.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Monday, January 16 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Incarnation, 544 Prospect Street, Wethersfield. Everyone is asked to please meet directly at the church. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Donations in Maria’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 200 Executive Boulevard, Suite 4B, Southington, CT 06489. To share a memory of Maria with her family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.