Mario T. Marena

Mario T. Marena, 90, of Hartford, beloved husband of the late Margherita (Prizio) Marena, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday, April 28, 2025. Born in San Mango Sul Calore, Province of Avelino, Italy, May 28, 1934, he was the son of the late Alfonso and Maria (Vozzella) Marena. Mario and his younger brother immigrated to the United States on Christmas Eve 1951, and he became a citizen of the United States a few years later. Mario married Margherita from Bridgeport in September 1958, they settled in Hartford and raised six children together until Margherita’s passing in 1993. Mario never remarried after the passing of his true love. Sadly, Mario leaves behind his six loving children, Maria Greenslade and her husband Steve, Linda Crawford and her husband Robert, Nancy Boccuzzi and her husband Marino, Al Marena and his wife Nicole, Mario Marena and his wife Kimberly, and Anna Marena and her husband Matthew Roberts. Mario is also survived by his fourteen adoring grandchildren, Shannon Crawford, Marcus Marena, Steven Greenslade, Stephanie (Boccuzzi) Rossman and her husband Alex, Julia Crawford, Mario Marena and his fiancée Kayla Calaf, Marino Boccuzzi, Nicholas Boccuzzi, Jillian Marena, Matthew Marena and his fiancée Jessica Jeswald, Mitchell Marena, Blake Greenslade, Brie Roberts and Zoe Roberts. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Peter Prizio; his sisters-in-law, Irene Prizio and Frances Marena, along with several nieces, nephews, and extended family members. In addition to being predeceased by his wife and parents, Mario was also predeceased by his sisters and brothers-in-law, Filomena and Sigmund Carney and Concetta and Michele Borea; his brother, Teodoro Marena; his sister-in-law, Laura Prizio and brother-in-law, Salvatore Prizio. Mario was a cobbler, learning the trade in Italy under his father. In the United States, Mario’s cobbler career began in Hartford at Brown Thomson & Company. He opened his own cobbler shop in Manchester and eventually moved to Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford in 1966. Mario’s Shoe Service was a well-known Hartford establishment until 2020 when he retired. Many friends, family and acquaintances brought their shoes to Mario for repair while others stopped in to say hello and have a conversation with him as Mario was known, respected and loved by so many. For many years when he was younger, Mario enjoyed tending to his garden adjacent to his Wethersfield Avenue shoe shop, where he grew many different vegetables and herbs for his family and friends. Mario was also a very active member of the San Manghese Social Club in Stamford, where he participated in the annual San Teodoro Feast Day festivities each year as San Teodoro was the patron saint of the small Italian town where Mario was born. Throughout his life, Mario enjoyed being with his family and friends, dancing, gardening and spending time at the beaches in Connecticut and Florida. Mario lived a long and very good life and will always be remembered as a friendly, happy and kind man. Special thanks to the doctors, nurses, health care providers and staff that cared for and supported Mario at Avery Heights – Noble 1 and Hartford Hospital ED and CB3 during these past few weeks.

The Marena family will receive relatives and friends on Saturday, May 10, from 8:45-10:45 a.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. in Corpus Christi Church of Christ the King Parish, 601 Silas Deane Hwy, Wethersfield. Interment will be in Mount Saint Benedict Cemetery (Section Y), 1 Cottage Groove Road, Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in memory of Mario to The Heart Failure Patient Foundation, 1120 Route 73, Suite 200, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054. For online expressions of sympathy and to share a memory of Mario, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com