Carmela Liberta, age 79, from Clovis, CA, traveled home to heaven on June 30, peacefully and surrounded by her family after living a full and purposeful life. She was born on October 5, 1938, to Antonio and Maria Chiovitti in Provincia di Campobasso, Italy.
In 1959, Carmela married Franco Liberta, a fellow Italian who had also emigrated in 1947. They lived in New York and were blessed with three children. Due to health reasons, the family moved to Clovis, CA in 1969 and opened Luna Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant on Pollasky where it continues to thrive as a family owned and operated restaurant.
In 1995, after 37 years of marriage to Franco, Carmela was widowed. Soon after, she and a group of friends started a group for widows and single women called New Beginnings which continues to meet at Northpark Community Church. She took great joy in helping to organize and cook for the luncheons and bring in speakers to encourage and inspire the women in this group.
In 2003 Carmela Liberta and her daughter Maryellen Willis opened Nonnie's House Boutique in Downtown Clovis, a women’s clothing and accessory store. The shop is named after Carmela who is known by her grandchildren as "Nonnie".
Involvement in family and community activities were the hallmarks of Carmela’s life, and as a Christian, she found great joy and purpose in sharing Jesus with everyone she met. Carmela truly made others feel special and loved, and leaves behind many dear friends.
Carmela is survived by her daughter Maryellen Willis and her husband Robert and their children, Nichole and Bobby; son David Liberta and his children, Nico, Frankie and Karlye and his wife Annette and her grown children Tara, Matthew and Tiffany; son Bert Liberta and his wife Nicole and their sons, Dominic and Vincent; great grandchildren Avery and Jace, all of Clovis; sister Anna Romano and her husband Gildo from New Jersey; brother and sister in law Gino and Rosa Liberta of Canada, brother in law Joseph Liberta of New York; and many other nieces, nephews and relatives in New York, New Jersey, and Canada.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Wednesday, July 11 at 11:00 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building, 808 Fourth Street, Clovis, CA.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that remembrances be directed to Northpark Community Church, 2297 E. Shepherd Ave., Fresno, CA 93720.
