Vivian Dolores Dalena

Our mom, Vivian Dalena, began her life on March 12, 1933, and joined our dad and her two infant sons in heaven on July 19, 2023. She was born Vivian Dolores Avila and was quite premature at birth weighing less than four pounds. One of the legends of her life was that she was secretly baptized by two different family members who feared she would not live and some weeks later was baptized a third time by the parish priest. When Mom was three years old her parents divorced. She lived then, with her maternal grandparents on their dairy in Stratford until she was nine years of age. As her grandparents were from the Azores and spoke only Portuguese Mom learned to speak the language fluently. Her grandma and grandpa gave her a wonderfully joy filled childhood and memories that she cherished all of her life.

In 1942 her mother, Florence, married Oscar Bergquist and he became the father that mom had so wanted. The family moved to Lemoore where she attended Lemoore High School and in her junior year was honored as Miss Lemoore. She graduated in 1951 and not long after moved to Fresno where she was employed as a dental assistant to Doctor Frank Y Wong.

In late spring 1954 Mom met our dad, Ned Dalena. He became the love of her life and they married on October 22, 1955. Over the course of their 48 years together they raised 5 children and welcomed 9 grandchildren.

Our mother's ambition was to be the best wife and mother that she could be and to that end, she worked very earnestly to master the art of Italian cuisine. She asked our dad to translate our Nonni’s recipes from Italian into English so that she would be able to recreate the meals that our dad had enjoyed while he was growing up. Mom’s memories included coming home from school as a child to the aroma of her Avo’s home-baked bread with fresh churned butter and homemade apricot jam. She delighted in bringing that memory alive for us by learning to bake bread. One of my sister’s fond memories is of coming home from school and taking a deep breath just inside the door to see if mom was baking cookies.

Our mother was also a talented seamstress. She made dresses and costumes for us and her grandchildren; a court jester for one, an authentic looking Catholic nun costume for another, a Native American princess costume with elaborate beading, and a Darth Vader costume among many others. As we grew so did Mom's interests. She began painting; portraits of her grandparent's house and dairy and Half Dome and rural scenes. Each of us has a work of art in our home that Mom painted.

In 1998 our father suffered a stroke and mom became a true example of a cheerful giver. She cared for him meticulously and wholeheartedly until his passing in 2003.

Our mom's life spanned 90 years and was dedicated to service, to her husband, to her children and grandchildren, and to the many, many young people to whom our parents opened their home and their hearts. She taught unconditional love by her example and she made anyone who entered our home feel like family.

Mom is survived by her son, Peter Dalena and his wife, Sue and their sons Nathan and Nicco; her son, Mike Dalena; her daughter, Kelina Hull and her husband Mark, and their children, Anna, Megan, Matt, Samantha and Meri; her daughter, Marianne Dunklin, Ph.D. and her husband, Dr. Jerry Dunklin and their children, Joseph, Kristina, and Jacob; and her daughter, Kristen Hutchison, and her husband, Alec of Woodside, California. She is also survived by 13 great grandchildren. Her sister, Pat Tompkins and Pat’s husband, Wayne and her sister, Marilyn Ferdolage and her husband Joe survive her as well. Mom was also very loved and respected by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She lives on too in the memories of those of “her children” whose lives she touched and who were part of our family as we grew up; Alex, who she called hers without the pain of childbirth, Suzie, who became a spiritual mentor and dear friend to Mom, and Bart who Mom watched grow from the time he was in high school.

We thank Mom’s caregivers at Oakmont of Fresno and Hind’s Hospice and we especially thank Luchy Munger, Stacie Gilkinson, and Lori Lewis for loving and caring for our mother as if she were their own.

Our mom is reunited now with our dad and the people she loved who went before her. We know she’s happy after a life well lived and a job well done.

A celebration of our mom’s life will take place August 10 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 355 East Champlain Drive, Fresno, beginning with the recitation of the rosary at 9:30am followed by mass at 10am.