Gloria LaPenta (Letendre)

Gloria (Letendre) LaPenta, 82, of Wethersfield, beloved wife of the late Hugo R. LaPenta, passed away at home on March 2, 2012. She was born December 10, 1929 in Hartford, the daughter of the late Andrew J. and Theresa (Arcieri) Letendre. A devoted wife and loving mother to her daughter Terri, Gloria was the ""adopted"" mother and confidante to many others. She took great joy in hearing about the antics of her brother's grandchildren, Myles, Addison and Neva and maintained a gallery of their photos on her refrigerator door. She was a very artistic and creative person, which was evident in the way she dressed and decorated her home. Gloria's greatest joy in life was her family and she took great pride in being a full-time homemaker. She will always be remembered for her warmth, compassion and heartfelt caring for others. She is survived by her loving daughter Teresa ""Terri"" LaPenta-Duffek and her husband Michael ""Mickey"" Duffek of Newington; her brother Andrew L. Letendre and his wife Lillian of West Hartford; two nephews Andrew ""Drew"" Letendre and his wife Susan of Laguna Beach, CA and Gregory C. Letendre of New York City; a niece Arlene LaPenta of Manchester; beloved cousins Linda Arcieri of West Harford, Theresa Lackouskas of Ellington; Michele Wills of Coventry, Donald Saccente of East Granby and Carl Saccente of Windsor Locks; longtime friend Dot Campanelli of Wethersfield; longtime friend and neighbor Tony Olander of Wethersfield and special friends Maria Dynia, Marilyn Pitman and Kelly Trafton. The family is grateful for the many expressions of support and love from friends and family and knows that Gloria is now reunited with her beloved Hugo in the embrace of eternal love.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, March 10 at 10 a.m. at the D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Memorial Park, Rocky Hill. Calling hours are Saturday from 9-10 a.m. at the funeral chapel. Donations in Gloria's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to Foodshare, 450 Woodland Avenue, Bloomfield, CT 06002. For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopo.com.