Antonietta Di Rienzo, 77, passed away on May 5 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Mrs. Di Rienzo was born June 8, 1941 in Vinchiaturo, Campobasso, Italy and immigrated to Canada at the age of 19. She married her husband of 57 years, Antonio, and together, the young loving couple had six children. They moved to Staten Island, New York in 1971 and in 1980, they settled in Somerset.
Antonietta was a parishioner of St. Matthias Church in Somerset, where she volunteered some of her time in the carnival. While living in Canada, she worked at Bic’s Pickle Factory and when she relocated to Staten Island, she worked at a sewing factory. When she settled in Somerset, she worked at the Franklin Township school cafe and then retired from Merrill Lynch, where she ran the cafe. Antonietta truly loved to cook and bake. She loved going out with her husband, particularly trips to Atlantic City. She also enjoyed music and dancing. Antonietta was a magnificent host to all that came into her home, she made sure you had a meal and made sure her grandchildren were always warm with an extra shirt. Her children’s friends knew her as “Mrs. D” and made sure they were always fed whenever they visited. Above all she loved her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Antonietta is survived by her children and their spouses, Michael Di Rienzo and his wife Doree of Bound Brook, Vittoria Di Rienzo of Somerset, Giovanni Di Rienzo of Somerset, Maria Greck and her husband Guy of Piscataway, Rosa D’Orsogna and her husband Anthony of Somerset, and Carmela Toto and her husband Jerry also of Somerset. She is also survived by her siblings, Elizabeth Serio, Rosa Santapoli and Carmela Pallotta and her husband Nick; her seventeen grandchildren, Jordan, Liam, Lisa and her husband John Michael, Michele, Anthony Giovanni, Gina and her husband Anthony, Ann Marie, Rosa, Amanda, John, Tyler, Matthew, Isabella, Daniella, Maria, Joseph and Gianna; her great grandchildren, Mia Vittoria and John Henry and four more on the way; her brother- in- laws, sister -in-laws, nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Di Rienzo was predeceased by her husband in 2018, Antonio Di Rienzo; her parents, Michele and Vittoria Fattore; her sister, Maria Serio and her brothers, Albert, Joseph and Antonio.
Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. May 10 at the Gleason Funeral Home 1360 Hamilton Street, followed by a 10:30 a.m. funeral mass at St. Matthias Church in Somerset. Entombment will follow at Franklin Memorial Park in North Brunswick.
Friends and family may visit on Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at the Gleason Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Mrs. Antonietta Di Rienzo’s name to Dementia Society of America at www.dementiasociety.org/donate.