Angelina Candela

Angelina was born on September 21, 1927 in Avella, Italy to the late Luigi and Pellegrina (Del Mastro) Gaglione.

A resident of Suffern for 55 years, Angelina arrived in this country along with her husband Salvatore and their six children as they embarked on a new life in the United States. Soon after their arrival, the family established themselves in a large gracious house on Washington Avenue, and Angelina dedicated herself to the challenge of raising her children in a new country while preserving the culture, language, and traditions of their native Italy. Angelina was well known as a talented gardener, working with her husband and children to ensure that their home was always surrounded in a lush, verdant setting. The entire small backyard was transformed into a productive household farm, with a variety of vegetables, vines hanging over a terrace, and row upon row of tomato plants, which would be harvested and stewed every fall in an outdoor family tradition. The front yard, meanwhile, hosted an ever-changing explosion of color, with arrangements of flowering plants that caught the attention of neighbors and passers-by, year in and year out.

As each of her children completed their education, married and began their own families in the community, Angelina continued her own dedication to the Suffern community, spending time with fellow Italian immigrants in the village and working for a time at Good Samaritan Hospital. She was a decades-long parishioner at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Suffern. Even after the tragic death of her husband Salvatore in 1988, her house remained as a home base for her family, friends, and guests.

To her 17 grandchildren, she was Nonna, and was ever present, singing songs in Neapolitan, cooking delicious food and reminding them how much they were loved. Eventually her family continued to expand, to include numerous spouses and a whopping 21 great-grandchildren, all united in their fierce love and devotion to this strong, passionate and loving woman.

She is survived by her children Angelo, Paola (the late Domenico Gatta), Tina (Pelle Gaglione), Steve (Ina), Rina (Keith Betty), and Rosa, as well as her 17 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren spread out across New York, New Jersey, Florida, Toronto and Italy. She is also survived by her sisters Santina and Gemma and her brother Carmine.

She was predeceased by her parents Luigi and Pellegrina, her beloved husband Salvatore, and her siblings Orsola, Erasmo, Carmela, Antonietta, and Teresa.

Visitation is scheduled for Monday, June 3rd from 2-4 & 7-9pm at Wanamaker & Carlough Funeral Home, 177 Route 59, Suffern, NY 10901. A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4th at 10:30 am at Sacred Heart Church, 129 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901. Interment to follow at Ascension Cemetery, 650 Saddle River Road, Airmont, NY 10952.