Theresa Pucciarelli

Loving Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, and Friend, Theresa "Terry" Pucciarelli (née Cavallo), 93, passed away on September 17, 2023. Born in Rosebank, Staten Island, Theresa then moved near Marine Park, Brooklyn with her family in 1937. Theresa was an adept student at James Madison High School who hated missing school, had perfect attendance, and even received a History Medal before graduating. Theresa then moved back to Rosebank where she wed the late Lorenzo "Larry" Pucciarelli in 1951. Theresa was a devout Catholic and weekly attendee of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.

Theresa worked at St. Michael's Home for Children as a Group Mother until its closure in 1978. She was an avid cook and is remembered for cooking a Thanksgiving-style feast for the children, treating them like one of her own. Later, she continued working as a bank clerk at Manufacturers Hanover Trust until her retirement. She was a volunteer of Labetti Post and was an active member of the St. Joseph Christian Mothers Group and Red Hat Society in Staten Island.

Theresa had great enthusiasm for cooking, her signature dish being her homemade meatballs. She would host dinners for her entire family every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve where she cooked every meal and always ensured that no one would ever leave her house with an empty stomach. Halloween was no exception either, where family and friends would gather dressed in costumes to party and laugh. She is remembered for her famous Italian phrase Abbondanza (meaning "abundance" or "plentiful") when describing her own dinner parties.

Theresa was a kindhearted family-oriented matriarch who always looked out for her family and friends. She assisted in raising her younger siblings when her father passed away in 1950 and continued this love throughout the rest of her life. She was a strong-willed outgoing woman who hated staying home and loved travelling. She had a great sense of humor and always made those around her laugh, especially her dearest late mother Laura. Theresa will be remembered for her comical, amicable, and jolly personality, and will always be remembered for her hearty laugh.

Theresa is the beloved wife of the late Lorenzo Pucciarelli, cherished sister of the late Frank Cavallo, and dearest daughter of the late Laura and Frank Cavallo Sr. She is survived by her son Lawrence, daughter-in-law Lisa, and her grandson Christopher Pucciarelli; brother and sister-in-law Peter and Marie Cavallo; sisters Marie Rutherford and Dolores Cavallo; and a plentiful number of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Memorial service will be held September 22nd from 2 PM to 4 PM and from 7 PM to 9 PM at Casey Funeral Home, 350 Slosson Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314. Funeral Mass will be held September 23rd and will begin at 10:00 AM at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. Interment will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery at 11:15 AM.

Published by Staten Island Advance from Sep. 19 to Sep. 20, 2023.