Marietta Bonavita (nee Torcasio) of Audubon, who continued to balance her own checkbook and family budget up to her 100th birthday this past January, died April 3.
Mrs. Bonavita was fluent in Italian and often was the neighborhood translator for the wave of Italian immigrants who arrived in her Philadelphia neighborhood during the 1920s and 30s.
She grew up in St. Paul Parish, and was a parishoner there for 42 years. Moving to New Jersey, she belonged to Sacred Heart Parish, Camden, 1956-69; Transfiguration, West Collingswood, 1969-89; and St. Vincent Palotti (now part of St. Joseph the Worker) Haddon Township, 1989-2014.
Mrs. Bonavita loved music and assisted her son Sammy for 40 years as his researcher for his weekly Beatles radio show on WGLS FM.
She was the wife of the late Samuel James Bonavita and daughter of the late Francesco and Giavanna (nee Molinaro) Torcasio, both from Nicastro Italy. She was the mother of Samuel Anthony (Frances Eletra nee DeFeo) Bonavita, and Francis John Lauria. Grandmother of Steven Maclen (Kristan nee Kerney) Bonavita, and Gina Marie (Craig ) Jones. Great grandmother of Maclen, Thomas and Trevor Bonavita and Teddy, Cooper and Griffin Jones. Sister of the late Lucia Scafidi, Nettalina Mazzucca, Cecilia Emma, Victoria Pinto-Lanzalotti, Angelina Scali, Jenny Torcasio, Francesco, Abraham and Antonio Torcasio.
A viewing will be held Saturday, April 12, 9-10:45 a.m. at St. Vincent Pallotti Church, Haddon Township. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 a.m. Interment of cremains will take place at Harleigh Cemetery, Camden.
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