Mrs. Gloria Evelyn Simonetta Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Gloria Evelyn Vittone Simonetta was born June 6, 1923 to Peter J. Vittone and Rose Mary Cavellero. She grew up at 401 Benedict Road and always recounted the wonderful close neighborhood of families and friends in story after story. Gloria passed at age 98 on October 28th in the home of her daughter Rosemary (Dan) in Centre Hall, PA where she lived for the last six months of her life under Hospice care. She lived most of her life in Pittsfield, several years at Devonshire Estates in Lenox and in her daughters’ homes. She loved her time at Patty’s lake house passing the time on the sun porch in the company of her best friend Tilly the Cat and on Rosemary and Dan’s farm watching the horses and KitKat. Gloria graduated from PHS in 1941 with her closest life-long friend, Rita Cocito Bianchi. Their longtime friendship started at age 5. In high school, Gloria worked alongside her mother cleaning houses and after that was employed at the Pittsfield Laundry, the Boston Auto Gage, and General Electric. She later volunteered at the hospital gift shop in Pittsfield. She loved taking care of her family and the home her husband Bruno built on Farnsworth Terrace. Gloria met her husband, the love of her life, Bruno S. Simonetta, while on a girls’ vacation at Lake George, NY. He was with his friends from Pittsfield doing the same. Both were smitten and he gave her a ride home in his car while her friends followed them in her car back home. She introduced Bruno to her mom who later said, “I like that boy!” They were married July 22, 1950 until he passed on Easter 2006. She had introduced Bruno to dancing which he came to love and they danced uninhibited to polkas, foxtrots , waltzes and the cha-cha. Gloria and Bruno were married at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church and later attended Saint Francis, Mount Carmel, and Saint Charles in Pittsfield, along with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in State College, PA. In her 90s, Gloria became active in many Bible studies sharing her gift of oral reading and love of the Bible. An avid reader, Gloria loved reading the newspaper aloud and commenting. If she was watching the news on television, she was a bit louder and more passionate. She also had a passion for cooking and baking for her family and others. When it came to novels, she would describe the story to anyone around her and then ask if they wanted to read them. She spent many fun-filled times later in life reading in person and by Zoom to her great-grandchildren. Along with her daughters Rosemary Hagen (Dan) and Patty Simonetta, she leaves behind grandchildren Matt (Melissa), Mark (Anne), Lane Grosser(Josh), Elise Boros and nine great grandchildren: Elliana, Elijah, Luke, Natalie, Jacob, Gabriel, Paul, Adelynn, and Aria. She also leaves behind her nephew David Vittone, and nieces Lucia Panetti, Theresa Masselli, Mary D’Onofrio, Anna Vetrano and Tina Knollmeyer and their families, along with Phil Paul, former son-in-law. In addition to her husband, Gloria was predeceased by her mother and father, brother Albert, his wife Mary, and her granddaughter’s husband Greg Boros (2020) along with all her aunts, uncles, many cousins and friends. She would frequently ask, “Why am I still here?” Funeral Services will be at Dwyer Wellington, 220 East St., on June 18th, 10 am celebration by Father Peter Gregory with burial to follow at St Joseph’s Cemetery, Pecks Road, Pittsfield. Donations may be made to the children of Ukraine through, CrossCatholic.org/Ukraine. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment someone by my side says: “There, she is gone!” There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!” And, that is dying… Henry Wadswoth Longfellow

Mrs. Gloria Evelyn Simonetta

June 6, 1923 - October 28, 2021