Teresa Melani

Teresa Melani,  age 101 of Garfield, NJ, died on April 7, 2021.   She was a resident of Garfield for 43 years.  

Teresa had been a mid-wife while she lived in Italy and delivered quite a few babies.  Once living in the United States, she worked as a sewing machine operator, sewing men’s suits and painstakingly matching difficult plaid patterns.  She was excellent at it.

Teresa was born in the little Italy section of New York City.  She returned to Italy with her parents and grew up in Davoli, a province of Catanzaro.  While living there she met Mario Melani who was visiting Davoli.  Mario was a handsome, adventurous young man who was serving in the Italian army in  the Guardian of Finance.  It was love at first sight and they were married shortly thereafter and had 2 children.

Teresa lived through WWII and experienced the devastating effects of the war firsthand.   During the war, she came down with typhoid fever.  At the same time she was in the hospital, her husband Mario was taken a prisoner of war by the Germans for six long months.  While Teresa was very sick in the hospital near death and Mario was a prisoner of war, their 2 children were being cared for by their fraternal grandparents.  During this difficult time, no one knew if either Teresa or Mario were  alive.  As God would have it, once the war ended, Teresa was gloriously and happily reunited with her husband.  As time went on, they went on to have a third child which was quite unexpected after having survived typhoid fever.

Teresa and Mario had longed for a better life for their three children, so they decided to make the bold move to America.  Teresa left her family in Italy in June 1954 and travelled alone to America.  Being a US citizen, she was able to arrive in the United States to set up an apartment where her family could later join her.  What a strong and courageous woman she was to have been able to leave her three young children in hope for a better life for them.  In January 1955 her family reunited with her in America and they went on to live in New Jersey.

Teresa was a very hardworking, loving and caring mother, wife and person.  She truly enjoyed cooking for her family and friends and  was so good at it.  She made so many delicious meals and holiday specialities.  She also loved crocheting and knitting blankets, baby sweaters and booties.  She made many beautiful and priceless works of art that will be handed down and enjoyed by future generations.

Teresa loved her family very much and was extremely proud of her three children, her six grandchildren and her five great grandchildren for all that they have accomplished.

Teresa is survived  by her three children, Tom Melani and his wife Josephine, Ann Goff and her husband Dennis, and Michelle Folbrecht and her husband Rick.  Six grandchildren:  Michael Melani, Dina Melani, Terri Toscano and her husband Louis, Denise Hoffman and her husband George, Kyle Folbrecht and Kristin Heyman and her husband Kevin.  Five great grandchildren:  Tommy Melani, Sofia Melani, Talina Toscano, Kayla Toscano and Brianna Hoffmann.