Assunta Gizzi Simonelli, 84, of West Long Branch died at her home Saturday, surrounded by her loving family.
She was born and raised in Colliano, Italy, and became a citizen of the United States Nov. 8, 1965. Assunta quickly began encouraging her family to join her as well as helping them get settled.
Assunta loved tending to her vegetable gardens as well as her flowers. She loved hosting Sunday dinner and serving her family’s favorite sauce and meatballs. She loved reading the Italian Newspaper Il Progresso. TV was her friend and teacher, using it to learn English. She was a fan of “General Hospital” and loved “Monday Night Raw,” WWF Wrestling; her favorite wrestler was Bruno San Martino. She loved to play Pokeno with her cousins, spending her quiet time watching TV and knitting as well as listening to Italian music.
Christmas was her favorite holiday, cooking the seven fishes for Christmas Eve and making her zeppole to give as gifts to friends and family. She was a devout parishioner of Holy Trinity RC Church, Long Branch.
Assunta is pre-deceased by her loving husband, Vincent Simonelli, who died in 2016; her sister Anna Zolofra, 2004 and six brothers in Italy.
Surviving are her loving children, Angela and Robert Yost, Oakhurst, Anna Simonelli, West Long Branch and Valeria and Skip Cioffi, Oceanport; her brother, Luciano Gizzi, Long Branch; four grandchildren, Sara Yost, Julianna Yost, Henry Vincent Cioffi and Marina Cioffi; brothers-in-law, Antonio Zolofra, West Long Branch, Cesare Simonelli, Eatontown, Bruno Simonelli and his wife Lydia, Jackson and her sisters-in-law, Maria Giuseppa Scaglione, Colliano, Italy, Loretta Cafolla, Long Branch, Nancy Straniere, Long Branch and Rita Dohme and her husband Alex, Long Branch.
Visitation was Tuesday, June 28 at the Woolley-Boglioli Funeral Home, Long Branch. Mass of Christian burial was offered by Father Ronald Cioffi Wednesday, June 29, at Star of the Sea RC Church, Long Branch. Entombment followed at Woodbine Mausoleum.
The article originally appeared in the June 30 – July 6, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
