Obituary for Mafalda Zinga (Perri)
ZINGA, Mafalda (nee Perri) –
Mafalda Zinga died peacefully on Thursday, September 15, 2022, at the age of 95.
She was predeceased by her loving husband Francesco (Ciccio) Zinga who died four years ago. Ciccio was her life-partner for 69 years.
Mafalda is the mother of Mario Zinga (Paul Leger), Connie Zinga (Ron Crowle) and Josephine – Giuseppina - Thorman (deceased). Josephine was married to David Thorman. Her three children and her husband were the most important people in Mafalda’s life.
Josephine and David (Isabel Thorman) gave Mafalda two delightful grandchildren - Christian Thorman and Seane Thorman (Liam Lavesseur). With her grandchildren, Mafalda’s life blossomed; she acquired a new name; she became Nonna. She made sure Christian had his soppressata and Seane had her soup regardless of what other foods covered her sumptuous table. Her grandchildren were also wonderful reminders of her daughter Giuseppina.
Mafalda was the daughter of Eugenio Perri and Marietta Perri. Her parents invited Mafalda and her family to immigrate to Canada from the Calabrian town of Aprigliano. The family arrived in Sault Ste Marie in May of 1957.
She was the sister of Amalia Muto (deceased). Amaila was married to Emilio Muto. These two women and their respective families – the Zingas and the Mutos - became an extended family. And that extended family nurtured friendships and forged bonds that remain. Friendships and bonds that will define and grow the next generations that Mafalda and Amalia leave behind.
She was the aunt of Rose McCaig (Derrick McCaig) and Mary Melchiorre (Dominic Melchiorre). For Rose and Mary, Mafalda was both aunt and confidant. They knew she would be their support and their champion and therefore Mafalda became an integral part of their adult lives.
I want to mention three other people who were great friends and companions to Mafalda:
- Angela Belsito
- Domenic and Marcella Belsito.
Their loyalty and dedication brought great joy to Mafalda. And as a family, we would like to thank them for their friendship and love towards a courageous woman whose life we remember in this obituary.
There’s one other person that needs to be part of this story and that is Amalia Sanguinetti. Amalia and Mafalda were both born in Aprigliano; and they were young friends in that long ago. For the last four years, these two friends – Amalia and Mafalda – have lived at the Great Northern Retirement Home. What a wonderful gift life gave these two extraordinary women. They were friends in their youths and continued that friendship into their old age. Truly a gift from heaven.
The last group that deserves our thanks is the staff of the Great Northern Retirement Home. Mafalda spoke often of their generosity, their care and their companionship especially during the long periods of Covid isolation. As a family we want to thank them for bringing quality and dignity to Mafalda’s life.
We each come to this point of remembrance with our own sorrow, with our own sadness. And we each come to this point of remembrance with our own grief and our own way of grieving. But we also come to this inflection point with our memories of mom, Nonna, Zia and friend.
Thank you.
Service Details:
Viewing
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
10:30am – 12:30pm
O’Sullivan Funeral Home, 215 St. James Street
Funeral Mass:
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
1:00pm
St. Veronica Church, 559 Douglas
Entombment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery following the Funeral Mass
In lieu of flowers, donations to:
- Sault Area Hospital Foundation
- ARCH
- Great Northern Retirement Home
Arrangements entrusted to O’Sullivan Funeral Home.
Mafalda Zinga died peacefully on Thursday, September 15, 2022, at the age of 95.
She was predeceased by her loving husband Francesco (Ciccio) Zinga who died four years ago. Ciccio was her life-partner for 69 years.
Mafalda is the mother of Mario Zinga (Paul Leger), Connie Zinga (Ron Crowle) and Josephine – Giuseppina - Thorman (deceased). Josephine was married to David Thorman. Her three children and her husband were the most important people in Mafalda’s life.
Josephine and David (Isabel Thorman) gave Mafalda two delightful grandchildren - Christian Thorman and Seane Thorman (Liam Lavesseur). With her grandchildren, Mafalda’s life blossomed; she acquired a new name; she became Nonna. She made sure Christian had his soppressata and Seane had her soup regardless of what other foods covered her sumptuous table. Her grandchildren were also wonderful reminders of her daughter Giuseppina.
Mafalda was the daughter of Eugenio Perri and Marietta Perri. Her parents invited Mafalda and her family to immigrate to Canada from the Calabrian town of Aprigliano. The family arrived in Sault Ste Marie in May of 1957.
She was the sister of Amalia Muto (deceased). Amaila was married to Emilio Muto. These two women and their respective families – the Zingas and the Mutos - became an extended family. And that extended family nurtured friendships and forged bonds that remain. Friendships and bonds that will define and grow the next generations that Mafalda and Amalia leave behind.
She was the aunt of Rose McCaig (Derrick McCaig) and Mary Melchiorre (Dominic Melchiorre). For Rose and Mary, Mafalda was both aunt and confidant. They knew she would be their support and their champion and therefore Mafalda became an integral part of their adult lives.
I want to mention three other people who were great friends and companions to Mafalda:
- Angela Belsito
- Domenic and Marcella Belsito.
Their loyalty and dedication brought great joy to Mafalda. And as a family, we would like to thank them for their friendship and love towards a courageous woman whose life we remember in this obituary.
There’s one other person that needs to be part of this story and that is Amalia Sanguinetti. Amalia and Mafalda were both born in Aprigliano; and they were young friends in that long ago. For the last four years, these two friends – Amalia and Mafalda – have lived at the Great Northern Retirement Home. What a wonderful gift life gave these two extraordinary women. They were friends in their youths and continued that friendship into their old age. Truly a gift from heaven.
The last group that deserves our thanks is the staff of the Great Northern Retirement Home. Mafalda spoke often of their generosity, their care and their companionship especially during the long periods of Covid isolation. As a family we want to thank them for bringing quality and dignity to Mafalda’s life.
We each come to this point of remembrance with our own sorrow, with our own sadness. And we each come to this point of remembrance with our own grief and our own way of grieving. But we also come to this inflection point with our memories of mom, Nonna, Zia and friend.
Thank you.
Service Details:
Viewing
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
10:30am – 12:30pm
O’Sullivan Funeral Home, 215 St. James Street
Funeral Mass:
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
1:00pm
St. Veronica Church, 559 Douglas
Entombment in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery following the Funeral Mass
In lieu of flowers, donations to:
- Sault Area Hospital Foundation
- ARCH
- Great Northern Retirement Home
Arrangements entrusted to O’Sullivan Funeral Home.