GLORIA P. (PETRUCCI) MARCIANO

85, passed away peacefully on September 16 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease for eight years. She is the wife of Louis A. Marciano, of Cranston, and mother of Dr. Deb Louise Marciano (Ray Noll III) of Valdosta, Georgia, and Dr. Joanne Marciano Crossman (Ward) of Palm Harbor, Florida. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Stephen Paul Lepre, Jr., and Lisa and Jenna Crossman. She was the sister-in-law of Marie (Fred) Baldoni and Gloria (Ted) Metcalf. Gloria and Lou recently celebrated their 61th wedding anniversary. They have lived in Cranston since 1957. She was the daughter of Agnes (D'Ambra) and Thomas Petrucci, sister to Stella and Paul Torti, Walter and Janet Petrucci, and Thomas Petrucci Jr., who have all preceded her in death. Gloria was elected to the National and Rhode Island Honor Society while attending Pawtucket High School, and also attained High Honors at Katherine Gibbs College. She was Executive Secretary to the manager of Chase Brass and Copper Company during her brief working career, and became a stay at home mother. She was the first person to serve as President of the St. Mary Church School Mother's Guild for two years, after having served as secretary for three years. She was a Eucharistic Minister, Lector and member of the church choir for 38 years. She also taught religious classes for 37 years. For five years she served on the Preparation for Marriage team at St. Mary Church, and was one of the first Advisors to the CYO of the church. In 2008 she was made an honorary member of the Rotary Club of North Providence, is a Paul Harris Fellow and Benefactor of the Rotary International Foundation. She was an outstanding oil painter and last November her portrait of her grandson was selected as "The People's Choice" by the gallery of the Cranston Library. She was also noted for her love of flowers and each year planted boxes of them on her property. Many are perennials and continue to bloom each year. Gloria also loved to travel and she and her husband visited 32 countries and most of the United States. During her travels she would collect musical bells and her show case is filled with more than one hundred of them. Funeral will be held from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory, 1278 Park Avenue, Cranston on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary's Church, Cranston St., Cranston at 10:00 a.m. by Fr. John Rainone a long-time friend as Celebrant. Burial will be held in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. VISITING HOURS are Wednesday from 4:00-8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made, in her memory, to the Rhode Island College Foundation: Louis and Gloria Marciano Scholarship Fund, 600 Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Providence, RI 02908.

---