Marietta Di Genova
elevated WLa8z October 10, 1964 – May 25, 2024
elevated WLa8z Visitation
Wednesday May 29, 2024 from 2-4 & 6-8 pm
Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home
211 Langstaff Road East, Thornhill, ON, L3T 3Z6
elevated WLa8z Funeral Mass – Chapel of St. Joseph (within the Funeral Home)
Thursday May 30, 2024 at 10:30am
elevated WLa8z To watch the Mass live
elevated WLa8z Entombment
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
elevated WLa8z
elevated WLa8z Obituary
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Marietta DiGenova, born on October 10, 1964, in Toronto, Canada. Marietta left us on Saturday, May 25, 2024, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was the cherished daughter of Nevio and Concetta DiGenova (née Frigioni) and beloved sister to her brothers, Francesco and Alfredo.
elevated WLa8z Marietta met Geri De Vincentis while on a summer vacation in her father’s hometown of San Benedetto Dei Marsi, Italy. Their friendship blossomed, and four years later, they reconnected during another summer holiday. They spent three inseparable weeks together, forging a bond that would last a lifetime.
elevated WLa8z The following year, Geri visited Marietta in Toronto. Fearing he might not return, Marietta insisted they marry. Three weeks later, they wed at city hall on March 18, 1985, and celebrated their Catholic wedding on December 28, 1985. Marietta’s determination and decisiveness were hallmarks of her character, steering her through life’s challenges with strength and grace.
elevated WLa8z Their married life was filled with adventure and joy. They honeymooned in Vancouver and later moved into their first home in Toronto. Soon after, they welcomed their two sons, Gustavo and Andrea. In July 1993, Marietta and Geri moved to Italy, where they spent 20 wonderful years. They raised their family, opened a butcher store, and later a meat distribution plant, while exploring Italy. Annual visits from her parents kept Marietta close to her loved ones.
elevated WLa8z When Gustavo and Andrea moved to Canada, Marietta longed to be with them. What began as a short visit turned into a permanent stay, and she encouraged Geri to join her. Marietta cherished being around family and always worked to keep them close.
elevated WLa8z The family continued to grow. In 2018, Gustavo married, and in 2019, Marietta became a Nonna to Mia Hope De Vincentis, followed by her grandson Max. These events brought her immense happiness.
elevated WLa8z In 2022, life took an unexpected turn when Marietta was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She faced her illness with remarkable strength and determination, surpassing doctors’ expectations. Her resilience was fueled by her love for her family and the hope of attending her son Andrea’s wedding in the fall of 2024. She even bought two dresses, determined to attend and wear them to the wedding.
elevated WLa8z In her final months, Marietta’s family was by her side, offering incredible support. “We had a beautiful life,” Marietta said on the morning of April 7th, Geri’s birthday, as she reflected on their life. A moment her husband will cherish in his memory forever.
elevated WLa8z She now rests in eternal peace, wearing one of the dresses she had hoped to wear to her son’s wedding.
elevated WLa8z Marietta was an active and vibrant person who loved jogging, cooking, and staying busy. Her family provided unwavering support throughout her illness, reflecting the love and values she had instilled in them.
elevated WLa8z May her life and passing remind us to live each day to the fullest and fight life’s battles with all we have. Marietta’s legacy of love, strength, and family values will live on in the hearts of her husband Geri, her sons Gustavo and Andrea, her grandchildren Mia and Max, her daughter-in-laws to Christina and Cassandra, her brothers Francesco and Alfredo, her sisters-in-law Mirella and Carmela, and all who knew and loved her. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
elevated WLa8z The family welcomes flowers to honour Marietta’s memory. Additionally, donations in her name to Hospice Vaughan are appreciated.
elevated WLa8z
My cousin Cristina could not have had a better mother-in-law. Loving, caring, hardworking, devoted and selfless. May the special memories be a comfort for the entire family during this dark time. May Marietta Rest in Peace.
Condoglianze a tutta la famiglia per la scomparsa Della Cara Marietta
Beniamino Cerasani e famiglia
It isn’t long ago that we said goodbye to our beloved Concetta and Nevio and now we had to do the same with their beautiful daughter Marietta!
It is with really heavy hearts that we bid her our final farewell! Another gentle, beautiful and courageous soul taken away too soon from all her loved ones by a “cruel thief” that doesn’t spare many…
To you Geri, Gustavo, Andrea, Francesco, Alfredo and respective families, I want to express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all! May God give you the strength to overcome the pain for your sad loss and may you all find comfort in the memories of the wonderful life you shared together.
May our dear Lord give Marietta eternal rest and welcome her in his garden of peace!
RIP Marietta, we will never forget you! 🙏🏻
Marisa Morgani and Family
In Loving Memory of our dear cousin Marietta 🌹
Dear Geri, Gustavo, Andrea
our cousins Francesco, Alfredo and all the family
Our heartfelt Condolences go out to you all,
for the passing of your Loving wife/ loving mother/
mother-in-law/ sister/ sister-in-law/ aunt and loving
grandmother to sweet Mia & Max
We are deeply sorry for your profound loss
and with Love and Remembrance we share
in your sorrow.
May you find comfort and peace in all the beautiful
and cherished memories you have shared together.
Marietta’s gentle hearted demeanor and a lovely Soul her kindness touched our lives and all who
known her. Her strength and diligence, energetic,
strong minded and hardworking.
Lovingly devoted to her family, loving wife to Geri,
loving mother to Gustavo & Andrea and loving nonna
to her sweet grandchildren Mia & Max
Marietta had a love for animals, her pets that have
gone before her, she loved and cared for.
She found peace in the beauty of Nature.
Marietta was an excellent cook, and enjoyed
cooking and baking and particularly liked to keep
old world and family recipes and traditions passed
on by her mother.
Thoughtful, generous and gracious
Marietta always brought a Smile to every occasion.
Marietta will be greatly missed. Forever in our Hearts
with Deepest and Heartfelt Sympathy
from cousins, Cesta family
Filomena, Fred, Franco and their families.
May Her Soul Rest in Eternal Peace 🕊 God Bless 🙏🏻
On behalf of Dr. Michael Kagal and staff at Humber River Dentistry, we wish to extend our sincere condolences to her entire family.
Marietta was a great soul and loved by everyone, both staff and patients. We have missed her so much when she went off on sick leave, unfortunately we will never be seeing her again. Marietta was kind, lovable, nurturing, elegant, and very well presented. Today she is flying high with the angels as the great doors of heaven opened to accept her.
May God grant Gerry, her sons, brothers and all her family peace and faith in the days, months and years to come.
May her beautiful soul rest in eternal peace forever.
Our deepest condolences on the loss of your beloved mother. May she rest in eternal peace. Mike and Carla
Marietta is sister to my uncle Alf and sister-in-law to my aunt Carm. I didn’t know her and only remember her briefly through family gatherings. From the tributes I have read, she sounds like a good soul and a person with a strong spirit. I am sorry to learn of her battle with cancer. Any illness, regardless the type, is unjust. I pray she is at peace now.
My husband and I send our thoughts and prayers to her family who loved her dearly. With deepest condolences Teresa and Joel MacNeil.
Marietta was a dear friend of mine since we met in December 2014. We became close friends from then and she would gave me a ride home as well as picking me up in the mornings for us to get to work.
She was a very kind person, very understanding and quiet. She never showed anger even if she was. She was the best friend one could ask for. We shared a lot of our stories together and we had great laughs and fun at the right time and the right moment.
She never missed to bring a Christmas or Easter goodies for me and my family. She remembered birthdays and special occasions, never missed one. She would bring me breakfast that her mom would pack and send for me, and it will be on my desk if she arrived before me. In the summer, I will have lots of tomatoes, cucumbers etc. from her dad’s garden.
This year Marietta, made a beautiful cross with my late husband’s picture so I could place it on his photograph as a token, as he passed away last year May 14, 2023, from pancreatic cancer. They were good pals!
My beautiful friend who was always so elegant and poised, I wish your soul reached in the arms of the lord and you are in that beautiful garden they call paradise. I will surely miss you. I knew your quietness lately was not normal and I knew something was not right but i respected your privacy.
Gerry thanks so much for dropping by so we could chat, it meant a lot.
Again, condolences to her entire family, Gerry, her sons, grandkids, daughter-in-laws, brothers and everyone. May her beautiful soul rest in eternal peace forever. I will surely miss you my dearest friend. With love I say goodbye, until we meet again, in the sweet bye and bye!
Geri, Gustavo and Andrea, Alfonso and Francesco,
I am deeply sorry for your loss of your Loving Wife, Mom, and sister .May the love of God surround you during this time of grief, May she rest in peace and may her soul find solace in the loving embrace of God and may you all find comfort in the hope of eternal life promised by our faith. My thoughts and prayers are with you all and your family. My condolences once again to you and your family during this difficult time.
Marietta DiGenova makes me proud to say I am a member of the human race.
We met Marietta and Geri 38 yrs ago, just after we got married and attended a house party at our dear friend’s home. We were so happy that Marietta and Geri had come back to live in Toronto, after 20 years in Italy. We were able to get together since their return, sharing moments at each other’s homes bowling night together, and at the cottage sharing a beach day and Family Day weekend in 2020, just before lock down with COVID. The memories that we shared will forever be in our minds and hearts. Marietta was a loving and generous lady who showed grace at its fullest colours, while battling her cancer. We will always be proud of the support she gave to her father, who was battling his own cancer, while she was also dealing with her own treatments! I will always remember the phone calls we had while she was seeking home care support for her mother and also her father, who both died of cancer within a few years of each other. What a strong woman she was! Marietta will always be remembered as a brave and quiet woman, full of love for her entire family and commitment to everyone she knew. Marietta will be eternally missed. Thank you for all the lovely moments we had together. We are so grateful that we knew you. Thank you to all her caregivers, family and friends who were there to support her at her final moments- this love and kindness will always be remembered. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during your loss.
The Journey of Friendship
On a beautiful fall evening in 1985 two innocent 20 something year olds sat down with their fiancés to try and get through marriage classes. My husband recognized that Geri was speaking italian and that was all he needed the conversations started and that was it both Marietta and myself and Joe and Geri started a special friendship. We attended their wedding that December and we were further honoured by baptizing their first born our beautiful godson Gustavo. Through gatherings and outings we always found the time to get together . Moving away to italy was hard but we exchanged letters regularly and kept our ties close. When they returned it was like they had never left. I cherished every moment with her. We made endless plans together and spoke regularly. She loved to talk about the grandkids and we would share stories often. Her diagnosis was devastating i could never bring myself to speak to her about it but would try to bring a smile to her face anyway I could. I did not have her
bravery. Her tremendous courage, strength and bravery in the face of this was beyond words. She will be missed at every gathering but i hope her memories will continue to give us hope and strength. I held your hand and said goodbye my friend one of the hardest things Ive ever done..love you and will forever miss you
To Geri, Gustavo and Andrea our hearts go out to you all we will always be here for you as i promised her we would be. Our deepest and sincerest condolences for this terrible loss, but she will be there to give you strength and guide you she will never leave your side.
Our dear Marietta,
I can still hear your voice when I think of you. I remember when you left for Italy and how deeply my parents missed you. It brought everyone joy when we would hear from you and our trip to Italy was made complete when you welcomed us into your home, cooked us a beautiful feast and showed us your town. You were full of joy and the laughs were endless.
When you came home, we always felt your presence, and were joyed when you would come visit. You taught me how to make the best pizza, a technique I use every time. Saw I had a tun of basil growing, took it home and made me pesto. I still have that pesto in my freezer and saving it for a special day when we want you close to us.
The most heartfelt thing you would always do is think of my children. On Christmas, Easter , their birthday. You always went out of your way to put a beautiful outfit together or get them a rain coat which is their favourite to this day.
You were a beautiful friend to my parents, and the void they now feel I’m not convinced will ever be filled. A piece of their heart went with you when you left us.
You were the definition of strength, and I admired that about you. You touched all of us and this still seems so surreal. May you rest in eternal peace 🕊️
I am so fortunate that we got to meet. I had heard so much about you and you were all the wonderful things Fhilomena told me.
We had such a lovely time that evening. Great restaurant and great friends. Your beautiful smile and the closeness you both had was beautiful. Cousins but more like sisters. You will be missed. May you rest in Our Lords Arms.
45 years ago, when we were only 15, Marietta and I met at Madonna High School. I remember it like it was yesterday. She would talk about how excited she was to go to Italy for the summer months with her family. On her return she had a twinkle in her eyes because she had met the love of her life, Geri.
After high school we went separate ways to different post secondary colleges. During this time she married Geri and after 6 busy years fate had it where I connected with her brother Francesco. Thank you Marietta for being the reason I met the love of my life. It was destined – you became my maid of honour, my sister in law & my best friend.
We lived one floor away from one another for a few years. We even shared being pregnant almost for the same term. We shared laughs throughout our pregnancies together.
Laughter was the best part of our years. From cake fights to drinking Prosecco in a quaint cobble stone alleyway restaurant in Roma bella – these memories will always be with me. I remember her saying, “This one of the best days of my life”!
Marietta you are forever in my heart 🤍
Beloved Marietta,
What a beacon of light you have been for us. I remember your warm smile from the moment we met you. You were such an example of kindness and strength, your beautiful spirit was bright even under the most difficult times. I will remember you every time I see flowers in the spring, thank you for being such a beautiful human being. I can only aspire to be more like you and will always cherish our the little moments we had together.
My deepest condolences to Geri, Gustavo, Andrea and the rest of the family.
Even though we never got a chance to meet you, through the words of your beloved cousin, Filomena, we had the opportunity to know your beautiful soul. Filomena shared with us how kind and thoughtful you were and what a great cousin you were to her. You were and still are loved by all, we wish you a peaceful eternal rest.
Condolences to the family.
We are so saddened by the passing of Marietta. Please accept our sincere condolences.
We are with you all in our hearts!
My heartfelt deepest sorrow to the entire family and friends of Marietta, Geri,my heart aches for you, may you find peace and comfort in your family.
Video chat anytime.
Vincenza (Enza), cousin.💔😘😢
Though we didn’t know Marietta, we feel deeply sorrowed for Gustavo’s loss, as well as for the family. Our most sincere condolences.
Geri, ci dispiace tantissimo, vi siamo vicini un abbraccio forte a tutti voi.
Zia Anna, Valeria e Edoardo
Carissimo Gerry, ti sono vicina in questo momento di enorme dolore. So quanto fosse forte il legame che vi univa ed è per questo che prego affinché siano proprio i ricordi di questo grande amore a darti la forza per superare questo triste momento. So bene che tutte le parole del mondo, non possono colmare il vuoto e la solitudine che ora provi….ma ci tengo a farti sapere che ti sono vicina. Un affettuoso abbraccio a te e a tutta la tua famiglia.
Marietta was a beautiful person, inside and out. In the short time we were fortunate enough to live next door, she never let an occasion go by without bringing us a gift of food or flowers, and she always stopped to chat, even when she was ill. We feel lucky to have been in her orbit, if only for a few years. Sending our love and deepest sympathies to Geri, Andreas, Gustavo and Marietta’s extended family — Alison and Jamey
A Geri e famiglia e a tutta la famiglia Di Genova,
In questo momento di profondo dolore, vi giungano le nostre piu’ sentite condoglianze!
Riposa in pace Marietta! Ti ricorderemo per sempre! 🙏🏻
Loreta Di Genova,
Wendy, Domenico D’ Amico e Famiglia.
( San Benedetto )
Dear Geri, Gustavo, Andrea, Francesco, Alfredo and respective families,
Jean Noel, Nadine and their families join me, Dominic and our daughters in sending our sincere condolences.
Marietta has been described through the above messages as someone who values life, family, friends, colleagues… Qualities associated with her are many: determined, resilient, devoted, selfless, kind, caring… She has touched many lives and shared powerful messages on life, happiness, strength, forgiveness… (ex.:facebook post, January 6, 2024). On a personal basis, we will not forget her coming to her parents house whenever we visited to make us coffee and chat. I will not forget meeting her at Fortino’s on Saturday mornings sharing a coffee with Gustavo before making her way to Barrie to visit and spend time with Mia…family time and support, always on top of the list.
In the end, the goal of life is to be happy, t;o help others and to make the world a better place. Marietta did that.
Condolences, Prayers, Love, Hugs