Diane M. Masucci | American Republican
SOUTHBURY – Diane (Samila) Masucci, beautiful daughter of the late Daniel and Vera Samila of Waterbury, passed away at her home on Friday, September 8, 2023, in the arms and hands of her loving family after a beautiful battle with cancer.
She leaves her eternal soul in the hearts of her family who were her life’s goal, including her husband of 60 years, Francis Masucci, and her precious children, Stephen Masucci and his wife Maureen, Daniel Masucci and his wife Marcelli, Kelly Cantillon and. her husbands, John and Frances Masucci and his wife, Kelly.
She lost her precious daughter, Lori Galvin, in 2016, losing a part of her heart and soul that she finally found again in a glorious reunion.
She also leaves a legacy of her life, her 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, Timothy Galvin and his wife Karen and their children Adeline and Liam, Michael Galvin and his wife Katie and their children Connor and Kylie and Stephen Masucci and his wife Christy and their children. children Natalie and Cameron, Elizabeth Ayotte and her husband Neil and their child Aiden, Jessica Tropea and her husband Nick and their child Sabrina, Daniel Masucci, Robert, Audrey and Kate Cantillon and Lucy, Madeline and Nora Masucci.
She also leaves behind her dear siblings, Nicholas Samila, Daniel (Chucky) Samila, Andrea Young, and Veronica (Ronnie) Kirchheimer. She was predeceased by her loving sister and brother-in-law Margaret Dwyer and Carl Samella.
She was born in Waterbury, and from the beginning, her life was her family. She often reflected that she had been helping raise the family since she left the womb, helping alongside her sister Margie with her brothers and sisters from a very early age.
Her legendary childhood growing up with her expanding family on the second floor of their home on Harpers Ferry Road took her through her years at Anderson Grammar School and Welby High School, where she graduated in 1958.
She welcomed Lori into the world and simultaneously committed to pursuing her nursing license at Waterbury Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated in 1961 and then proudly served as a nurse, times she would remember often throughout her life.
She made friendships while working as a nurse that she would keep throughout her life, sharing lunch gatherings with the close-knit group to this day. Her friend from those baby years, Carrie Gwisdowski, is her son Daniel’s godmother.
She left the nursing profession to devote her heart and soul to her family, building the foundation of her life on countless traditions, holiday celebrations, family vacations, and most importantly, endless gatherings arranged simply to share family, food, and love.
While committing her life to loving her family, she has found so much beauty and joy in sharing the creativity of her many interests, hobbies, and talents, including cooking her famous pasta sauce, baking delicious Italian cakes and desserts, and hosting countless outings and gatherings that she absolutely cherishes. I enjoyed it.
She loved sewing and crafts, making her own clothes for many years, creating dresses for her family’s weddings and special events, writing stories about her family and her life, and building dollhouses from scratch for her family to cherish as personal, heartfelt decorations.
Her creative talents extended to her work at her father-in-law’s flower shop, Gilbert’s Florist in New Britain and at Flowers by Sharp in Plainville, and she has beautifully arranged flowers for many years for weddings and special occasions for her children and family members. And friends.
She also proudly served for several years as the office manager of her children’s local accounting practice.
But her lifelong commitment and dedication remained to her family, helping her care for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren for many years. Throughout her life, she enjoyed years of travel with her family, including adventuring throughout Europe, visits to meet relatives in Italy, trips to the Caribbean islands, and trips across the United States, always arranging very special home vacations in Cape Cod and Rhode Island filled with children. Family, food, music, beach time and night gatherings just to relax and enjoy time with loved ones.
Her commitment to her family extended to compassionate care, caring for her mother, Vera, and her precious daughter, Lori, throughout their difficult extended illness and until their death. Her life and the lives of her family were never the same after Lori’s death, and it was the loving bonds she formed with her family that gave her and all of her family the strength to move forward.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift to the organization Diane helped found in Lori’s honor, Lori’s Truth Inc., c/o Massucci & Associates, 648 Main St., Plantsville, CT 06479.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 11 a.m. at St. Luke Catholic Parish at St. Dominic Church, 1050 Flanders Road, Southington. Burial will be private.
DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St., Southington, is assisting with arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit dellavecchiasouthington.com.
