Obituary of Maria Criscione

Criscione, Maria (nee Alessio), age 84 of Totowa at rest in Wayne on December 3, 2023. Dear wife of Giovanni Criscione. Loving mother of Emanuele Criscione and his wife Dawn, Giovanna Criscione, and Eugenio Criscione. Adoring grandmother of Michael and Nicolas Criscione. Loving sister of Lina Brunetti. She is also survived by her beloved Grand-Dog, Fenway. Born in Calabria, Italy, she lived in Italy for 20 years before immigrating to the United States and residing in Paterson, then moving to Totowa in 1976. She was a seamstress for various clothing factories in Paterson for 20 years before retiring in 2001. Mrs. Criscione loved to cook for family and friends. Our mom's legacy will be a remembrance of a life filled with love and happiness. Joy will always be in our memories. Remembering the happiness in her eyes as she taught us and provided guidance about life from our cradles to adulthood will live within us as we replicate a purposeful life well lived as her legacy. Our home was always a place in which love and laughter would be heard. The aromatic scents of delicious homemade dinners coming from the kitchen, along with the laughter of a closely-knit family will forever be our memories. Her unselfish and unconditional commitment as a loving wife, mother, and grandmother was evident every day. She was in perpetual motion, ensuring everything was always taken care of, never a day we went without because of her tireless work for us. Memories of her spending time with her grandsons, showing them how to cook, and the laughter that could be heard when she would occasionally break into a song with them. She opened her home to all and welcomed everyone with kindness and compassion as though they were family. She was a professional seamstress, and her talent was unsurpassed. She could sew a dress with store-bought fabric and a pattern, but her greatest achievement as a skilled seamstress was the spiritual tapestry of our family. It is forever woven together by the spirit that she tirelessly crafted her entire life. We may have lost our mother's presence here, which is a deeply painful loss. However, her loving memory of joy and happiness is forever a part of us that can never be taken away. That is her gift to us, which we are forever fortunate and grateful to have received. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral from the Festa Memorial Funeral Home, 111 Union Blvd., Totowa, on Saturday at 9:00 AM. Funeral Mass to follow at St. James RC Church, Totowa at 9:30 AM. Entombment at Laurel Grove Mausoleum, Totowa. Friends may visit Friday 4-8 PM.