Angela Decristoforo

DECRISTOFORO, ANGELA M. “MARIE”, 85, of Smithfield, RI passed away peacefully on Sunday May 15, 2022 at home surrounded by her loving family. Born in East Providence, RI, she was the daughter of the late Carmine and Jennie (Simonelli) DeCristoforo. She was the caring, devoted and loving mother of Christopher M. Rooney, Sr. of Smithfield and his wife Brenda L. Rooney.  She had an immeasurable and extraordinary love for her son. Marie was also the cherished grandmother of Erika M. Rooney (a/k/a her “Dolly Dolly”) and Christopher M. (C J) Rooney Jr. (a/k/a her “Little Boy Blue”).  She lived to give everything she could to her family and loved taking them to Walt Disney World every year at Christmas.

Although Marie was not a big eater herself, she ironically spent most of her life surrounded by food through her dedicated work and service as a waitress at Alexander’s in Downtown Providence for many, many years as well as the Seventh Veil in Smithfield.  She worked in the Smithfield School Department’s food service program serving breakfast and lunch to thousands of students from elementary to high school.  The high schoolers in particular named her, “Our favorite lunch lady Marie”.  She had a great love for children and would often get in trouble with her boss(es) for giving extra food & milk away to kids but did it anyway “until she got caught” cause she had a big heart.  In addition, she also worked at Twelve Acres Banquet facility serving as a hostess, coat room lady and occasional waitress when needed.

She worked very hard and prided herself on building her own home with her ex-husband Kenneth Rooney, the home in which she and her family lived.  It gave her great comfort knowing that she would pass away in her own home and pass on her home to “the kids”.

Aside from being a mother to her human family, she also was a purr-fectly thoughtful paw-ful mother to many cats and dogs, especially her cat Baby which never left her side.  There were some other special ones too like her late cats Tammy and Pretty, her late dogs Michelle and Cindy Lou.  She always told the story of how she actually had to give up Michelle when Christopher was born due to the dog being jealous.  “That was the end of that dog, she had to go”, she would say.

Being from an Italian ethnicity was close to her siblings and their children.  She was predeceased by Mary Coleman, Palma Carlucci, Carolina “Nina” Vincent, Ann Marie Souza, Carmine DeCristoforo Jr. “Brother”, Joseph DeCristoforo and is survived by Nancy Guadagni and Anthony DeCristoforo.  She was also the favorite aunt, known as “Auntie Baby” to many nieces and nephews.  She was especially close to her sister Nancy and niece Roselee Rodrigues.  She also enjoyed receiving spiritual cards filled with loving thoughts and sentiments from her niece Jennie Lynn Angell.

Marie was a devote Roman Catholic and was a well-loved member of St. Agnes Church in Providence.  Up to about 3 years ago, she faithfully attended the St. Jude Novena on Tuesday evenings and continues to support the weekly candle devotion to St. Jude, St. Anthony and St. Theresa.  She enjoyed visiting St. Theresa’s Church and Shrine in North Smithfield, RI as well as the National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette in Attleboro, MA with her family on an annual basis.  She was a contributing donor of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

She was compassionately loved by her many friends and will be missed terribly.

“Then the dust returns to the earth, just as it was, and the spirit returns to the true God who gave it.”     – Ecclesiastes 12:7