Maria Dolores (Fusco) Moniello

Maria Dolores (Fusco) Moniello, 78 of Hamden, Connecticut died peacefully on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Yale-New Haven Hospital, St. Raphael Campus with her loving family by her side. She was the beloved wife of fifty four years to Raffaele M. Moniello.

Maria was born in Formicola, Province of Caserta, Italy on July 22, 1947, a daughter of the late Gabriele and Carmela (Stanga) Fusco. She moved to New Haven in 1959 as a child and later attended Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden, before earning both her BS and MS degrees from Southern Connecticut State University. She went on to teach Foreign Languages in New Haven for forty two years, at Richard C. Lee High School, Career High School, and James Hillhouse High School In 1972, she married the love of her life, Raffaele, and together they raised their family in Hamden. A devout Roman Catholic, she was a devoted wife, mother, sister, and Nonna, cherished by all who knew her. Fiercely loyal to her family, faith, and Italian heritage, she also found joy in cooking, reading, and art, but her greatest joy in life was being a Nonna. Above all, she was kind, compassionate, and unfailingly able to see the best in everyone. Her warmth and generosity of spirit will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

In addition to her husband Raffaele, Maria is survived by her daughter Nuncia Moniello, two sons, Cesidio “Syd” (Jennifer) Moniello and Gabriele Moniello, three grandchildren, Marco, Mikaela, and Aeryn, all of Hamden, her sister Giovanna (Dr. Paul) Acampora of Middletown, and sisters-in-law Giacomina Moniello of Hamden, Amalia (Pasquale) Venditti of Milford, and Antonia Moniello (Cosimo Summa) of Italy, as well as an aunt, uncle, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins of Connecticut, New York, California and Italy. She was predeceased by her sister Isabella (Fusco) DeStefanis.

In lieu of flowers (if you wish), a memorial contribution in Maria’s name can be made to the National Kidney Foundation or the American Heart Association.

Maria’s family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, April 14th from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. at the Washington Memorial Funeral Home, 4 Washington Ave., North Haven. Her funeral cortege will depart the funeral home at 11:00 a.m. for a Mass of Christian Burial which will be celebrated at 11:30 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (St. Paul VI Parish), 2817 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Entombment will follow in the mausoleum at All Saints Cemetery, 700 Middletown Ave., North Haven. www.washingtonmemorialfh.com

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