Silvia (Beretta) Cazzaniga

Silvia (Beretta) Cazzaniga, formerly of Scarsdale, NY, died on Thursday, February 23, 2023, in Worcester, MA, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Silvia was born to Adolfo and Teresa Beretta (Pastori) on June 6, 1936 in Brugherio, Italy. On February 19th, 1962 she was married to Riccardo A. Cazzaniga of Monza, Italy. The two would have celebrated 61 years of marriage last month.

Growing up she was an active member of Azione Cattolica (Catholic Action), a lay group involved in community and parish activities. She worked as a secretary in ENI, the Italian energy company, where she eventually met Riccardo through mutual friends.

Soon after they were married, Riccardo transferred to a new role in New York City.  Without knowing a single word of English, Silvia traveled with Riccardo aboard the cruise ship Cristoforo Colombo, and took up residence in Riverdale, Bronx NY.  Her sons Luigi and Stefano were born in 1963 and 1965. In between job assignments, the family moved back to Monza, Italy in 1970, where their daughter Alessandra was born.  After a brief residence in Basingstoke, England, they finally returned to the US, where Silvia has lived since 1974.

While Silvia did follow Riccardo on several of his travel adventures, she in particular enjoyed her pilgrimage organized with her sisters to The Holy Land, and afterwards to Poland. She had a special devotion to Our Lady of Czestochowa, and she and Riccardo frequently visited The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.  Over the course of many years, Silvia found ways to volunteer and be of service to others, through activities such as Meals on Wheels, and volunteering at Bronxville Hospital in NY.

Her real pride and joy were always her grandchildren.  She loved traveling to visit them, and was always available to help - and when Riccardo was not available to drive her, she learned bus schedules and took to traveling on her own to be there with her “nipotini”.  She started the annual “family vacation” tradition, whether it be at Acadia National Park or in Philadelphia visiting Sesame Street with her grandchildren, memories that will be cherished forever.

Silvia was predeceased by her husband, Riccardo A. Cazzaniga, who died on December 12, 2022, and by her parents. She is survived by her sisters Giovanna Bestetti, Luisa Beretta, and MariaRosa Daniele, and by her brother Ambrogio Beretta, all of Brugherio, Italy; and her three children – Luigi Cazzaniga of Bethel, CT, and wife, Ellen; Stefano Cazzaniga of Grapevine, TX, and wife, Claudia; Alessandra Soares, of Worcester, MA, and husband David. She is also survived by her 11 grandchildren – Adriano, Nicolas, Gianpaolo, Corinna, Luca, Pia Luisa, Lorenzo, Mariano, Teresa, Sebastian, and Alessandro.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Loreto Church in Worcester, MA, at 10 am, on Thursday, March 16, 2023, preceded by a recitation of the Holy Rosary at 9:30 am. 

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