Obituary: Catherine Cirillo Taddei, 88, of North Haven

NORTH HAVEN, CT - (From Sisk Brothers Funeral Home) Catherine Cirillo Taddei (Cathy), of North Haven, was born at home on Saint John Street in New Haven on October 5, 1933 the youngest of six to the late Louis and Lucia (Danese) Cirillo.

She passed on January 3, 2022 at the age of 88 in her home with family by her side. A lifelong resident of Connecticut, she met her husband, the late Valentino Taddei, a close friend of her brother, Tony, and married him in 1955 at the age of 22.

Loving mother of Marisa Taddei of Hamden, Valentino Taddei, Jr. of South Riding, VA, Christopher Taddei of Wallingford and Michael Taddei of North Haven. She will be forever cherished by daughters-in-law Laura (Saponar) Taddei and Tamar (Hamosh) Taddei, and son-in-law Scott Howland.

Her greatest joys were her five grandchildren, Gessica Catherine, Valentino III, Livia Claire, Charlotte Joy and Thomas David, for whom her grandmotherly love will endure as a lifelong comfort. They will miss their beloved “MiMa.” “

Aunt Cath” loved her many nieces and nephews too. Predeceased by her sister, Nancy (Cirillo) Cestare and brothers, Vincent (Vinny), Michael (Mickey), Anthony (Tony) and Louis (Louie) Cirillo. Cathy began her career in banking in the 70’s, working nights in downtown New Haven, manually sorting checks and eventually retiring in 2003 at age 70 as Vice President, Branch Manager of Chase Bank in Cheshire.

She took pride in exceeding her goals, enjoyed her work and the many friends and colleagues she made along the way.

They appreciated her personal touch – she “mothered” them too. It wasn’t unusual for a customer to drop in for a social visit. Cathy’s greatest love was her family.

Her role as mother, grandmother, aunt and friend was her number one priority.

A devoted wife who knew the path to her husband’s heart was through his stomach, she became a gourmet cook under the tutelage of her mother-in-law, Lucia Volpe Taddei.

A true matriarch, Cathy mothered and “coached” everyone – always going out of her way to help and to love others. Regardless of how busy her workday may have been, there was a delicious, creative meal on the table every night. Her home was a hub for love, friendship, hospitality, and amazing Italian food for a large extended family and friends, and the growing families and friends of their children over the years. Sunday mornings were filled with the wonderful aroma of her sauce and meatballs.

After church, Sunday dinner with the entire family was mandatory. There was always room for a friend or two at the table, too. She taught us that God and family come first and to this day Sunday dinner is a tradition we all hold dear.

Funeral from Sisk Brothers Funeral Home, 3105 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, Monday, January 10. The family will receive friends Monday from 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Joseph's Church, 129 Edwards Street, New Haven.

Interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, 3110 Whitney Ave., Hamden, CT. The family will receive friends immediately following the interment at Ludal Italian Restaurant, 28-30 Broadway, North Haven, CT.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Catherine can be made to the Hematology Program Fund at Smilow Cancer Hospital or to the St. Padre Pio Academy in Ridgefield, CT. For Smilow, please make your check payable to Yale New Haven Hospital and mail to YNHH Development, PO Box 1849, New Haven, CT 06508. Please include Catherine Taddei’s name on the memo line.

For St. Padre Pio Academy, please make your check payable (include Catherine Taddei’s name on the memo line) to St. Padre Pio Academy and mail to 209 Tackora Trail, Ridgefield, CT, 06877. Secure online gifts for Smilow can be made at www.givetoynhh.org.

Secure online gifts for St. Padre Pio Academy can be made at http://www.sspxridgefield.com/padre-pio-academy.

To leave an online condolence, please visit www.siskbrothers.com.