Mary Ann Serock, of Greenwich, CT, beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, passed away peacefully on the morning of Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the age of 96.
Mary was born in Hazelton, PA on March 15, 1926, to the late Bartol and Susan (Sobeck) Fellin. Mary married George Serock in 1948 in Hazleton and then lived in Bayonne, NJ to raise their family. Eventually Mary settled in Stamford, CT where she lived for over twenty-five years. In the most recent years, Mary was a resident of The Nathaniel Witherell Nursing Home in Greenwich, CT.
Mary graduated Hazleton High School in 1944. While attending high school Mary also worked nights in the Duplan, where she was involved in the manufacture of parachutes used by the American and allied troops during the war. While raising her family, Mary was a full-time employee at Maidenform, in Bayonne, in the role of lab technician, in the quality control unit, testing the materials used in the manufacture of their garments. In addition to a successful career, Mary found time to make everyone’s breakfast, get home in time to be with the children for lunch, and to make dinner. All achieved despite a mile and a half commute with no car to drive. The children learned a valuable lesson in dedication, delegation, and resilience.
Mary was predeceased by her beloved husband, George, and is survived by her loving children Barbara Roehl and husband William; Nancy Ferro and husband Anthony; Mark Serock and wife Rita; Her treasured grandchildren Billy Roehl and his wife Kimberly, Erica Moynihan and her husband Matt, Natalie Serock and her husband Alex and Allison Ferro and her precious great grandchildren Will and Cassy Roehl and Aidan and Eva Moynihan.
In addition to her husband and parents Mary was preceded in death by her sisters Katherine Potance and Rita Zelloe and her brothers Bartol Fellin and Al Fellini.
Friends and family may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford, CT on Friday, March 10, 2023 from 8:30am to 9:30am, with a mass of Christian burial to follow the visitation at The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist, 279 Atlantic Street, in Stamford, CT. The mass will begin at 10am. Mary’s interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford, where she was a long-time parishioner or The Nathaniel Witherell Foundation. thenathanielfoundation.org
To leave online condolence messages for the family please visit www.Cognetta.com.

Patricia Ann Vanech, a beloved mother and nonnie, passed away peacefully on the evening of Sunday, February 26, 2023 with her family at her side. She was born in Greenwich, CT on February 18, 1937 and was one of seven children born to the late Joseph and Mary Genise Strazza. Pat, as she was affectionately known, was 86 years old at the time of her passing.
Pat graduated from Greenwich High School in 1955. Growing up she was an athlete, performer, and a scholar. After high school Pat worked at AMF as an admin. She was also a singer, and her voice was angelic. She spent time singing for the radio, singing with bands, and creating her record. In 1964, she started a family with her husband, Sandy. She became a member of the Italian Center’s Women’s Auxiliary Club in 1969, where she was involved for years. Pat was also a longtime member of the Tamarack Country Club in Greenwich, CT, and served on many committees there. She was an avid golfer. She played weekly in the 18-hole Ladies Golf Group.Pat loved being a Nonnie to her grandchildren. She was their biggest supporter in all their endeavors. She loved her Yankees and Cowboys but loved watching and cheering on her grandkids the most. She attended all their games and was by far their biggest fan. Pat was a force to be reckoned with, but most importantly, she was an irreplaceable friend to many. Her love, loyalty, and wit will live on through her friends and family.
Pat was predeceased by her beloved husband, Alexander “Sandy” Vanech, and is survived by her daughters Debbie Vanech, Donna Coviello and husband Mike, and Dawn Bivona and husband Gary; and her grandchildren Alexandra Shippee (Bill), John Christopher, Samantha and Jacqueline Lehaney, Nicole Coviello, Danielle White (Travis), and Joseph, Jake, Jon Michael, Jefferey and Grace Bivona; and many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
In addition to her husband and parents Pat was preceded in death by her son Jefferey Vanech and her siblings Rocco, Thomas and Joseph Strazza, Rose Pagano, Angie Ciccone and Kitty Iversen.
Friends and family may call at the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Ave., Stamford, CT on Wednesday, March 1st from 3PM to 7PM. A mass of Christian burial will take place on Thursday, March 2nd at 10:30AM at St. Leo R.C. Church, 24 Roxbury Rd., Stamford, CT 06902. The interment will immediately follow mass at St. John Cemetery in Darien.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations are encouraged and may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate.
To leave online condolences for the family please visit www.Cognetta.com.

Antonino (“Antonio”) Pelli, 87, of Stamford passed away peacefully on Friday, February 24, 2023 surrounded by his beloved wife, Catherina Pelli, their children and grandchildren. Antonio was born in the beautiful mountainside town of Arena, Catanzaro in Italy on April 14, 1935, to the late Dominick and Mariantonenetta Pelli.
In 1955, Antonio made the courageous decision to leave his hometown and travel to America by the Andrea Doria ship, so that he could work to create a better life for himself and his future family. Antonio set his roots in Stamford, Connecticut and immediately became involved with the local church and Italian-American community.
After saving up from his initial years of working, Antonio returned to Arena, Italy in 1958 to marry Catherina Arruzza. The newlyweds welcomed their first child, Dominick, in 1959, and together, the three of them moved to America on July 4th, 1960. In Stamford, Connecticut, Antonio and Catherina welcomed four additional children: Joseph, Frank, Antoinette, and Anthony, who tragically passed away as an infant.
By day, Antonio worked as a construction laborer foreman for the CeCio Brothers in Greenwich, Connecticut. During his time there, at the age of 40, Antonio suffered a tragic accident that disabled him and no longer allowed him to work. By his faith and perseverance, he eventually recovered from the accident and continued to live a fruitful life. In honor of this miracle, Antonio dedicated his life to his faith and family. He was a devoted parishioner at the Sacred Heart Church in Stamford. Antonio also enjoyed making homemade sopressata with his wife Catherina, tending to his garden, making homemade wine and watching wrestling.
By far, Antonio’s greatest legacy is his family. Antonio is survived by his devoted wife, Catherina Arruzza Pelli of Stamford, his loving children, Dominick Pelli of Stamford, Joseph Pelli and his wife Gail of Upton, MA, Frank Pelli and his wife Anita of New Canaan and Antoinette Pelli of Stamford. Also surviving are his adored grandchildren, Anthony, Taryn, Janelle, Zachary and wife Cristina, Tyler and wife Kelsie, Cassandra and husband Benjamin, Austin, Lucas, Faith, Brooke, Nick and wife Margaux, Michael, Matthew, Dylan, Ryan and great grandchild, Anthony, as well as his sister, Maria of Australia.
Antonio is predeceased by his parents, Dominick and Mariantonenetta Pelli, his son, Anthony, and two sisters, MaryAnn Arruzza and Felicia Figliuzzi.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart RC Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford. Entombment will follow at St. John’s Mausoleum in Darien. There will be no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that Mass Intentions be made in Antonio’s memory to Sacred Heart RC Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902 Stamford or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, Memphis, TN 38105.
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com

Genevieve (Jennie, Jean, Jen, Genia) Dembowski died Thursday, February 23 three months short of her 99th birthday. Born in Greenwich in 1924, she was a daughter of the late Martin and Agnes Szczech Muskus.
She is survived by her son Walter (Tom Mariconda) of Shelton and her daughter Dorothy (Antonia Polcini) of Greenwich. Also three nieces, three nephews, and several great and great-great nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband Victor. Also four sisters: Anna Rupp; Victoria Zalewski; Josephine Rupp; and Julia Bruno. And three nephews: James Bruno; Blaise Bruno; and Edward Rupp.

Those are the basic facts of Genevieve’s life and death. But there is so much more to say about her.
She was the youngest of five daughters who, when they grew up, would be known collectively to many as the Muskus Girls. Her father died in 1929, just before her fifth birthday and about the time the Great Depression would begin. She and her older sisters did whatever they could to help their mother, who worked so hard and struggled so much to raise her girls during such difficult times.
Genevieve attended Greenwich public schools and graduated from Greenwich High School in 1942.
From then on until she retired, except for taking some years off to raise her two children, she worked as a secretary either full-time or part-time at several businesses in Greenwich and Stamford.
Working was a necessity. But “Good Time Jennie” as she was nicknamed by herself and others really loved to party and have fun with her friends. And most especially, she loved to dance.
At one of the then fairly frequent Polish dances in the area, she met Victor, the man she would marry on July 24, 1954. As had her sisters and their husbands before her, Genevieve and Victor lived for about two years in her mother’s house on Northfield Street in Greenwich while they saved up enough money to buy a home.
They moved into their own home with their sixteen-month-old son in October 1956. Genevieve would live in that house at 147 Knickerbocker Avenue in the Springdale section of Stamford for the next 63 years. But she always thought of herself as a Greenwich girl and a proud Fourth-Warder, referring to the largely working-class section of Greenwich where she had grown up.
In that house on the corner of Knickerbocker and Clearview Avenues, Genevieve and Victor raised two children with love: their son Walter and daughter Dorothy, who was born in December 1963. Amid all the chores and tasks they shared, they danced to records in the living room and to the radio in the kitchen. And Jennie tried so very hard to teach her two children to dance.
Genevieve and Victor were married for 39 years until his death in August 1993. Her life was never the same afterwards and she often would say how much she wanted to once again be with her husband.
But she continued to enjoy visiting or talking with family and friends while making new friends at several seniors groups. And she treasured time spent with CocoPuff, her daughter’s adorable cockapoo.
She also enjoyed bingo, cards, jigsaw puzzles and, for as long as she could, bowling. And of course dancing, even at her 90th birthday party.
She took great pride in keeping up her yard and was often told by commuters heading down Clearview to the train station that her yard looked much better than theirs.
She cared deeply about her neighborhood and the several generations of neighbors – especially the children – who lived nearby. And she cared about Springdale as a founding member of the Springdale Neighborhood Association.
A lifelong Catholic, Genevieve attended services first at St. Mary’s in Greenwich, then at Holy Name in Stamford and for decades at St. Cecelia’s.
A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, February 27 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Cecilia Church, 1184 Newfield Avenue, in Stamford. Burial will follow at St. Mary Cemetery on North Street in Greenwich.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, to Adopt-a-Dog in Greenwich, or to a charity of your choice.