Emelinda Rose “Sunshine” DeFeo was born May 18, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York, where she was raised by an Italian and Polish-American immigrant family. Prior to working as a jeweler for over twenty years, Emelinda worked as a telephone operator and as an assistant to an executive inside of the world-famous Empire State Building. She followed Roman Catholic faith and spent most of her life volunteering for various church groups and charities. Her family describes her as someone to whom people were always drawn. She had a unique way of making others feel included and understood. Emelinda loved life, she loved to laugh, and she grabbed every opportunity to try or learn something new. Emelinda passed away January 31, 2021 at the age of 76.
Emelinda will be missed dearly by her husband and best friend of 56 years, George DeFeo; her daughters, Melinda DeFeo-Francisco (Mike), Elena DeFeo, Jennifer DeFeo (Marissa); her grandson, Roman DeFeo; her four-legged children, Emma, Brooklyn, and Jewel, and her four-legged grandchildren, Peanut, Knuckles, Dudley, Jasper, and Scarlett. Emelinda will also be forever remembered by her sister Patricia (Steven) Greenberg; her “BFFF” Laura (Rob) Cordiviola; Helen Morrone, and numerous nieces and nephews. Emelinda joins her parents, Josephine Grimaldi Glosson and John Grimaldi.
Memorial donations in memory of Emelinda may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
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