Obituary for Viola Meola (Rota)
Viola Meola, 94, a lifelong resident of Nutley, passed away on Wednesday June 21, 2023 at her home. Born in Nutley, she was the daughter of the late Sam and Genevieve (Tirone) Rota. Viola was a deli clerk at Shop Rite in West Orange before retiring. A devoted wife and loving mother and grandmother, Viola was predeceased by her beloved husband, Joseph Meola and is survived by her loving children, Jody Wallace and husband, Matt, Lisa Rossi and husband Jerry, Rocco Meola and wife, Palmina and Jennifer Defilippis and husband, Albert. She also leaves her grandchildren, Daniel Wallace, Samantha and Lianne Rossi, Martine Acanfora and Sammi Waring.
Visitors will be received at the S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home, 267 Centre St. Nutley on Sunday June 25, 2023 from 2-6 pm. A Funeral Service will be conducted at the funeral home on Monday June 26 at 10:30 am followed by burial at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield.
A TRIBUTE TO OUR MOTHER VIOLA
We are here to honor and celebrate the life of our beloved Mom,
Viola Meola. She was born here in Nutley, April 26th 1929, a twin
and one of seven children. She was a daughter, sister, aunt,
friend, wife, worker, mother, mother in law and grandmother.
Viola went to school in Nutley, but left at 16 to work in a factory in
Newark. She took the bus. I remember a story she told about a
big snowstorm when the buses stopped running and they had to
walk a long way. As a young woman, Viola had her siblings,
especially her twin, Carmella as well as dear friends. She
enjoyed the shore, going to movies, and attending dances. She
met her husband Joe at a dance. They got married and settled in
the house that our Grandpa Sam Rota built.
She was a quiet person, preferring to watch and listen, but as she
got older she gained confidence and shared her strength and
common sense. She was a very smart, practical woman. She
especially needed her problem solving skills as she got older and
had to adapt to accommodate her mobility issues.
Our mom was a natural born caregiver. She raised her four kids
using loving instincts and common sense.
She walked a lot back in the day, she didn’t learn to drive until she
was in her 40’s. Walking down to Nutley Center, and to the library
were her usual routes. As an avid reader, she always read booksto us. She knew she should read to us even before people talked
about how important that is.
Viola always worked hard, saved money, and took very few
vacations. She worked holidays and weekends at the ShopRite
deli. In those days she dealt with workplace politics gracefully.
She was also creative and cut fancy garnishes for the deli case.
She always baked and cooked Sunday dinners. Family was
everything to her
Talking to her sister on the phone, going to movies on
Wednesdays with Carmella, attending Ladies lunches organized
by Gen, and going to all family occasions on both sides of the
family were activities she treasured and enjoyed.
She took pride in her appearance. She liked jewelry, clothes and
makeup and always had her hair done. Lisa made sure that she
got out every Saturday even though she had mobility issues.
They often went out to lunch and to Bed Bath and Beyond.
Mom loved television. When she was retired and living alone,
she often stayed up late watching TV. During the day she
watched the soaps. Our brother Rocky has been known to watch
General Hospital with her on Thursday afternoons after he got off
from work. Those As Seen on TV ads? They were made for her.
Even recently an infomercial about Omega 3 was advertised for
pain. She had Lisa order it and said,” We could all try it! “ Anyone
need a bottle of Omega 3? We have a few.Our mom was the definition of what a mother should be. She
knew each of us very well, and I think we reflect parts of her in the
people we’ve become. She took pride in the fact that as she said
recently, “ I always had good kids”. I thank her for my optimism
and independence. I left New Jersey, but I always came back
home. Lisa is as strong as Mom and she has a wisdom that she
imparts to her own kids and the kids she taught. She is loyal and
was my mom’s right hand, helping her tirelessly - she can deal
with adversity and can organize and manage.
Rocky, a Taurus like Mom, is the epitome of her hard work ethic
and possesses a strong sense of humor. Jennifer loves deeply.
She loves her home, her dogs, baking and cooking and she is the
keeper of our pictures and memories
Mom welcomed all her in-laws. Al - she knew his phone number
and loved that he brought her zeppoles on Sunday mornings.
Jerry - she relied on his help and good nature for many things
over the years. Matt - she talked with him about lots of things
over coffee at the kitchen table. Pam- always helped my mom by
taking her to doctors appointments - she always found special
gifts for Viola and still calls out of respect for the good person my
mom was.
When we were all adults my mom celebrated us and our families.
She welcomed each grandchild with joy and love. She sang
songs and played an Italian rhyme with them as babies. As they
grew up she attended their plays and recitals. They will cherish
memories of her at our loud and fun family gatherings.In Mom’s later years she cared for our dad when he got sick even
though her own health and mobility were suffering. She was
always that tough Taurus- the bull - stoic and strong, never
complaining, never demanding.
Even at the end when her physical body could no longer carry her
strong spirit, she did the best that she could. She was grateful that
we all did the best we could to care for her. We recently
celebrated her birthday in April and Mother’s Day in May. The
past weeks were difficult but we all cooperated and got some help
so that she could have an end of life on her own terms.
We feel lucky to have had this marvelous woman as our mother
for so long. So, we celebrate her long wonderful life. We owe it to
her to continue to live lives that honor her. There will be a great
void now that she is not physically with us, but we will cherish our
memories and her legacy of strength and love.
Visitors will be received at the S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home, 267 Centre St. Nutley on Sunday June 25, 2023 from 2-6 pm. A Funeral Service will be conducted at the funeral home on Monday June 26 at 10:30 am followed by burial at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield.
A TRIBUTE TO OUR MOTHER VIOLA
We are here to honor and celebrate the life of our beloved Mom,
Viola Meola. She was born here in Nutley, April 26th 1929, a twin
and one of seven children. She was a daughter, sister, aunt,
friend, wife, worker, mother, mother in law and grandmother.
Viola went to school in Nutley, but left at 16 to work in a factory in
Newark. She took the bus. I remember a story she told about a
big snowstorm when the buses stopped running and they had to
walk a long way. As a young woman, Viola had her siblings,
especially her twin, Carmella as well as dear friends. She
enjoyed the shore, going to movies, and attending dances. She
met her husband Joe at a dance. They got married and settled in
the house that our Grandpa Sam Rota built.
She was a quiet person, preferring to watch and listen, but as she
got older she gained confidence and shared her strength and
common sense. She was a very smart, practical woman. She
especially needed her problem solving skills as she got older and
had to adapt to accommodate her mobility issues.
Our mom was a natural born caregiver. She raised her four kids
using loving instincts and common sense.
She walked a lot back in the day, she didn’t learn to drive until she
was in her 40’s. Walking down to Nutley Center, and to the library
were her usual routes. As an avid reader, she always read booksto us. She knew she should read to us even before people talked
about how important that is.
Viola always worked hard, saved money, and took very few
vacations. She worked holidays and weekends at the ShopRite
deli. In those days she dealt with workplace politics gracefully.
She was also creative and cut fancy garnishes for the deli case.
She always baked and cooked Sunday dinners. Family was
everything to her
Talking to her sister on the phone, going to movies on
Wednesdays with Carmella, attending Ladies lunches organized
by Gen, and going to all family occasions on both sides of the
family were activities she treasured and enjoyed.
She took pride in her appearance. She liked jewelry, clothes and
makeup and always had her hair done. Lisa made sure that she
got out every Saturday even though she had mobility issues.
They often went out to lunch and to Bed Bath and Beyond.
Mom loved television. When she was retired and living alone,
she often stayed up late watching TV. During the day she
watched the soaps. Our brother Rocky has been known to watch
General Hospital with her on Thursday afternoons after he got off
from work. Those As Seen on TV ads? They were made for her.
Even recently an infomercial about Omega 3 was advertised for
pain. She had Lisa order it and said,” We could all try it! “ Anyone
need a bottle of Omega 3? We have a few.Our mom was the definition of what a mother should be. She
knew each of us very well, and I think we reflect parts of her in the
people we’ve become. She took pride in the fact that as she said
recently, “ I always had good kids”. I thank her for my optimism
and independence. I left New Jersey, but I always came back
home. Lisa is as strong as Mom and she has a wisdom that she
imparts to her own kids and the kids she taught. She is loyal and
was my mom’s right hand, helping her tirelessly - she can deal
with adversity and can organize and manage.
Rocky, a Taurus like Mom, is the epitome of her hard work ethic
and possesses a strong sense of humor. Jennifer loves deeply.
She loves her home, her dogs, baking and cooking and she is the
keeper of our pictures and memories
Mom welcomed all her in-laws. Al - she knew his phone number
and loved that he brought her zeppoles on Sunday mornings.
Jerry - she relied on his help and good nature for many things
over the years. Matt - she talked with him about lots of things
over coffee at the kitchen table. Pam- always helped my mom by
taking her to doctors appointments - she always found special
gifts for Viola and still calls out of respect for the good person my
mom was.
When we were all adults my mom celebrated us and our families.
She welcomed each grandchild with joy and love. She sang
songs and played an Italian rhyme with them as babies. As they
grew up she attended their plays and recitals. They will cherish
memories of her at our loud and fun family gatherings.In Mom’s later years she cared for our dad when he got sick even
though her own health and mobility were suffering. She was
always that tough Taurus- the bull - stoic and strong, never
complaining, never demanding.
Even at the end when her physical body could no longer carry her
strong spirit, she did the best that she could. She was grateful that
we all did the best we could to care for her. We recently
celebrated her birthday in April and Mother’s Day in May. The
past weeks were difficult but we all cooperated and got some help
so that she could have an end of life on her own terms.
We feel lucky to have had this marvelous woman as our mother
for so long. So, we celebrate her long wonderful life. We owe it to
her to continue to live lives that honor her. There will be a great
void now that she is not physically with us, but we will cherish our
memories and her legacy of strength and love.