Tana Marcello

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Tuesday, 22 April 2014 12:22

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Lusitana Roque Martins Marcello, 97, passed away on the evening of April 17, 2014, at the Sitka Pioneers Home. She had been a resident there for the last five years and a resident of Sitka since 1986.
Throughout her long life, Tana was a woman of generosity, creativity, dedication, and youthful spirit. Had you asked Tana her age, the answer for many decades would have been 29!
She was born on July 5, 1916, in Folgosinho, Portugal, and at age 13 immigrated to the U.S. with her mother, brother and sister to join her father in Connecticut. They sailed from Lisbon on the S.S. Providence in 1930.
Tana told stories of being punished in school for not being able to speak English, but also remembers being an accomplished math student. She subsequently picked up Italian and French as additional languages.
At one of her brother’s soccer matches, she got into an argument with an opposing player who had been picking on her brother. That player later became her husband, someone who had to admire Tana’s spunk and true grit, which stayed with her until her very last days.
During World War II, she volunteered in projects, including sales of war bonds, to make life easier for the soldiers serving abroad, including her younger brother Tony Martins and her future husband Tony Marcello. They were married May 11, 1946, and son Joseph was born in 1947.

She and Tony were very active in the Portuguese club and church in Waterbury, Conn. Throughout her life, she placed a high value on her heritage, especially the Portuguese language, and in her Catholic faith. She visited Portugal many times and especially enjoyed visiting the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima.
After coming to Sitka in 1986, she continued her leadership within the church, including serving as president of the Women’s Group and as Eucharistic minister.
In addition to her community work, Tana ran a hairdressing salon from her home in Connecticut and cared for her son Joseph. She never let her hands be idle. Her beautiful crochet, quilt, macramé, ceramic and needlepoint pieces and paintings were produced in an endless and constant supply.
Tana relished having children in her life and gave generously of her time to care for youngsters within her family, neighborhoods and communities. While living in Denver, she volunteered in the maternity ward at St. Joseph’s Hospital in order to help care for premature infants.
She was preceded in death by her parents Beatriz and Jeremias Martins; her husband Anthony Marcello; her sister Alice Antonio; brother Anthony Martins; great-niece Traci Dulski; and her son Joseph Marcello.
Tana is survived by granddaughter Laurinda Marcello (Eric Harmon) and daughter-in-law Jody Smothers-Marcello, all of Sitka. Also surviving are nieces Lusitana (Richard) Vida and Lydia Harris; nephews Richard (Ada) Martins and Jeremias (Debra) Martins; grandnephews Richard, Jeffrey, and Kevin; and grandnieces Kristen, Melissa and Kerri. Marcello and Martins cousins survive in Portugal.
In Sitka, Tana was especially close to her circle of women friends from St. Gregory’s Catholic Church.
A visitation and Rosary will be held 5-7 p.m. tonight at Prewitt’s Funeral Home. Tana then will be buried next to her husband in Calvary Cemetery in Waterbury, Conn. A memorial service will be held noon Saturday, May 3, at  St. Gregory’s Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Gregory’s Catholic Church in Sitka.