Silvia L. (Magnani) Marino

Silvia L. (Magnani) Marino, 94, formerly of Somerville and Belmont, passed away on May 29, 2021, in Savannah after a valiant five-year battle with Dementia.

Silvia, the first of four Magnani children, was born on March 6th, 1927 to Maria (Troiani) and Settimio Magnani in Rome, Italy. 

After graduating from high school in 1944, she briefly attended an extension Institution with the hope of becoming a teacher, but the raging war in the European theatre (WW II) changed everything.

Shortly after leaving school, while assisting her mother at her dry-cleaning store, she met a young, handsome 19-year-old American soldier and 14 months later at war’s end, the two teenagers were married at the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City.

In September of 1945, she and many other young Italian war brides boarded an ocean liner at the Port of Civitavecchia in Rome for a nine-day odyssey to a new world in the USA.  During the voyage, she (Silvia) befriended three fellow war brides and remained close friends with them up to their individual passing’s.

Coming from a distinctly different, continent, country, culture and with little to no English language skills posed a major problem, but she (Silvia) quickly assimilated into her new culture and learned the English language by both listening and watching the Arthur Godfrey Show as well as listening to the Boston Braves baseball club on the radio.

Aside from being a a loving spouse and wonderful, supportive mother, Silvia enjoyed working in her vegetable garden, cooking, boating, skiing, playing cards, music (Sinatra & Sarah Vaughan were her favorites), all Boston sports teams, but what she loved best was watching and supporting her sons, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and neighborhood friends compete in any type of athletic endeavor.  She also was the long-time official baseball scorekeeper for her late husband’s many city championship teams. 

She was beloved wife for 69 years of Domenic S. Marino, who preceded her into Heaven in 2014. Being a loving and dedicated mother, Silvia is survived by her beloved sons: Lawrence his wife Leslie (Heyel) of Savannah, GA; Thomas of Raleigh, NC; and Kenneth, and his wife Kim (Nguyen) of Waltham, MA; brothers Enrico Magnani his wife Jenny (Romano) of West Roxbury, MA and Maurizio Magnani and his wife Gullet (Lyrenberg); five grandchildren; James, Michael, Melissa, Tommy and Haley; eight great-grandchildren two nephews and eight nieces and numerous great nieces and nephews on two continents.

The Marino family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Buckingham South Assisted Living in Savannah, GA as well as the professional and compassionate care received from the doctors, nurses and support staff at GHC Hospice.

Arrivederci Mamma, till we meet again…

A visitation will be held in the Brown & Hickey Funeral Home 36 Trapelo Rd. Belmont on Wednesday from 9-10AM followed by a funeral mass in St  Luke’s Church 132 Lexington St. Belmont at 10:30AM.  Relatives and friends kindly invited  interment Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Silvia’s memory to GHC Hospice Foundation Post Office Box 15665 Savannah, GA 31416.  ghchospice.com