Carmella Arena

Carmella “Millie” Arena, 97, of Southington, born on August 20, 1920 in Middletown, CT, passed away peacefully on Wednesday March 14, 2018 at Apple Rehab Farmington Valley. She was the wife of the late Nicholas Salvatore Arena who passed in 1992.

It is fair to say that Millie loved life and wanted others to love it as she did. She was an excellent painter, seamstress, cook, baker, dancer (her greatest love) and dance teacher. In her senior years, right up until her 90’s, she was a volunteer for St. Dominic School’s lunch program and taught dancing to seniors at the Southington Senior Center. She loved line, square, round and ballroom dancing with her late husband Nick and companion, later in life the late Fran Giorgetti. You would often overhear her encouraging one to join her in the love of dance and of the benefits of doing so. She successfully encouraged several of her siblings and in-laws as well as two of her four children to participate as well. Her legacy lives on now right down to her young great grandchildren who love the Cupid Shuffle, Macarena as well as some Hand Jive and Saturday Night Fever moves.

She is predeceased by her loving husband, Nicholas Arena, her daughter Patricia Tardif of Plainville, son Nicholas Arena of Southington, several siblings, and more recently by her good friend and dancing partner Fran Giorgetti.

She leaves behind her daughters Joan Tardif and husband Don of Palm Coast, FL, Nancy St. Pierre and her husband David of Orlando, FL, son in law, Edward Tardif of Palm Coast, FL, and daughter in law Lisa Arena of Southington. In addition she leaves grandchildren Sheila Tardif Gray and wife Kathy, Christine Plourde, Jason, Andrew and Kevin Morin and his wife Rebekah, Donald Tardif and wife Ramona, Derek Arena and Lauren Xelhula and husband Lupe, sisters Santina Mozzicatto of Plainville, Viola Rosinski of New Britain and several nieces, nephews and great grandchildren.
Calling hours will be held on Friday, March 16, 2018 from 4:30PM until 7:30PM at O’Brien Funeral Home, 24 Lincoln Ave., Forestville/Bristol. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 17, 2018 Directly at St. Dominic Church, 1050 Flanders Rd., Southington for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00AM. Burial will be at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army, her favorite charity, http://www.salvationarmyusa.org or to the American Cancer Society online at http://www.cancer.org .

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