Theresa Baldessari, 94, of Middletown, passed away at her assisted-living residence on Monday, December 15^th.

Theresa was born and raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Lincoln High School. She would go on to graduate from Pratt Institute and begin her working career as an illustrator for Simplicity Patterns, a job she would have for 60 years, retiring at the age of 82.

Theresa met her husband, Ermanno, in 1953 aboard the Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria while she was beginning a summer vacation to Italy with her family and he was returning to Italy during his service in the Italian Navy. They married three years later at the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, Italy. They settled in Brooklyn in 1957 where they lived for 19 years before moving to Staten Island. After her husband’s passing, Theresa moved to Middletown, NJ in 2018 to be closer to her family. She really enjoyed these later years in New Jersey, making many new friends in her new community and spending much time with her granddaughters and great-grandchildren. She always enjoyed being social and involved with family and friends, and she never missed a family event or a fun outing.

Theresa loved going wherever her grandchildren went and she enjoyed their family trips to Disneyworld. Through the years, she also looked forward to returning to Italy with her husband to visit with family. She loved to be engaged with other people and always enjoyed company around her. She was an avid sports fan, and her favorite sport was baseball. She loved the NY Mets the most, never missing a game on television. She watched the news daily and enjoyed staying up to date on current events.

Theresa is predeceased by her parents Ralph and Jenny Ciccone, her husband Ermanno, her son Peter and her siblings Ralph, Geraldine, and Blanche.

Theresa is survived by her daughter Maryann Cianci and her husband Jeffrey of Holmdel, her grandchildren Cristina and Sas, Sabrina and Jimmy, and Natalie and Nick, and her beloved great-grandchildren Lucy, Vico, Kavi and Patrick.

Theresa’s family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of Brighton Gardens of Middletown for their devoted care, support and friendship.

Visitation will be on Sunday, December 21^st from 1:00-5:00 PM at the Holmdel Funeral Home, 26 S. Holmdel Rd, Holmdel NJ 07733. A mass of Christian burial will be offered on Monday, December 22^nd at 10:30 AM at the Church of St. Catharine, 108 Middletown Rd, Holmdel. A burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Staten Island.