Obituaries

Carmela Berard

Carmela DAlessio Berard, 87, died on Signal Mountain on July 29. She was born in New Haven, Conn., in 1927 to Carlo and Porciella Turi (Pauline) DAlessio, who were born in Italy. As president of the Sodality at St. Anthonys Church in New Haven, she delivered a bouquet to Marys altar on May Day. Carmela earned an Associate in Arts degree from Larson Junior College, which later became Quinnipiac University. The youngest of six children, she married the youngest of six children, Paul Francis Berard of Providence, R.I., in 1952 in New Haven. They made their familys life together for almost 50 years in Washington, D.C., where Paul worked for the Census Bureau. While raising five children, Carmela returned to school for a bachelors degree in microbiology (1977) from the University of Marylands University College. She worked in the laboratory at Prince Georges Hospital Center in Cheverly, Md., for many years. After retirement, she and Paul moved to Ocean City and later Delmar, Md., where she was a member of the Salisbury Herb Society. Later, Carmela and Paul moved to Silver Spring to live at Leisure World. After Pauls death, Carmela moved to Baltimore to live with her daughter Carla, and later moved to Chattanooga to live near her other daughter, Paula. She loved to knit, especially sweaters of Icelandic wool, and to travel with her family. Carmela was a lifelong devout Catholic. She is predeceased by her parents, husband, and siblings: Angelina, Joseph, Antonietta, John, and Anthony. She is survived by her cousin, Agatha Ruvolo of Long Island, N.Y.; her children, Bruce (Barbara York), David (Belen Gaurino), Paula (Ward Fleissner) of Chattanooga, Thomas, and Carla (Edward Simons); nephews and nieces in several states; her grandchildren, Brett and Zachary Berard, Laurie Miller Sisney, Anton and Caroline Fleissner, Isabel and Rebecca Berard, and Aidan and Macy Simons; and her great-grandsons, Isaiah and Nicholas Sisney. Family will gather with friends at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, at St. Ambrose Church in Cheverly, Md., then a funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m.. Donations may be made in her name to the Alzheimers Association. Arrangements are by Hamilton Funeral Home & Cremations Services, 4506 Hixson Pike Hixson, Tenn., 423-531-3975

Published August 2, 2015

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