Louisa J. (DaRoss) Oneglia

Louisa Joan Oneglia, age 98, died peacefully at home on Friday, March 16, 2018, with family by her side.  Born in Litchfield on September 17, 1919, she was the fifth of six children of John and Mary (Galante) DaRoss of Litchfield.  She was the beloved wife of Francis J. Oneglia.  She was a graduate of the Litchfield Schools and worked for several years as a secretary at the American Brass Co. in Torrington, CT.  In September, 1946, she married Francis Oneglia with whom she shared 62 happy years before his death in 2008.

Always close to their roots, Francis and Louisa lived in Harwinton and Torrington, raising their boys in close connection to relatives and life-long friends and neighbors.  She volunteered and served on the board at the Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial and was actively involved in the parent association of St. Peter’s School.  She and Francis loved to play golf with friends, both at the Torrington Country Club and Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, FL, and in later years at the Litchfield Country Club.  For forty years Louisa wintered in West Palm Beach where she welcomed friends and family whenever they could “Come on Down!”

Louisa was a loving mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother, daughter, sister and aunt.  She lived her life with great joy and with a wise and funny sense of humor.  Her door was always open and so was her kitchen.  No one ever left without a cup of coffee, a bowl of homemade soup and a sandwich, or a wonderful dinner.  As her family grew into the next generations, nobody ever had to make “sauce” or soup.  She would just bring over some “tupperwares" full of delicious spaghetti sauce and homemade beef barley or split pea or vegetable soup and her own special recipe for risotto.   For decades, holidays happened at Louisa’s home with her famous Thanksgiving feasts, her special Christmas treats and large picnics.  The same meticulous attention to detail, care and warmth, and special consideration were evident in every aspect of her life.

She is survived by her son Gregory and his wife Catherine and her son Roderic and his partner Michael Quadland.  At the center of her life were her five grandchildren, their spouses and her thirteen great-grandchildren: Jessica and Jason Travelstead and Eliza and Hannah Travelstead; Thomas and-Mary Oneglia and Jack, Luci and Tess Oneglia; Daniel and Elizabeth Oneglia and Beatrice, Andrew and Louise Oneglia; Christina and John Rossi and Anna, Jake and Lyla Rossi; Matthew and Taylor Oneglia and Grady and Pippa Oneglia.  Also surviving are her three sisters-in-law, Gloria Oneglia of Litchfield, Cora Regis of Torrington and Anita Torizzo and brother-in-law Ernest Torizzo of Harwinton; twenty-six nieces and nephews and numerous grand and great-grand nephews and nieces.

In addition to her parents and husband, she is predeceased by her sisters, Eleanore DaRoss of Litchfield, Mary Rovezzi and her husband Frank of Torrington, Judy Stockamore and her husband Richard of Litchfield;  her brothers, Albert DaRoss of Litchfield, and John DaRoss, Jr., and his wife Louise of Litchfield;  her brothers-in-law George Oneglia and his wife Elmira of Harwinton, Mike Cianciolo and Peter Regis, both of Torrington, Robert Alvarez and his wife Barbara (Oneglia) of Harwinton, and Raymond Oneglia of Torrington.

Calling hours are at Cook Funeral Home, 82 Litchfield St., Torrington, from 5-7 PM on Thursday, March 22.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 49 South St., Litchfield at 11:00 AM, Friday, March 23, with burial in St. Anthony Cemetery, Whites Wood Rd., Litchfield.  In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory are welcome to St. Louis de Montfort Parish, P. O. Box 97, Litchfield, CT 06759 and the Torrington Chapter of UNICO, P.O. Box 175, Torrington, CT 06790. www.cookfuneralhomect.com