Obituary: Rocco Andrew Baldelli, 69, of Wallingford

WALLINGFORD, CT - (From Wallingford Funeral Home) Rocco Andrew Baldelli, age 69, of Wallingford passed away on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at Kimberly Hall South in Windsor after a long, hard fight with several illnesses over many years.

He was the devoted husband of Gloria DiDonato Baldelli for almost 46 years. Rocco was born in New Haven on September 30, 1951, to the late Andrew Baldelli, Sr. and the late Phyllis Ciravolo Baldelli.

He was the beloved father of Michael Rocco Baldelli of Wallingford and Stephanie Lee Baldelli of Waterbury, who were a wonderful source of comfort and support during this journey.

A 1969 graduate of Notre Dame High School and 1973 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Rocco worked as a sales representative and manager for Metropolitan, then Prudential. He also owned Movies & More, a video store in Hamden, for five years. He later was the finance manager at Merriam Motors and then Bill Selig Ford.

Rocco loved watching baseball and football games. He was an avid, lifelong fan of the New York Yankees and the New York Giants. In his younger days, he played football, baseball, played on a softball team, and was part of a bowling league. He shared his love of sports with his son, managing his baseball teams for many years.

He enjoyed listening to 50’s “oldies” music and watching movies and television shows with his family. Rocco loved his cats and derived so much pleasure from spending time with them. He was a practicing Roman Catholic and a faithful parishioner of Most Holy Trinity Church in Wallingford.

He is survived by his brother, Andrew Baldelli, Jr., and his wife, Nina, of Hamden and sister-in-law, Diana DiDonato Blythe, and husband, Robert Blythe, of Woodbridge. He is also survived by nephews, Eric Blythe and wife, Kaitlin, of Boston, Adam Blythe and wife, Eleanor, of Wallingford and Alexander Blythe of Wallingford, and niece, Ashley Vece, and husband, Michael, of Madison.

Rocco is also survived by two great-nephews and three great-nieces, as well as many loving and supportive cousins and his friend of almost sixty years, John Maiorino.

Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Alfredo “Oddo” and Jennie Baldelli, and maternal grandparents, Alfonse Ciravolo and Josephine Ciravolo Hosmer, his father-in-law, Michael DiDonato and mother-in-law, Leopoldina “Lee” DiDonato, and many aunts and uncles.

We would like to thank the medical professionals who have helped care for Rocco, particularly in the last year and a half, and our wonderful circle of family and friends for their loving support.
His family will receive relatives and friends in The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 N. Main St. Ext., Thursday, February 4th, from 9 to 10:15 a.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 11 am at Most Holy Trinity Church. Interment will be in St. John Cemetery in Wallingford. Friends unable to attend may watch the mass via livestream located on Rocco’s online obituary page at www.wallingfordfh.com. COVID precautions will be followed and masks required at all services.

Memorial contributions may be made in Rocco’s name to St. Jude Children’s Hospital and The Salvation Army – Southern N.E. Div., 855 Asylum Ave., Hartford, CT 06105, or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105.