Obituary: Irene Muranelli, 91

Via the Dorsey Funeral Home

On November 22, 2019, the soul of Irene Muranelli, 91, left us to be with her husband and true love, Anthony P. Muranelli, and two of her sons, Anthony Muranelli Jr. and Thomas J. Muranelli, who preceded her in death.

Irene will be sorely missed by her cherished sons, Jimmy (Sharon), Peter (Vickie), Dennis (Marlene) and Bobby, along with her loving daughters, Rosemarie, Clare (Tom) and Irene (Michael). A tremendous void will be felt by her eighteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Irene was born in Coventry, England on February 6, 1928, to Thomas and Clara Turner and was the youngest of six children. It was there, during WWII, that she would meet her soulmate, and soon to be husband, Anthony, a member of the 82nd Airborne. Fittingly, they would be married on June 6, 1945, the one year anniversary of D-Day. While she was young in years when they met, Irene would say that the toll of war on she, her family, friends and their hometown, forced her to become mature at a very early age.

Irene would need all that maturity and strength to get through the red tape necessary to marry a US soldier, convert to Catholicism, become a wife at seventeen and then climb aboard a troop ship alone, leaving all that she knew and loved for a new life in America. She would arrive nine seasick inducing days later at Ellis Island in a strange country, but to be greeted by her new husband to start their new life in the Bronx, New York. While it would be many years before she would see her homeland again, she was most proud to become a US citizen.

Irene would spend the rest of her life dedicated to her nine children, their children, and her children’s children. There wasn't a problem she wouldn’t try to help you with, or a pain she wouldn’t try to take away from you. There wasn’t a child she didn’t love, or a child she couldn’t comfort in times of need. It was one of her many gifts.

Together, with her husband Anthony, Irene taught her children that love of each other, family, faith in God and love of country were what mattered most. This woman of small stature stood tall and was often referred to as the rock of the family, not only because of her strength, but because she was the foundation the Muranelli family was built upon.

As in life, Irene carried herself with grace and dignity right up until her final moments on earth.
She will be greatly missed.

Visiting hours Monday 2-8pm at Dorsey Funeral Home, 14 Emwilton Pl, Ossining NY 914-941-0167. Funeral Mass Tuesday 10am at St. Theresa’s, 1394 Pleasantville Rd, Briarcliff NY 914-941-1646. Interment at St. Augustine Cemetery, Ossining.

In lieu of flowers, donations to ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105 would be appreciated.