Mary Alice Saraceno

Mary Alice (Bell) Saraceno, 80, of Rocky Hill, beloved wife of Louis Saraceno of almost 60 years, peacefully passed away on March 17, 2025 from a courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer.  She was born in Meriden to the late Frederick C. and Cecilia (Furman) Bell on October 4, 1944.  Mary grew up in Wallingford.  She enjoyed her childhood years growing up with her family including aunts, uncles, and cousins who resided on each side of her home.  She graduated from Lyman Hall High School.

Shortly after graduating high school, Mary met the love of her life, Louie, at a dance in Wallingford at the Wonder Bar.  They said it was love at first sight.  Louie said that he met an angel named Mary that night.  After a year, Mary and Louie were engaged on Christmas Eve in 1964 and celebrated their wedding day on April 26, 1965.  Mary made her wedding gown and she was simply elegant on that special day.  Mary and Louie’s love for each other was unmatched from the day they were married. In 1968, they welcomed their daughter Mary Lou and in 1970, they welcomed their daughter Betty Jo.  Family was everything to Mary. She enjoyed all aspects of her daughters’ childhoods and became a part of their lives at school.  Mary was a lunch/recess aide at West Hill Elementary School. She loved blowing that whistle! She also volunteered at Brownie Troop meetings, chaperoned field trips and was part of the PTO.  Mary, with Louie, attended every one of their daughters’ chorus concerts, band concerts, dance recitals, theater productions and musical performances throughout their years at school in Rocky Hill.  When Mary Lou and Betty Jo were students at Assumption College, Mary and Louie never missed a Chorale Concert or Performance.  On some Sundays, they would attend Mass with their daughters at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit on campus. Mary fully enjoyed all these events as they were integral parts of her life.  In Rocky Hill, she was a parishioner of Saint James Church and Saint Elizabeth Seton Church.

Mary had a gift of creativity and art that she carried throughout her life. Although not formally trained, she was a talented sketch artist, painter, florist, seamstress and interior designer.  Everything she touched turned into a masterpiece. Mary was also great at helping her daughters with their school projects in elementary school. Oh, how she loved those last-minute projects her daughters would spring up on her the day before they were due. Mary still helped them! Mary loved family trips, Christmas, Holidays, baking, Hallmark movies, reading, crafts, dressing nicely, gift giving, sending cards, crossword puzzles, music, laughing, smiling.  Although, most of all, she loved her husband Louie, her family and her friends.  Mary was a woman of great faith and a genuinely kind, loving person.

Mary’s career was always within the Banking Industry.  She started working at a bank after high school as a Teller and continued until she became a mother.  Mary then went back to work at Connecticut Bank & Trust when her daughters were older and after many merges, retired from Bank of America as a Personal Banker.  Mary was amazing at her job and her clients adored her. Mary also took care of the bookkeeping for Louie’s business Elmwood Hairstyling.

Besides her loving husband and daughters, Mary will be greatly missed by Mary Lou’s husband, Robert Gendreau and Betty Jo’s husband, Brian Stevens.  They were the sons she never had.  She loved them dearly.  Mary’s grandchildren were the lights in her life and brought her such joy.  She leaves behind her grandchildren Stephen and Meredith Gendreau and Brendon and Kevin Stevens.  She enjoyed attending their concerts, theater productions, performances and band field shows within their school years.  Mary loved them so and was always so proud of them.

Mary will also be greatly missed by her loving brothers and sisters whom she shared childhood memories with from her younger years.  She leaves behind sisters Frances Misiaszek and Barbara Bell and brothers Andre and Christopher Bell as well as her brother-in-law Henry Misiaszek.  She was predeceased by her brother Frederick R. Bell and infant twin brothers Joseph and Edward Bell.  Mary leaves behind many dear cousins, nieces and nephews from Mary’s family and Louie’s family as well as friends who adored her from all walks of her life.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Sunday, March 23, 2025 at the Brooklawn Funeral Home, 511 Brook St., Rocky Hill, from 3-5 pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 10 am directly in  Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish, St. Elizabeth Seton Church, 280 Brook St. Rocky Hill. Burial will follow at Center Cemetery in Rocky Hill.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or the Arthritis Foundation in Mary’s honor.