Maria Leonor Gonzalez Gandolfi

Maria Leonor Gonzalez Gandolfi

AGE: 95 • Somerset

Mrs. Maria Leonor (Neneka) Gonzalez Gandolfi died on Saturday, March 16, 2013 in Somerset, NJ accompanied by her family. She was 95 years old and proud of her birth date: September 17, 1917. Mrs. Gonzalez Gandolfi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived in Colombia and Indonesia before coming to the United States in 1965. Along with her family, she lived many years in Rye Brook, NY before moving to Princeton in 1998. Upon the death of her husband, Alberto, she moved to Somerset, NJ in 2005 to be closer to her children. Mrs. Gonzalez Gandolfi spent many years volunteering at the United Hospital in Port Chester, NY as an interpreter for Spanish speaking women and their families. She firmly believed on the importance of her native language and culture and established Spanish as the primary language at home so all her children would be bilingual. She was an avid reader of literature written by Argentine, Latin American and Spanish writers. She always showed great pride in how she lived her life from her incredible culinary abilities to her inspiring sense of fashion: elegance and simplicity. Although she left Argentina many years ago her heart and soul remained in her native country. She kept abreast of the political and social issues of the day in Argentina and in the rest of the World. A passionate person, she had strong opinions and was always eager to discuss them. Women equality, education and human rights were the most important issues to her. She had a beautiful heart, soul and presence with tremendous grace and loving kindness to her children, family and all strangers who entered her home. She was devoted to her Catholic religion and throughout her life she revered Saint Therese of Lisieux who spoke to the strength and power of women.

Mrs. Gonzalez Gandolfi was pre-deceased by her husband of 58 years, Mr. Alberto Gonzalez Gandolfi, former Chief of Building and Planning for the United Nations. She was also pre-deceased by her brothers, Admiral Juan Carlos Gonzalez Llanos, and Admiral Horacio Gonzalez Llanos; a daughter, Gloria Gonzalez Gandolfi Sardou, and a grandson, Sebastian Salcedo.

She is survived by her children, Luz Maria Gonzalez Salcedo and her husband Estanislao of Somerset, NJ, Diana Gonzalez Gandolfi and her husband Daniel Wolfson of Highland Park, NJ, Marcos Gonzalez Gandolfi of Bridgewater, NJ and Pablo Gonzalez Gandolfi and his wife Ping Xiao Gonzalez of Seattle, WA. She is also survived by her sister, Sara Gonzalez Llanos of Buenos Aires, Argentina and six grandchildren, Malvina Maynard and her husband David, Julian G.G. Wolfson, Lorenzo Salcedo, Andres Sardou, Serena Gonzalez Gandolfi and Christina Gonzalez Gandolfi.

The family will greet friends and family on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM at the Gleason Funeral Home, 1360 Hamilton Street, Somerset NJ 08873. A memorial mass will take place on Saturday at 9 AM at St. Matthias Church, 165 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Somerset NJ 08873. Committal services will follow at Princeton Cemetery, Princeton. Contributions in Mrs. Gonzalez Gandolfi's name may be made to Resource Center of Somerset. Donations may be sent to 427 Homestead Road, Hillsborough NJ 08844 or www.resourcecenterofsomerset.