Charlene Cimino

1953 - 2016

Cimino, Charlene
Charlene Billone Cimino passed away Thursday, October 27th after a yearlong battle with colon and liver cancer at age 62. She chose to never let her diagnosis define her. Instead Charlene encouraged all around her to think of her as the same woman she had always been, just perhaps with a new haircut. She spent her chemo treatments chatting with other patients, from the best things she found to eat or drink on chemo to doing as all mothers do, talk about her children. Charlene went to school and worked in the area. She attended Central Catholic High School. Prior to having children, Charlene worked at Vectron and Canaan Computer Corporation. Having left the corporate world, Charlene and her husband started C&G Woodcraft. She was also a local artisan during this time, specializing in angels and holiday crafts. As her children grew, Charlene went back to work part time at Montanaro Electric and then full-time, becoming a personal insurance account manager at Pierson & Smith, First Niagara Risk Management, and most recently Abercrombie Burns McKiernan & Co. While home with her children, volunteering became a large part of her life. Always a lover of art and music, Charlene worked on the "Learning to Look" program at Tracey Elementary School, where volunteers would come into classrooms to teach about the wonders of fine art typically found in museums – the impressionists were her favorite and together with her PTA co-president developed an afterschool theater program, putting on shows like Peter Pan. It should come as no great surprise that Charlene was honored during this time as Volunteer of the Year by the city. With all three children involved with the Norwalk High School Marching Band and Color Guard, Charlene joined dozens of other parent volunteers as a chaperone for the Color Guard, traveling to all band shows and competitions, helping with marching band events and even creating headpieces for costumes – feathers were always involved. Charlene was a lifelong Norwalk resident, having also made her home here with husband Gary and their three children, Lauren, Nicholas and Madeline; she is survived by her husband, children, brother Charles Billone, sister Georgene Pekala and husband John, nieces, nephews and grand-niece. She is predeceased by her parents, Joseph and Katherine Billone, and sister, Mary Lynn Spezzano. Family and friends are welcome on Monday, October 31st at Magner Funeral Home from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. for calling hours before a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Jerome's Church at 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlene's honor are welcome, directed to one of the following: Whittingham Cancer Center (Whittingham Cancer Center 30 Stevens St. Norwalk, CT 06850) and Norwalk High School Marching Band (Marching Bears Inc., 304 Main Avenue, PMB 211, Norwalk, CT 06851). To leave a condolence or sign our online guestbook please visit ww.magnerfuneralhome.com