Sheila P. Zalvino, 75, of Mercerville, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, September 14, 2016, at Compassionate Care Hospice at Robert Wood Johnson university Hospital in Hamilton, NJ.
Born in Princeton, NJ, Sheila has been a resident of Hamilton Township since 1965. Sheila was a devoted Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Great Aunt and true friend and she will be missed deeply by everyone whose life she touched. Sheila was an extremely energetic person who started working at a young age answering phones for her father’s taxi business. While raising her children, she worked for ETS and then Koenig Plastics and then became an Executive Administrative Assistant at Universal Process Equipment (UPE/IPPE) and retired in 2004 after 20 years of service.
Growing up in Princeton, she attended Princeton Public Schools where she created and forever maintained special friendships to this day. She always looked forward to the luncheons with her childhood friends JoAnne, Barbara and her sister Sandy. Throughout her life she loved being a part of her children’s and later her grandchildren’s sports activities. She rarely missed a game & was the biggest fan to each of her grandchildren. She just simply adored and lived for them. She loved vacationing in LBI where she and Frank would bring the whole family and host extended family and friends, making a lifetime of joyful memories for all. Christmas Eve parties at the Zalvinos were just as memorable because of Sheila and she would put on incredible spreads for everyone to enjoy. She had a big heart and a way of making everyone around her feel loved and at home.
Predeceased by her parents, Frank and Alice (Rousseau) Petrone; she is survived by her loving husband of 54 years (-1 day) Frank Zalvino; her two children, Susan Groninger (Kenneth Giovanelli) and Mark Zalvino; her 5 grandchildren, Chase and Cody Groninger (Cheyenne) and Julia, James and Parker Zalvino; her great-grandchild, Raelyn Groninger; her 4 siblings, John “Jack” Petrone (Jean), Thomas Petrone (Ellen), Dolores Vandegrift (James) and Sandra Towne (Ronald) and many cherished nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at the Saul Colonial Home, 3795 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows R.C. Church, 3816 East State Street Extension, Hamilton, NJ.
Interment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Hamilton, NJ.
Visitation for friends and family will be held on Monday September 19, 2016, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Saul Colonial Home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mrs. Zalvino’s memory to American Diabetes Association by visiting In Memory Of at www.inmemoryof-memorial.org.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Saul Colonial Home, 3795 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ.
