WEST NEWTON, MA: Gloria J. (Melone) Salani, age 73, a former Natick resident, died after a long and arduous illness on Friday night, May 10, 2013, at the Golden Living Center in West Newton. She was the devoted wife of the late Henry Salani.
Born in Boston, she was a daughter of the late Augustus and Mary (Knadler) Melone. She was raised and educated in Natick, MA, graduating with the Natick High School Class of 1957.
Gloria had been employed with General Dynamics as an assembler and allowed her creativity to shine forth through her paintings and various crafts. Interested in language, she very much enjoyed reading and working crossword puzzles. A lady who had a great sense of humor and was incredibly witty, she frequently took her nieces and nephew out for Lime Rickeys – treats well remembered. During her illness a Lime Rickey or two were known to appear in her room.
Her marriage to Henry was cut short after just two years by his death from cancer. She is survived by her sister, Judith D. Klein of Newton, MA; three nieces, Deborah Ann Afarian and her husband Raffy of CA, Donna Klein and her spouse Julie Boss of Jamaica Plain, and Karen Klein of Newton, MA; a nephew, Donald Klein of ME; three grandnephews, Armen, Alec and Cooper; and her dear friend Sharon Devine of Newton, MA. Her brother, Frederick Melone, died at age 13.
Gloria’s funeral services will be private at her family’s request. Donations may be made in her memory to the Golden Living Resident Activities Fund, 25 Armory St., West Newton, MA 02465.