Florina (‘Flo’) M. Festa

Florina (“Flo”) M. Festa of Newton, N.J., formerly of Staten Island, N.Y., passed away peacefully Friday, Nov., 12, 2021, at Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice in Fredon Township. She was 87.

Flo was born in Abruzzo, Italy, on Jan. 23, 1934, to the late Eustacchio and Maria (DiDonato) Varrassi and moved to Staten Island at the age of 5. She worked as the director of purchasing for Staten Island Hospital for more than 25 years prior to retiring in 2004. Flo enjoyed reading, traveling, gardening, clothes shopping, drinking coffee on the deck and spending time at the beach, especially Cape May, N.J.

Flo was a woman as vibrant as her favorite color yellow, always facing life with an optimistic outlook even as she battled cancer for two and a half years. She believed in looking and feeling her best and sending positive radiant energy to those around her. Flo lived her life as a devoted wife, mother, grandma and sister; she was always willing to help others, but most importantly her family.

Flo is survived by her husband, Nicholas J. Festa; her daughter, Donna Festa and husband, George Zereconski; her grandchildren, Alexandra Gomez and wife, Jaime Hatzelhoffer, and Matthew Zereconski; and her sisters, Angiolina Varrassi, Joanne Weingaertner and Linda Kraynock.

Visitation was held Nov. 15 at the Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, Newton, followed by funeral services.