Carmela DeLalla - Obituary

ort Washington, MD — Carmela (Connie) Carlucci DeLalla, a long-time resident of Fort Washington, passed away peacefully on Monday the 1st of February at Waldorf Genesis. Born November 11, 1930 in Washington, D.C., Connie was a first-generation Italian-American who grew up in Northwest Washington DC, graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1948. Connie worked as a proofreader at the Government Printing Office for over 30 years. She and her late husband of 56 years, Louis DeLalla, also owned and operated Gem Valet Cleaners in Oxon Hill and Waldorf for nearly 40 years. Connie truly embraced her Italian culture through her love of food and family. She loved hosting Sunday dinner with her children and grandchildren (“Y’all come and eat!”), watching the family enjoy the swimming pool (“Honey, we used to tan our phone numbers on our legs with nail polish”), and sharing a passion for the Washington Redskins on Sundays during the fall. She and Lou also enjoyed traveling, with numerous road trips and ocean cruises, the highlight of which was a Caribbean cruise that included all of her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her four children (and their spouses) – Jean (Brian), Frank (Melinda), Michael (Elaine), and Jo Anne (Will); one nephew – Jack; four nieces – Debra, Michelle, Karen, and Susan; nine grandchildren (and their spouses) – Jennifer (Marshall), Kristin (Peter), Joanna (Juston), Jonathan (Alexandra), Stephen, Eric (Emily), Emily (Brooks), Lauren, Margaret; one honorary grandchild – Shannon; and five great-grandchildren – Lucy, Tommy, Nataleigh, Eleanor, and Hayden. She was preceded in death by her husband Louis, her sister, Antoinette, her niece, Kathleen, her grandson, Tony, and her parents, Joseph and Columba. Family and friends are invited to join Connie’s Life Celebration from 2:00 – 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Friday, February 5 at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home in Oxon Hill, MD. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at Holy Rosary Church in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, February 6 at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at Fort Lincoln Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (http://www.alz.org/).