Estelle Alyce “Stella” Zolla Abbene
Family & friends are invited to attend Visiting Hours on Thursday, December 19th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., in the Vertuccio & Smith, Home for Funerals, 773 Broadway, REVERE, for Estelle Alyce “Stella” Zolla Abbene, who passed following a brief illness on Monday, December 16 at the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, MA. Her funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Friday, December 20th at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church (Corner of Beach St. & Winthrop Ave.) REVERE at 10:30 a.m. & immediately followed with interment at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne.
Born & raised in Revere, she attended Revere Schools and was a 1937 Alumna of Revere High School. She continued her education at Bryant & Stratton Business School, then onto Vesper George School of Art & then finally studying at the Museum of Fine Arts. She was a member of the Copley Society of Boston & the Wayland, Marblehead & Swampscott Art Associations. During the Truman administration, she worked for the U.S. Navy Department in Washington, D.C., which won her a Citation for Meritorious Civilian Service, from the U.S. Navy in the early 1950s. “Stella” would have celebrated her 100th birthday on April 8th, 2020. “Stella” was a member of the Zolla Family, one of the first Italian settling families in Revere, along with her late husband, William Abbene whose family enjoyed the same distinction. A woman of grace and charm, she was a devotee of her lifelong Revere parish community (Immaculate Conception Parish of Revere) & was both a frequent communicant & Eucharistic minister at Immaculate Conception until moving to Brooksby Village of Peabody over 16 years ago. Estelle was an avid and competitive golfer & longstanding member of Bellevue Golf Club of Melrose. From 1960, she took on the role as an outstanding homemaker raising her daughter and working most happily on her art.
She was the beloved wife to the late William Abbene for over 46 years until his death on February 2nd, 2006. Estelle reluctantly leaves her devoted daughter Maris Louise Abbene of Medfield, and her cherished grandson, Nathaniel William Thompson & his fiancée Meaghan Hoyt of Framingham. She is the dear sister to Marion Y. Zolla of Chelsea & William R. Zolla of Danvers & the late Louise DeStefano & her husband Joseph, Evelyn Corea & her husband Frank & Frank E. Zolla, James A. Zolla, Jr. & Brother Richard P. Zolla. She is the special aunt to Ronald W. Zolla & his wife Lee, Toni Sicari & her husband Sebastian & Leslie Zolla, their children & many other Abbene family nieces & nephews. She is also lovingly survived by her brother-in-law Atty. Antonio Abbene, Jr. & his wife Florence of Revere. She was also predeceased by her parents James A. Zolla & Louise (Sessa) Zolla & her Abbene family, Dante & Marie Abbene, Benjamin & Mary Abbene & Leo & Anna Pistorino. The family is most grateful to the Care Dimensions Hospice staff, aides & nurses who lovingly cared for her, the entire Brooksby Community in Peabody where she lived for more than 16 years and most especially and eternally grateful to Dr. Anju Nohria, M.D., David Molway, N.P. & their associates at the Brigham & Women’s Cardiovascular Center for their decades of extraordinary care.
I was introduced to Estelle by my sister Nancy Ingemi who has since passed away. Estelle was such a wonderful thoughtful lady she would always ask how Nancy was doing. Regrettably I only knew her for a brief time but I will always remember her great smile and her intellectual mind. I will miss seeing her at Bellevue.
My sincere condolences
Angela Sohn