Margaret Jane Orlando, 96, was born in The Brier Hill Section of Youngstown on May 9, 1920 to immigrant parents, Guiseppe and Virginia Branca De Pascale of Bagnoli, Irpino, Italy. She passed away peacefully, Sunday afternoon, March 5 surrounded by her loving family. She was a proud graduate of the Rayen High School and assisted in the family’s “Mom and Pop” Butcher and Grocery Store located on Stanton Street. She and her sisters vividly remember taking customers’ calls to place a penny or two bet on the daily number or “Bug” as it was called. Margaret and Edward F. Orlando were united in marriage for almost 65 years on July 11, 1951 at St. Anthony Parish in Brier Hill. Along with her husband, she was a founding member of St. Christine Parish, attending Mass and novenas. Margaret loved the monthly spaghetti dinners at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, as well as its yearly festival. She and Edward were Youngstown’s Italian man and woman of the year in 2012. Margaret was devoted to her family and greatly enjoyed dancing, baking, cooking, and preparing huge Italian Sunday dinners, especially accompanied by her homemade white and red Brier Hill pizzas. Her eldest nephew Anthony and his wife fondly nicknamed her “Diamond Lil from Brier Hill” due to her love of fashion and jewelry; it never failed to make her laugh. Margaret leaves three cherished daughters: Mary Jo (Bill) Olson, Jacqueline (Leo Madden), and Geri (Jim) Decenso; grandchildren Christina (Mark) Smith, and Elizabeth and James Madden; great-grandchildren, Stephen, Mary Margaret, and William Smith; sisters, Grace Prezioso and Mary Jane Russo; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law Tony and Dorothy (Orlando) DiGiacomo; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She also leaves her friend Tootie DeMain whom she thought of as a fourth daughter. Margaret was preceded in death by her parents and husband Edward, who died on January 22, 2016; her sister Helen, and brothers, Frank (Cheech), Arthur, Anthony (Cubby), and Jerry (Chico), as well as two infant brothers, and a grandson William Edward Olson. The family is grateful to Drs. David Rich and Charles Wilkens for support and care; Sister Dolly and staff at the Antonine Village Facility, especially their aides, who truly were the angels sent to care for our Mom. In lieu of floral tributes or other remembrances, the family respectfully requests donations be sent to the Antonine Village at 2675 N. Lipkey Rd in North Jackson, Ohio 44451 or Angels for Animals at 4750 W. South Range Rd. in Canfield, Ohio 44406. First Light Home Care and Hospice of the Valley also provided comfort in Margaret’s final days. Friends and family may call from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 at the Rossi Brothers and Lellio Funeral Home, 4442 South Ave. in Boardman. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 9 at the funeral home, followed by a 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Christine Church on S. Schenley in Youngstown. Family and friends may visit the book of memories at www.rossifunerals.com to view this tribute and send condolences to Margaret’s family.

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