Loved Mother, Grandma, Sister, Aunt and Friend, Thelma DiFrenna passed away at 2:27am November 9 ^th . Thelma had a long-fought battle with Alzheimer's and finally passed to join her beloved husband Johnnie and many family members and friends waiting for her.

Thelma was born in 1934 in Providence, Rhode Island to Bernardino (Bernard) Romano and Italia (Ida) Laurienzo. She had two siblings Michael and Bernice. Her loved father Bernard sadly passed very young and a few years later Ida remarried Romeo Romano and they had Sandra, Bobby and Anthony.  Thelma and her five siblings had a family life filled with love, good food, lots of noise, mischief and Italian traditions and endless memories.

Thelma married her teenage sweetheart Giovani (Johnnie) DiFrenna. Johnnie became a paratrooper and they moved to North Carolina where they gave birth to their first child Debi. Eventually they returned to Rhode Island and Johnnie graduated from URI as an engineer while Thelma began her banking career.

Subsequent years landed them in Southern California where Johnnie worked in the Aerospace Industry and Thelma continued with banking. They soon gave birth to their second child, John and lived in Fountain Valley when it was strawberry fields and tumble weeds.  They made a four-year return to Rhode Island and then went west again, back to California. This time they settled in Mission Viejo where Thelma became branch manager and then Assistant, Vice President of several First Interstate banks in Orange County. They purchased a home in the early 70s.  Johnnie passed prematurely in 1986 and Thelma retired a few years later. Thelma filled her time by attending church, traveling and dinners with new friends, visiting with her grand children and enjoying her gardens.

Thelma's battle with ALZ began around 2013 and official diagnosis was in 2016 sadly changing the remainder of her years. Throughout this period anything that was in her control was done with dignity and love as Thelma had exhibited throughout her life.

Thelma is survived by her son and daughter, three siblings, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She is greatly loved by her daughter in law, nieces, nephews and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the Di Frenna family asks for donations to the Alzheimer's Foundation.

https://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/