Lena Lonardo

LENA (LOMBARDI) LONARDO, 98, of North Providence, passed away Monday, September 30, 2013 at Greenville Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Angelo Lonardo. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Gaetano and Angelina (Montella) Lombardi.

Lena was the Founder & President of the Rhode Island Association for Cardiac Children for 42 years, a non profit charitable organization dedicated to helping cardiac children and their families. She had attended the Fruit Hill Senior Center, the Sal Mancini Senior Center and was a member of the Red Hat Society. She had worked many years for various jewelry companies in Rhode Island before retiring. Her passions included knitting and crocheting hats and baby blankets for newborns at Women & Infants and loving and caring for children.

She is survived by her son, Robert Lonardo and his wife Dianne; a daughter, Lucille Olsen; two grandchildren, Lori Ann Olsen and Christopher Robert Olsen; two great grandchildren, Stephanie and Jonathan Olsen and three sisters, Ella Spagnolo, Ann Ricci and Louise Barsanti. She was the grandmother of the late John D. Olsen, Jr., mother-in-law of the late John D. Olsen, Sr. and the sister of the late Anthony Lombardi and Sue Ferrara.

Her funeral will be held Thursday, October 3, 2013 at 8 a.m., from the Maceroni Funeral Home, 1381 Smith St., North Providence, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. at St. Anthony Church, 1413 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence. Burial will be in St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston. Visitation Wednesday 5-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Rhode Island Association for Cardiac Children, 365 West Rd., Harrisville, RI 02830.