Catherine E. Cilenti

Catherine Eileen Cianci Rozycki Cilenti, age 85, of Tallahassee, Florida, passed away on March 20, 2024. She was born on February 16, 1939, in Bronx, New York. Cathy was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, known for her kindness and ability to see the best in people. She had a keen sense of humor and a love for life. Cathy was raised in the Bronx by her parents Eileen and James, along with her older brother Vinny and younger sister Mary Lou. She was a city kid who loved time in the country with her grandparents. Cathy married Tony Rozycki in 1959. Together they had a daughter and three sons. Committed to her family, above everything else, Cathy was a loving and affectionate mom who spent her time teaching and playing with her young kids and involving herself in PTA and church activities. Tony’s unexpected passing left her on her own with four teenagers to care for and re-entry into the work force. Cathy later married Lou Cilenti, who helped her raise her children into adulthood. They left the cold winters behind and after several years as snowbirds, relocated to South Florida. After Lou’s passing in 2016, Cathy settled in Tallahassee to live with her daughter Ann and son-in-law David. But she also spent months at a time traveling to Florida’s West Coast and to New York to spend time with her sons Mike, Stan and Anthony, and her grandchildren. Cathy had a love of reading and received regular deliveries of new books. Cathy never stopped trying to learn and was always curious. Along with the historical and religious programming she regularly watched, she kept up with the Florida Channel, The Curse of Oak Island and Expedition Big Foot. While she studied for and obtained a HAM radio license in her late seventies, she never mastered texting and message retrieval on her smart phone. She loved kitchen gadgets, diet coke, Hershey’s kisses, watching Brit Box and ordering from QVC. Cathy, however, loved her family best and was most happy when she could just sit and be with them. Cathy is survived by her brother Vincent Cianci, sister Mary Lou Callegari, daughter Ann (David) Fierro, sons Michael (Calliopi) Rozycki, Stanley Rozycki, and Anthony (Marlene) Rozycki, as well as grandchildren Kristen (Giovanni) Spadaro, Sarah Rozycki, Michael Rozycki, Jr., Alycia (Gus) Valdes, Rebecca (Alex) Covey, Hannah (Chris) Talbot, Gabriel Fierro, Emmanuel (Stephanie) Polihronidis, Mihali Polihronidis, Jason Rozycki, Sean Rozycki and Tyler Luce; great-grandchildren Noah Valdes, Daphne Talbot, Macrae Talbot, Melody Talbot, Kalliopi Polihronidis and Panagiota Polihronidis. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Anthony A. Rozycki, second husband, Louis J. Cilenti and her parents Eileen Warren and James Vincent Cianci. The family will be receiving guests for a visitation at Bevis Funeral Home on Monday, March 25, 2024 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. A funeral service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (3717 Thomasville Rd Tallahassee, FL 32309) on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 11:00 am to be followed by interment at Tallahassee Memory Gardens. Breanna Green of Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193 or www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the family with their arrangements.

Tributes

Catherine E. Cilenti

February 16, 1939 - March 20, 2024