Obituary of Eleonora Coviello

Eleonora “Mama” Coviello (nee Spagnuolo) passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, July 13.  Eleonora was born on December 17, 1935 to Fortunata and Carmine Spagnuolo in il comune di Manocalzati, Avellino, Italy, the second of six children. 

Eleonora immigrated to the United States in 1958 where she made her home in Madison with her husband, Michele, and their three children.

Eleonora is survived by her husband of 66 years, Michele Coviello, her three children: Rosaria and her husband Gary Einloth; Nino and his wife, Gretchen Coviello;  Rita, and her husband, Ken Tiscornia; her eight grandchildren whom she cherished and loved dearly: Gary and his wife Ann Einloth; Meredith Felice; Andrew and his wife Melissa Einloth; Jessica Coviello; Michael Coviello; Matthew Einloth; Nicholas Coviello and Ava Tiscornia;  two great-grandchildren: Jameson and Mason Einloth; her sisters, Louisa Oliva and Mary Spagnuolo; her sister Antoinette and her husband Gennaro Frasso; and her brother Pasquale and his wife Carol Spagnuolo.  Eleanora was predeceased by her parents, Fortunata and Carmine Spagnuolo; her brother, Aniello Spagnuolo, her brother-in-law Raimondo Oliva, and her grandson-in-law, Tim Felice.

Eleonora was a true example of determination and perseverance on various levels, but most significantly, raising three children in her new country while adapting to, among other things, its customs and cultures.

Religion was an important factor in Eleonora’s life as she could be found in “her” seat attending mass daily at St. Vincent’s Martyr Church.  Eleonora was also known for her culinary skills, in particular her Thursday homemade sauce, pasta, meatballs, and bread, all of which were made with immense love and respect for both the food and those who would be enjoying it, whether family or friends. 

Given the number of individuals she was able to positively impact, Eleonora was best known as Mama to all - a woman with an incredibly altruistic heart - who was not only a mother to her three children, but to all those who had the pleasure of knowing her.  Mama was a loving, hopeful and accepting woman who always found time to assist with a person’s particular need; offer that grandmotherly-like hug and kiss on the cheek, or voice those words of comfort when the situation required.

Eleonora was a true example of humility and sacrifice.

Services will be held on Monday, July 19 at Madison Memorial Funeral Home in Madison, NJ from 2-8 pm, followed by a funeral mass on Tuesday, July 20 at St. Vincent Martyr Church at 10 am in Madison, NJ.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Mama to the Parkinson's Foundation and Hospice of New Jersey.