Obituary of Gloria Adzima

Gloria (Mauri) Adzima passed away on Monday morning peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family. Gloria was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to immigrant parents from the northern village of Caspano, Italy. Her parents, Renato and Claudia (Callini) Mauri, returned to Italy for a time with their family but eventually settled in America. Gloria and her family were deeply religious and every Sunday would take the bus from their home on Armory Street to the Italian church in the south end. As a young girl, both Gloria and her sister Mary were accomplished violinists and performed with the Springfield Symphonette. Gloria attended Commerce High School, and worked as a secretary at Consolidated Dry Goods after graduation.

The city girl moved to the country in 1954 to marry Peter Adzima, a dairy farmer from Belchertown. Gloria joined Peter on the farm where together they raised five children. Working on their family farm instilled Gloria and Peter’s children with moral values and a strong work ethic that they’ll carry with them always. After many years of raising children, Gloria took a position at UMASS where she particularly enjoyed working alongside her colleagues in the personnel office.

Music continued to be a big part of her life. She and her sister Mary would take the train to New York City to see operas at The Met. Her favorite singer was the great Luciano Pavarotti. She was an opera aficionado and if you visited her house on a Saturday morning you could expect to hear it playing. She was a faithful communicant of St. Francis of Assisi Parish of Belchertown where she participated in perpetual adoration for many years. Gloria was an active member of the St. Francis women’s club, and volunteered her time with the parish food pantry and the tag sale committee.

Gloria is predeceased by her parents Renato and Claudia Mauri and husband Peter J. Adzima who passed away in 1988. She was also predeceased by her granddaughter Casey Adzima, her sister Mary and brother Giulio Mauri. Gloria is survived by her brother Joseph (Judy) Mauri and her sister, Sister Claudia of the Daughters of Mercy, and her children, Grace Adzima, Peter Adzima, Paul (Elizabeth) Adzima, Laura (Peter) Hicks, and Mark (Lynn) Adzima. She also leaves her grandchildren, Samuel, Abigail (Ben), Julia, Angela, Rebecca, Paul Jr. (Julia), Eric, Christopher, Nicholas and her dog Jack. Gloria will be missed by many nieces, nephews, friends, and relatives across the United States and in Italy.

The family would like to thank the caregivers who supported Gloria during her final days at home on the farm. Calling hours will be held on Thursday from 4:00 - 8:00 at Beers and Story Belchertown Funeral Home, 10 Maple St, Belchertown. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday at 11:00 at St. Francis of Assisi, 24 Jabish St, Belchertown followed by burial in South Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Gloria's memory to the St. Francis Building Fund, P.O. Box 612, Belchertown, MA 01007 or to the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, PO Box 302, Maryknoll, NY 10545.