Carmela "Melina" Santella

Carmela (Melina) Santella, 84, died peacefully surrounded by her loving family on September 13, 2024.

Born in Palo del Colle, Bari, Italy to the late Giovanni and Anna Caiati. At 10 years old she migrated to the United States and eventually settled in Brooklyn, New York when her entire family arrived from Italy.

After graduating high school, Carmela married her first husband Charles Santaromita at the age of 19 and they eventually settled from Brooklyn to Queens where she raised her family. In 1979, Carmela moved to Edison, NJ with her second husband, Anthony (Tony) Santella. Upon his passing she moved to Barnegat, NJ where she lived for most of the remainder of her life.

Carmela was a devoted mother and family matriarch and enjoyed bringing her family and friends together around holidays and special events. She was immensely proud of her Italian heritage and loved to cook delicious meals, preparing multiple courses for everyone to enjoy. She took an active role in her grandchildren’s lives as a caregiver and created memories with them to last a lifetime. Carmela was the embodiment of selflessness, kindness and love, always demonstrating these attributes not just in her words but in her actions as well. She loved her family and friends with all her heart and always took the opportunity to be with them when she could while sharing a glass of red wine or her signature drink, a dry martini with three olives.

She was preceded in death by her beloved second husband, Anthony Santella in 1996.

Surviving are her loving children, Natalie Wheeler and Nathan Santaromita, her adored grandchildren Michael, Matthew, Thomas, Kimberly, and Analee, as well as her dear sister Clara D’Antonio, and her many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Memorial visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00PM on Friday, September 27, 2024, at Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue, Somerville, NJ.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:00AM on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 34 Yorktown Road, Hillsborough, NJ. Family and friends are welcome to gather at the funeral home beginning at 8:00AM.

Inurnment will follow at Stanhope Union Cemetery, Waterloo Road, Stanhope, NJ.