Obituary of M. Reletta Hellrigel
Reletta Petretti Hellrigel, age 90, responded to the call of the Lord on June 18, 2015 to join in happy reunion with her husband John Hellrigel, Ret. Sgt. Bpt. P.D.; parents Pellegrino “Peter” and Josephine Gatto Petretti; brothers Henry Petretti and Sgt. Anthony Petretti, U.S. Army, who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in WWII; and beloved grandson-in-law Todd M. Linnen. Loved ones surviving her include two daughters, Gayl Thomas and her husband Kenneth of Iowa, and Donna Smith of Huntington, with whom she shared a lifetime of joys and tears and unending devotion. Also five grandchildren whom she adored, Candace Linnen and her husband Michael Tarascio, Brian Smith and his wife Lyndi, Kristy Reletta-Marie Brown, Cheryl Birk, and Charles Carrieri and his wife Kaitlin; seven great-grandchildren who gave her countless hours of love, laughter and pride, Amanda Targowski, Kylie and Madison Linnen, John Robert Brown IV, Jillian Grace Smith, Filomena Carrieri and Evelyn Smith; as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews. Mrs. Hellrigel graduated with honors, Class of ’42 from Central High School and went directly to work for the Bridgeport Herald weekly newspaper as a cub reporter and had her own poetry column “Moods by Reletta Petretti”. She taught shorthand and speedwriting to evening classes at Butler Business School for several years. In her youth, she was a freelance writer for American Greeting Cards and various other greeting card companies. Later, she was employed for approximately 30 years as an executive secretary at the Bridgeport Brass Company. She loved music, especially opera and classical. She traveled extensively, enjoyed meeting people of different cultures and perceived death as the ultimate journey. She was known for her intelligence, warmth and humor. She was an avid bingo player, a member of the Shelton Senior Center and the Mac/Eddy Fan Club. She will be greatly missed by family and friends as she brought a smile to everyone’s face. Funeral services will take place on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 9:00 AM from the Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home, 167 Wakelee Avenue, Ansonia. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated at 10:00 AM in St. Joseph Church, 424 Coram Ave, Shelton. Private interment will be in St. John Cemetery, Monroe. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salvation Army, 26 Lester Street, Ansonia, CT 06401. Online Condolences may be made at www.wakeleememorial.com.
