Maddalena "Madeline" Calo (62), of San Diego, passed away September 23, 2021 after a 7 year battle with cancer.

Maddalena was born on October 23,1958 in Mezzojuso, Sicily, Italy. During childhood her family moved to Castagnole delle Lanze, a town in northern Italy. At the age of 9 she came to America. Until she married, she lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, with the exception of Brooklyn for a few years. In 1987, she married her Sicilian sweetheart, Vincenzo. She then lived in Bayonne, New Jersey, where she resided for the next 24 years. In 2011, she came to San Diego. She lived in Rancho Bernardo for the past 9 years.

From an early age she learned to cook and take care of others, a skill she would lovingly employ for the rest of her life. She worked hard in the many occupations she had, including working in her parents' pizzeria, working as a seamstress, a dental assistant, a salesperson, a food server, a caregiver and more.

She was a parishioner of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Bayonne, where there was an active Italian Catholic community. In San Diego she was a parishioner of St. Therese of Carmel Catholic Church and then of San Rafael Catholic Church, where she was a member of the Rosary and Divine Mercy prayer group. Her pride and joy are her twin children Cristina and Joseph, born in 1997. Madeline and Vinny dedicated all their time and love in raising Cristina and Joseph.

As a wife and mother, she never stopped loving and serving. Her favorite way of expressing her love was by feeding her family with the most delicious cooking and baking. Food was her passion. In her kitchen, surrounded by her family, was where she always wanted to be.

Gathering with family and friends was always a big part of her life. She also loved to travel back to Sicily for vacation and to visit family.

These words do not suffice to capture her life. She made many dear friends over her lifetime who will miss her greatly. Her family will have a hole in their hearts for the rest of their earthly lives.