Obituary for Lena A. Maggio (Bruno)

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Life Story for Lena A. Maggio (Bruno)

Dr. Michelena Annaloro Bruno Maggio PhD, age 93, of Philadelphia passed peacefully in Rosemont Presbyterian Village on August 4, 2017. She was a dedicated wife, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was born to Michele and Vincenzina Cumella Annaloro Bruno on September 5, 1923 and was the youngest of their children: Angelo (Susan), Victor (Josephine) and Josephine (Michael). A third brother, Calogero passed in childhood.



Lena was a lifelong Philadelphian and dedicated Catholic who, as a young adult, worked alongside her siblings in her family’s grocery store in South Philadelphia where she met the love of her life and future husband, Peter J. Maggio. Peter would regularly deliver milk and cheese to the store for his family’s business, the M. Maggio Company, which he would later co-own with his late brothers, Mario and Salvatore, and serve as its President.



Lena and Peter married in 1946 and resided with their sons Michael and Peter in the East Falls area for 67 years with a second home in Long Beach Island, NJ. In addition to being a loving and gracious homemaker Lena later discovered a passion for the arts and became an avid painter and sculptor, with her work exhibited in renowned museums and galleries in the region. She was a graduate of Temple University with honors, received a Master's degree from Villanova University and, after becoming a grandmother (affectionately known as Nonnie) she returned to receive her doctorate in psychology and worked for CATCH for several decades as a psychologist until her retirement at 82.


Lena was active in fundraising for many charities and through her philanthropic efforts found her true calling: the prevention of child abuse. She co-founded the Child Abuse Prevention Effort and served as chairperson of its board of directors for many years. She actively lobbied for stricter child abuse prevention laws, testified before Congress, authored several important works that had a profound impact on the cause and was a true champion for children without a voice as well as her patients.



She is survived by her son Peter V. Maggio, her grandson Peter J. (Jennifer) Maggio; granddaughter Fallon Maggio; great-grandchildren Jake, Charlotte and Dylan Maggio; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, godchildren and friends throughout the country and Italy. She was preceded in death by her adoring husband of 46 years, Peter Joseph; her loving son Michael (Candace) Maggio of Washington, DC; as well as her siblings, her husband’s siblings and their spouses who all remained close throughout their lives.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Church at 1719 South 9th Street. A memorial will be held at 11:00 AM on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel at 200 S. Broad Street. In lieu of flowers donations are requested for the Michael Maggio Immigrants’ Rights Fellowship, 1331 G St. NW, Suite 200, Washington, D.C., 20005 or http://bit.ly/lenamaggio