Martha Sillari

Former Rossville resident Martha Sillari, 93, of Woodbridge, N.J., a retired magazine staffer, died Wednesday in St. Joseph's Senior Home, in Woodbridge.

Born Martha Derivi in Manhattan, she lived much of her life in Queens. She moved to Rossville in 2004 and went to live in Woodbridge the following year.

Mrs. Sillari was in her 50s when she graduated from Pratt Institute with a bachelor of arts degree. Afterwards, she landed a job as an assistant editor at House Beautiful magazine. She retired at 65.

She was an accomplished traveler, familiar with much of this country and Canada, Europe and Asia.

She played piano, painted and sculpted. She collected antiques and enjoyed Broadway shows.

Her cousin, Attilio Avidano, characterized her as "a very independent person who had a good sense of humor."Mrs. Sillari's husband of nearly 45 years, Dante, died in 1987. Her son, Dennis, died in 1986.

The funeral will be Monday from the Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, Tottenville, with a mass at noon in St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Rossville. Burial will follow in St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, L.I.

Services: St. Joseph's RC Church Rossville Monday, May 23,2011 12:00PM

Visitation: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home Monday May 23,2011 9:00AM- 11:30AM

Cemetery: St. Charles Cemetery

Location: Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home

Church: St. Joseph's RC Church-Rossville