Edda Lelia Cleri, née Silvestri, of Warwick, R.I., passed away on April 12, 2022, at the age of 91, surrounded by family. She had been married to the late Domenic Cleri, for 48 years prior to his passing. She was born in Providence, R.I., a daughter of the late Bambinella Silvestri, née Santangini, and the late Mariano Silvestri. She had lived in Warwick for 55 years.
Edda had been primarily a homemaker having raised three children. She had also worked in a variety of clerical jobs and as a volunteer librarian.
Edda graduated from the City of Providence’s Mount Pleasant High School in 1948, having been a member of the Rhode Island Honor Society. Edda was a member of Saint Peter’s Church in Warwick.
Edda leaves her daughter Lisa Cleri of Los Angeles, California; her son, Paul Cleri of Carle Place, N.Y.; her daughter Gina Dooley and husband Bryan of Warwick; her grandchildren, Christopher Reale and Francesca Reale of Los Angeles, California, and Nathaniel Cleri, Natalie Cleri, and Alexis Cleri of Carle Place, N.Y.; and her sisters, Lola Buonanno of Warwick, and Vera Florio of East Greenwich. Edda was also the sister of the late Aida Silvestri of Providence.
Edda was an avid walker, walking most mornings at dawn; a crossword puzzle enthusiast, completing the Providence Journal’s daily puzzles most mornings; an avid reader, who enjoyed mystery novels; an opera lover, having been a longtime member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and a devoted supporter of Providence’s Roger Williams Park Zoo, which she visited often with her late husband, her children, and her grandchildren.
A Memorial Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 19, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter Church, 350 Fair Street, Warwick. Relatives and friends are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, Edda’s family asks that donations be made to the Roger Williams Park Zoo.
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