Maryella Gainor, 66, of Narragansett and formerly of Cumberland, passed away at home peacefully with her family by her side on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. She was the beloved wife of Kevin Gainor. Born in Providence, she was the daughter of the late Sergio and Maria (DiBitetto) Squeo. Besides her husband, she is survived by her children, Jamie Gainor DiPietro (Anthony DiPietro), Lauren Gainor Stefanik (Cody Stefanik), and Kelsey Gainor, and by her grandchildren, Clement DiPietro, Camilla Maryelle DiPietro, Ambrose DiPietro, and Palmer Stefanik. She also leaves her siblings, Angela Squeo and Nicholas (Kristine) Squeo as well as her brother-in-law Robert Gainor (Kaitlin Vann). She was the sister of the late Francesco Squeo. She is additionally survived by her nieces and nephews, Kimberly Link, Alexander Squeo, Katherine Tami, Nicholas Squeo, Michael Squeo, and Alicia Zhang.
Maryella was born into a close-knit, hard-working Italian family and grew up in Warwick, RI next door to her eventual husband, Kevin, with whom she attended her senior prom at The Prout School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and her Master of Business Administration from Bryant University. She subsequently worked as an accountant at Texas Instruments and ran her father’s small business, Industrial Products and Supply. Maryella later worked as a lecturer in the Bryant University Accounting Department for over thirty years. She was committed to her students and cared deeply about preparing them for their careers and supporting them as individuals. She was an involved member of the Cumberland community, serving as a Girl Scout leader for her daughters’ troops and as a catechist and eucharistic minister at St. John Vianney Church.
Maryella was an exceptionally patient, kind, and devoted wife, mother, and Nonna, and her greatest joy was spending time with her family. She lived each day with a playful spirit and she delighted in going for bike rides, playing outside, eating ice cream sundaes, and swimming at the beach with her grandchildren. Maryella had an incredible ability to create community among her family and friends. She was an amazing cook and was known for her seemingly effortless ability to serve home-cooked Italian meals to a crowd. Home improvement projects and yard work were two of her favorite pastimes, and she derived great happiness from mowing her lawn, painting her house, and renovating her kitchen. Her family adored her contagious laugh, quirky dance moves, and sense of adventure. She will be forever loved and deeply missed by her family and friends.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, June 12th at 10:00 AM in Saint John Vianney Church, 3609 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland. Burial will be private. Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, June 11th from 4:00-7:00 PM in the O’Neill Funeral Home, 3102 Mendon Road, Cumberland.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Tomorrow Fund, 593 Eddy Street, Providence, RI 02903, in memory of Maryella would be greatly appreciated. www.oneillfuneralhomes.com
