Obituary: Marie Elena Ronzio Ardito
SCARBOROUGH - Marie Elena Ronzio Ardito, 87, of The Mooring, a Scarborough assisted living facility and formerly a longtime resident of ...
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Marie Elena Ronzio Ardito
SCARBOROUGH – Marie Elena Ronzio Ardito, 87, of The Mooring, a Scarborough assisted living facility and formerly a longtime resident of Augusta, Maine, died May 11, 2021, in Scarborough after a brief illness and with her family by her side. She was born in Italy in August of 1933 the daughter of Eugenio Ronzio and Anna Leone Ronzio. Fondly known as “Nonna”, she was the matriarch of a close-knit family whom she adored.
In 1939, at the age of six, Marie and her mother emigrated from Sant’ Apollinare, Italy to Providence, R.I., where her father moved previously. She and her family fled Italy before World War II ravaged her birth home. While her parents never spoke English, Marie blossomed in her new world and received the Anthony Medal for Academic Achievement at Mount Pleasant High School. She met her future husband, Ralph Ardito, by happenstance while she was a senior in high school, and he was a sophomore at Providence College. It was love at first sight, and they have been together ever since. In 1953, Marie and Ralph married a week after he graduated from Providence; next month they would have celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. It is rare to see such a love affair. To the end, Ralph held her hand and called her his girlfriend and the love of his life.