Obituary of Philomena Ferriola
Philomena (Mena) Ferriola (Giandonato) of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, passed away at home on June 3, 2026. She was 101 years old.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1924, she moved to Chester, Pennsylvania at the age of 3 with her parents, Silvio and Serafina Giandonato, and her siblings. She grew up in Chester where in 1946, she met the love of her life, John M. Ferriola. They were married on September 6, 1947, at Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church in Chester. She was married to John for over 47 years until his passing on January 2, 1995. She is now reunited with her love.
After marrying in 1947, Mena and John made their first home on Crosby Street in Chester, where they lived until 1971 before moving to West Mowry Street in Chester. In 1990, Mena moved to Aston, Pennsylvania, where she lived until 2015, when she and her daughter, Ann Marie, relocated to Clearwater, Florida. Although she enjoyed the warmth of the Florida sun, she missed being close to the rest of her family and returned to Pennsylvania in 2020, settling in Glen Mills, where she remained until her passing. Mena was a devoted wife and loving mother of four. She cherished her family and especially enjoyed spending time with her many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. Her interests included watching game shows, reading—especially novels by Danielle Steele—and playing card games such as Racko, Solitaire, and Skip-Bo.
Mena is survived by her four children: Ann Marie Ferriola, John M. Ferriola, Jr. (Paulette), Larry Ferriola (Tammy), and Vince Ferriola (Melissa); seven grandchildren: Terri Sommer (Jim), John M. Ferriola III (Barbie), Morgan Ferriola, Marina Ferriola, Justin Ferriola, Monica Perkins (Damian), and Matthew Mitchell (Stephanie); as well as, ten great grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, John M. Ferriola; her parents, Silvio and Serafina Giandonato; her siblings, Alfred Giandonato, Philip Giandonato; Mary Raczkowski, Amelia Ferriola, and Lucy Murray, and her grandchild, Larry Ferriola, Jr.
The family invites relatives and friends to the viewing from 8:30am to 9:30am on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Pagano Funeral Home, 3711 Foulk Road, Garnet Valley, PA 19060. Funeral mass to follow at 10:30am at Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 3255 Concord Road, Aston Township, PA 19014. Burial to follow at Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery, 1600 S Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.paganofuneralhome.com.
