November 20, 1923 - November 8, 2020

Virginia Bianca Lorenzetti passed away November 8, 2020, in Upland, California, at the age of 96.

Virginia was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend. Virginia enjoyed cooking traditional Italian meals for large family gatherings and was always prepared to offer an exceptional dinner or dessert to a visiting family member or friend.

She enjoyed fine restaurants, painting, the theater, opera, travelling, movies, card games, and sipping a martini in a sophisticated hotel lobby bar. She dressed in style and had great taste in all facets of her life.

Virginia was born November 20, 1923, in Jessup, Pennsylvania, to Italian immigrant parents Anselmo and Margherita (Brunetti) Mengoni. She graduated from Jessup High School as class valedictorian.

She married the late Sal Lorenzetti of Downey, California, on June 1, 1946, in Jessup. The newlywed couple drove across the country and settled in Sal’s hometown of Downey.

As a young mother, Virginia worked many hours alongside her husband at Sal’s Italian Market and Deli in Downey, a family-run business that operated for more than 40 years at the corner of Paramount Boulevard and Florence Avenue. The couple moved into their Downey home in 1952, where they raised their family and hosted celebrations and holidays through seven decades.

She was active in a number of local organizations including the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Women’s Guild in Downey.

Virginia is survived by her daughter, Diane Powell (John); her sons, Robert (Trish) and Daniel (Mary); her sister, Lillian Sposto; six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Sal; her son, Steven; and her sisters Jenny Ortis and Mary Ghirelli.