Obituary of Teresa Talerico

March 26, 1930 – San Giovanni in Fiore, Italy

July 7, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

On Sunday, July 7, 2024, Teresa Talerico (nee Sirianni) passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 94 years. Born in San Giovanni in Fiore, Provincia Cosenza, Italy, on March 26, 1930, Teresa was the matriarch of her family, dedicating her life to building and supporting a beautiful family that now spans Italy, France, and Canada.

In August 1949, she married the love of her life, Giuseppe (Joe) Talerico. Teresa and Giuseppe had three sons in Italy—John, Louie, and Dom—before moving to France in 1957. In July 1960, they embarked on a new adventure to build a life in Calgary, Canada, where their beloved daughter Maria was born. To our family, she was known as "Mama Teresa" or "Nonna”. All of us can recall sitting around her table, sharing her incredible food. Her home was always filled with the aroma of traditional Calabrese dishes and baked goods that she had learned from her own family. Over the years, she would invite us to help prepare our favorites—meatballs, pizza, Easter bread, and many others. Each dish also came with stories about her life and journey from Italy to Canada, connecting us deeply to her and our heritage.

Even in her 94th summer, Teresa maintained an enormous vegetable garden, not just as a source of fresh produce but also as a way of connecting her family to her life in Italy. Every year, she preserved food, baked, and made her famous tomato sauce for her entire family. Her house was always filled with her children and grandchildren, each helping to make her recipes. Now, every time we open a jar of "Nonna sauce" or pickled eggplant, she brings us together in her kitchen no matter where we are.

Teresa's legacy is one of love, family, and generosity. She leaves that legacy to her sons, John (Jean), Louie, and Dom (Debbie); her daughter Maria; her grandchildren, Joe (Donna), Terri (Jeremy), Carrie (Brent), Jen (Reid), Juli (Dan), and Nick (Kelly); and her fifteen great-grandchildren, all of whom will cherish her memory and the traditions she passed down. She will be greatly missed by her brother and sister-in-law Dominic and Rosa Sirianni. Teresa joins her husband Giuseppe who passed away in 2007, her parents Giuseppe and Anna Maria Sirianni, her sister Rosa Durante (Saverio), and her brother Salvatore Sirianni (Teresa).

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Teresa’s family here.

In living memory of Teresa Talerico, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Centre Street North, Calgary, AB T2E 2V6, Telephone: 403-276-2296.