Obituaries

August 1st, 2025

Carmela “Lina” Di Benedetto (née Iacono), 92, originally of Fontana D’Ischia, Italy, and later of Marcus Hook, PA, passed peacefully at home on July 30, 2025.

Carmela, affectionately known as “Lina,” was born in Fontana D’Ischia, Italy in 1933, and emigrated to the US in 1956. She spent her life caring for family, friends, and neighbors through home-cooked food, and lively company. Family get-togethers were her favorite, and she could spot whoever had a baby in attendance from a mile away. She loved to work in her garden, growing things like roses, hydrangeas, snap peas, and apricots, but always kept Italian staples thriving, too, like fig trees and grapevines. Her penchant for furry friends led to the adoption of quite a few toy poodles, several bunnies, and even a chicken that she’d take on walks in the park with her granddaughter. A devout Catholic, she became a dedicated member of the Immaculate Conception choir and shared her love of both music and singing publicly with fellow members of her parish. She also loved to travel and experience new things, having visited everywhere from California to Cozumel.

Carmela was preceded in death by her parents, Giuseppe and Maria Iacono, brother Rafaelle Iacono, brother Agostino Iacono, first husband Tulio Del Bove, and second husband Daniel Di Benedetto. She is survived by daughter Lia Marta (née Del Bove) and son-in-law Mike Marta, granddaughter Laura Moore (née Marta) and her husband Tom Moore, and three great-grandchildren: Owen, Aubrey, and Logan. She is also survived by her sister Maria Iacono, brother Aldo Iacono and his wife Ester, brother Giovanni Iacono and his wife Gaetana, and sister-in-law Josephine Ferro (née Di Benedetto) and her husband Edmund, along with their families, which include many, many, many nieces and nephews.

Viewing & visitation will be held on Thursday, August 7th from 9:30 to 10:30 am, with mass beginning 10:30 am at Immaculate Conception Church, 21 W 8th Street, Marcus Hook, PA 19061. Interment at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cemetery in Linwood immediately to follow. Donations to the Alzheimer’s Association in Carmela’s name would be greatly appreciated – visit them at alz.org.