Teresa "Terry" (Casali) Orlandi

Teresa “Terry” Orlandi (Casali) passed away on January 1st at the age of 102 in Providence, her lifelong home.  She was the wife of the late Anthony Orlandi. She leaves behind her beloved daughter, Lynn DeSimone and her husband Anthony; her grandson, AJ Rubin-DeSimone and his wife Devin; her granddaughter Ashlee Branca and her husband Michael; and her granddaughter Amanda DeSimone and her fiancée Frank Tavares, along with five great-grandchildren – Anabelle, Addison, Arilyn, Arlo and Ainslee. 

She was the daughter of Giovanni and Donata (Calitri) Casali. She was preceded in death by her seven siblings: Armand Casali, Marie Iannuccilli, Emma Russell, Anna Ferraro, Ugo Casali, Elena Ciolfi, Ida Testa and niece Donna Ciccio. She is survived by dozens of loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews including her goddaughter Annmarie Davis and her husband Gary; and her niece Linda Ciolfi and her partner Ros Johnson, with whom she remained very close throughout her life.

Terry lived simply, modestly and unapologetically throughout her life and was a quintessential Rhode Islander - pruning the branches from her famous backyard pear tree in Providence’s North End, quahogging in the low tides along Great Escape Road in Galilee, or sitting in the sun with her best girl friends at the shore. She worked hard – including a 20-year stint as an original “Dunkin’ Donuts girl” (as she’d call it) – and played even harder. She’d tell anyone who’d listen about her MVP season as the shortstop for her softball team in 1948. Terry was also a force. She wasn’t easily impressed, held strong opinions, and never shied away from sharing them, sometimes to the consternation (and sometimes to the delight) of those who loved her most. 

Terry once said that her life would have turned out very differently had she been born 50 years later, because women born in 1918 didn’t have the same opportunities then as they now do. She resented that, rightfully so, and it fueled her to live fully and freely. For Terry was, among her contemporaries, like no other. Besides playing softball, she enjoyed bowling, driving around town, gardening, gambling, a good beer, home repair, cooking, crossword puzzles, and above all else, her Boston Red Sox. During summers, she toured the Northeast festival circuits selling costume jewelry and other trinkets and collectibles, and she could always be counted on for a pop-up yard sale in the spring and fall. She loved interacting with people, and she loved making a sale. One could argue that she enjoyed the hustle. Unapologetically.

Her lifetime was sandwiched between two global pandemics, and it took one to take her down.

Her family would like to thank her many friends and caretakers at the Heritage Hills Nursing Center, where she lived for the past few years. 

Do to COVID 19 restrictions her funeral and burial are private.