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BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.-- Marlene Menaldi Strollo left the arms of her earthly family to enter into the welcoming arms of her heavenly family and to join the heavenly choir on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.
She was born, in Youngstown, Ohio, on Nov. 29, 1942, to Arthur F. and Evelyn F. Chiody Menaldi and lived in Ohio most of her life.
She graduated from Austintown Fitch High School and then Youngstown State University, with degrees in biology and theater. She began her career as a microbiology technician at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. After taking time off to be a full-time wife and mother, she rejoined the workforce as an operations manager and then a general manager at the Youngstown Playhouse. She moved on to become a theater manager for the YSS/Powers Auditorium and, finally, a standardized patient educator at NEOMED, from which she retired in 2017. Her theater works also included positions, over the years, as drama director at Canfield, South Range, Salem and Liberty High Schools. She was president of the board and managing director of the Hopewell Theatre when she moved to Florida.
She became involved in theater in 1981, when she took an intensive acting-singing-dancing workshop at the Youngstown Playhouse. This led to her returning to college to pursue a theater degree. She went on to direct over 100 plays. Musicals were her favorite, as she had a passion for music, especially choral singing. She was a member of St. Michael Catholic Church in Canfield, where she served as a cantor and a member of the choir and folk group. She was soloist for more than 200 funerals and more than 100 weddings. At the age of 75, she joined the choir at Zion Lutheran Church in Youngstown, where she took great pleasure in praying through song.
In 1991, she founded Move Over Broadway Productions, a community theater that provided entertainment for 20 years. She also founded the Just Friends Community Chorus, its mission being to bring entertainment to area assisted living and nursing home facilities. Sadly, the chorus came to an end when the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Allowing her to broaden her horizons, she was privileged to join her husband on many business trips, which took them throughout the U.S. and to Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Japan and England, and pleasure trips with friends and family.
Her passions in life were her family, her faith, theater and singing. Her hope was to always be a positive influence on others.
To be nearer to family, and prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, she became a Florida resident in August of 2020, where she became involved with the Center for the Performing Arts in Bonita Springs, The Studio Players, Marco Island Arts Centre Theatre and The Naples Players. She sang with the Naples Philharmonic Chorus, Our Lady of Light Choir and the Lyrical Ladies Chorus.
With much love, she leaves her beloved children, Karin (Michael) Hudock of Canfield, Kimberly Strollo with the Foreign Service in Iraq, Dominic II (Laura) Strollo of Estero, Florida, and David Strollo of Bonita Springs, Florida; two grandchildren, Alexis and Brandon Hudock; a brother, Arthur (Michael Kaiser) Menaldi of Naples, Florida; a sister, Nancy Menaldi (Michael) Scanlan, of Venice, Florida; and her many treasured friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband, Dominic M. Strollo, whom she married on May 2, 1964, and who died on Feb. 10, 2006. He was the "Wind Beneath Her Wings."
"The song has ended but the melody lingers on." (Irving Berlin). She walked by faith. Her mantra was "Believe." And she held fast to the Serenity Prayer, having led a full and blessed life.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Canfield.
Per her wishes, Marlene will be cremated and entombed, beside her husband and near her parents, in Greenhaven Mausoleum, Canfield.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Hopewell Theatre, 702 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown, OH 44502, 330-746-5455, hopewelltheatre.org.
To sign her guest register or to leave online condolences, please visit www.shikanyfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home, family-owned and operated since 1978.
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