Floretta (Flora) Scionti Franklin

Floretta (Flora) Scionti Franklin, 91, of Durham, formerly of Middletown, passed away on July 18, 2021 surrounded by her loving family. Floretta was the daughter of the late Salvatore and Lauretta (Santostefano) Scionti. Floretta married her high school sweetheart, the late Joseph Franklin, Sr. They had two children, Flora Franklin Faiella (Philip, Sr.) and Joseph Franklin, Jr. (Jennifer). Floretta was the proud grandmother of seven grandchildren, Cindi Kenyon (Jeffrey), Philip Faiella, Jr. (Theresa), Christopher Faiella (Alexandrea), Zachary Faiella (Jessica), Joshua Franklin, Jason Franklin, and Ashley Cranston (Ian). Her grandchildren were the loves of her life and she was their biggest fan. She never missed their sports games, concerts and recitals, applauding the loudest and longest. She also attended practices and many team members knew her well as “Nuna.” She enjoyed long summer vacations to Emerald Isle, North Carolina and Florida with her children and grandchildren, where she body-surfed alongside her grandchildren and combed the beaches with them collecting special shells. Floretta was proud of her seven great-grandchildren, Nahimiana, Ryder, Philip III, Adelyn, Delylah, Jackson, and Atlas. They loved her dearly and were the joy of her life. Floretta was incredibly proud of her son Joseph, Jr. for his service to America in the Afghanistan War. She graduated from Middletown High School and remained an active alumnus of the Class of 1948 Reunion Committees. Floretta continued her education while raising her family and working, holding positions including manager of CHC and with Aetna. She was an avid reader of medical, health, and historical literature and an opera aficionado. Floretta was proud of her Sicilian-Italian heritage, passing on traditions and cuisine enjoyed by her family. She was a past member of the Italian American Civic Order of Middletown and a lifelong member of Saint Sebastian Church. Her father Salvatore helped in the construction of Saint Sebastian Church. She was active through the years in the Saint Theresa Guild, chorus, minstrels, St. Sebastian Feasts, and as a Catechism teacher. Floretta was predeceased by her siblings; Louis, Anthony, and Joseph Scionti and Ann Dorflinger, Marion Serra, and Adorina Woodcock. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, July 23, 2021 at 12:00 noon at Saint Sebastian Church, Middletown, followed by Christian Burial at Saint Sebastian Cemetery, Middlefield. Arrangements provided by D’Angelo Funeral Home.