Mary Melchiorre Bacchi, funeral home founder

Mary Melchiorre Bacchi of Bridgeport, who with her husband, Russell, founded the Bacchi Funeral Home in that Montgomery County town in October 1952, died of colorectal cancer on Monday, June 11, at Paoli Hospital.

Born in Monocacy, near Pottstown, Mrs. Bacchi attended Pottstown High School.

Son Darryl said Mrs. Bacchi "assisted my father in the daily activities of the funeral home, helping with the books, helping with the cosmetics." After her husband died in 2002, "up until the last month, she worked with me."

Mrs. Bacchi was born of immigrant parents. Her son said she "could speak and read and write Italian" well enough that "she used to interpret for the Philadelphia court system" in the 1980s and 1990s.

Her parents had emigrated from Fresagrandinaria in the Chieti province of Abruzzi, and "at least once a year," in the 1980s and 1990s, her son said, Mrs. Bacchi would return, sometimes with her grandchildren.

"She had relatives there," he said, "and they would go on pilgrimages and religious walks."

Mrs. Bacchi was a member of the board of directors of the Lafayette Ambulance Squad in Upper Merion Township for close to 40 years and a member of the former Upper Merion Business and Professional Women organization.

In the 1980s and 1990s, she was a volunteer with the Upper Merion chapter of Meals on Wheels. She enjoyed crocheting blankets to give to friends and family members and for church events.

Besides her son, Mrs. Bacchi is survived by son Kevin, daughters Cheryl and Lorijon, and three grandchildren.

A visitation was set from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 14 at the Bacchi Funeral Home, 805 DeKalb St., Bridgeport, with a Funeral Mass at noon Friday, June 15, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 502 Ford St., Bridgeport.