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Kathleen Troncelliti, 92, family matriarch and civic leader

Her husband was a world-famous surgeon.

Kathleen Troncelliti
Kathleen TroncellitiRead more

WHEN KATHLEEN Young came to Philadelphia from a small town in North Carolina to attend nursing school, it had to have been something of a culture shock.

But rather than being cowed or changed by the clash of environments, Kathleen adjusted, got married, had five children and reveled in the artistic opportunities available in an urban setting.

She brought her Southern charm and graciousness with her, and they never deserted her.

Kathleen Troncelliti, as she became after marrying world-renowned surgeon Manrico A. Troncelliti, a tireless volunteer in numerous charitable and civic endeavors, devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died Sept. 12. She was 92 and lived in Bryn Mawr.

Active into her 90s, Kathleen was working in her garden two weeks ago when she had a stroke that resulted in her death.

Kathleen was raised in the small town of Spruce Pine, N.C., which reminded her son, Manrico A. Troncelliti Jr., of Andy Griffith's fictional Mayberry when he visited it years later.

She was the 12th of the 14 children of Edward W. Young and the former May Belle Dellinger. Her father ran a feed- and farm-supply store.

Kathleen came to Philadelphia in 1940 to attend the Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing, from which she graduated in 1943.

It was there that she met her future husband, a surgical resident at PGH. They were married in 1943.

After establishing a surgical practice in Norristown, Dr. Troncelliti gained worldwide fame for an intestinal bypass operation he developed that allowed seriously obese patients to lose 100 or more pounds.

As a trained nurse, Kathleen was available to help out in his office when needed, but raising five children was a full-time job.

Dr. Troncelliti also was director of surgery at Norristown State Hospital, where his wife did volunteer work after her children were grown.

Kathleen and her husband moved to Bryn Mawr from Norristown after her husband retired in 1988. He died in 1993.

Kathleen devoted herself to charitable and civic activities, especially those that benefited children. She always had a fondness for young people and her son recalled how her children's friends were always welcome in her home.

"She loved having young people over," said her son, a Montgomery County lawyer. "She made them feel extremely welcome."

As a member of the Gladwyne Presbyterian Church, of which she was an ordained deacon, Kathleen was active with the Presbyterian Children's Village in Bryn Mawr. She helped arrange parties, particularly at Christmas, for homeless kids, providing them with gift baskets and holiday meals. She also worked with them during the year, visiting weekly and reading to them.

Kathleen also worked with mental patients at Norristown State Hospital and helped raise funds for clothing drives and other activities.

She also was involved with the American Red Cross, the Montgomery County Medical Society Ladies Auxiliary, Sacred Heart and Montgomery hospitals and the Norristown Garden Club.

"She was absolutely the most gracious, warmest person I ever met," said her son. "She was elegant and classy and understated, never flashy. She went out of her way to encourage people. They don't make them like that anymore."

Kathleen enjoyed the cultural activities available in Philadelphia and New York City, often attending shows and concerts and visiting museums.

Besides her son, she is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth C. Troncelliti and E. Kathleen Johnson; another son, Florindo J. Troncelliti; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by another son, J. Edward Troncelliti.

Services: Memorial service 11 a.m. Nov. 1 at Gladwyne Presbyterian Church, 1321 Beaumont Drive, Gladwyne.

Donations in her name may be made to the Bryn Mawr Hospital, Presbyterian Children's Village or the Haverford School.