Florence B. Calabrese of Knightdale, NC, passed away at home peacefully and with family on Friday, November 10, 2023, at the age of 84. She was born into a large family in Gap, Pennsylvania on February 18, 1939, to the late Margaret Louise Bechtold and Andrew Rohrer Killian.

Florence’s childhood years were spent growing up on a small family farm in upstate New York. She and her siblings attended school in a one-room schoolhouse, much to her own children’s fascination and entertainment. Florence was a 1957 graduate of Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Central School in Parish, NY. After graduation she moved to Syracuse, NY and worked as a secretary for General Electric, followed by a move to Rome, NY where she worked as a secretary for The U.S. Department of the Air Force. It was there that she met and married Donald Calabrese in August 1960. As was common for the time, she left her career and raised four children. She returned to work in 1982 as a secretary/media specialist for the Rome City School District, in Rome, NY. She remained there until her retirement. Upon retirement, she moved to Raleigh, NC to be near her three daughters and her grandchildren, and enjoyed an active and independent life at Windsor Springs Retirement community for 11 years. After surviving a stroke in 2020, and about a year of recovery time living with her daughter Kelly, she returned to independent living near her daughter Cindy and lived at College Walk Retirement community in Brevard, NC.

Florence’s many interests included gardening, making and sharing preserves, and volunteering. She was a dedicated and longstanding volunteer at Rome Community Theatre in Rome, NY and later with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh, NC. She loved animals and had a variety of cherished pets including her childhood dog Sparky, and later her cats Ralphie, Chicken, and Nate, among others. Florence’s warmth and generosity earned her many close friends in life and work, and those qualities live on through her family and loved ones.

Florence is preceded in death by her son, Baby Boy Calabrese, who passed shortly after birth in 1964; brothers, Andrew, George, and Guy Killian; sisters, Margaret Clark and Clara Galbraith; and her husband, Donald Calabrese. She is survived by her son, Russell Calabrese of Brooklyn, NY; daughters, Cindy Decker (Terry Decker) of Brevard, NC, Kelly Calabrese of Wendell, NC, and Whitney Zick (Brett Zick) of Knightdale, NC; grandchildren, Brielle Decker (Rusty Stacy) of South Roxana, IL, Eva Decker (Sean Hines) of Fort Collins, CO, Elizabeth Richardson (Bradlee Riddle) of Asheville, NC, and Ben Calabrese of Wendell, NC; great-grandchildren, Sophia Amedd and Kannan Riddle of Asheville, NC. She has many nieces and nephews in Florida, New York and Missouri with whom she was a favorite and well-loved aunt.

A private family service will be held at a future date. The family would like to thank the staff at PruittHealth Hospice and Renaissance Funeral Home for their care and support of Florence and her family in her final weeks.

In the spirit of honoring Florence’s love for volunteering, memorial contributions may be made in her memory by volunteering or donating to Rome Community Theatre in Rome, NY, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh, NC, or a non-profit of one’s choice.