Maria Candela

Maria Candela, a beloved mother, wife, and grandmother, passed away peacefully in her sleep, leaving behind a family whose lives she shaped with warmth, laughter, and an abundance of home-cooked love. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, Maria carried the spirit of her neighborhood with her always - generous, spirited, and impossible to forget.

She had a gift for making people feel at home. A well-timed joke or a table set with enough food to feed twice the crowd, Maria had a way of filling every room she entered. Her laugh was unmistakable, her humor quick, and her feisty spirit something her family will carry with them for the rest of their lives.But it was her humor that truly set her apart. Maria’s jokes came from nowhere and landed perfectly, her timing sharper than anyone expected and her laugh arriving right behind them. She was feisty in the best possible way, never short on an opinion and always ready with a story that made the whole room light up.

She is predeceased by her parents, Pasquale and Grace Tropiano, her sister Nina Meklenburg, and her brother Anthony Tropiano. She is survived by her devoted husband, Pietro Candela; her daughter, Giovanna Asmus, and son-in-law Oliver Asmus; her son, Peter Candela, and daughter-in-law Olenka Candela; her cherished grandson, Christian Candela; and her brother, Rosario Tropiano. Each of them carries a piece of her warmth, her laughter, and her irreplaceable spirit.

Services from Kugler Community Home For Funerals. A viewing will be held at the funeral home on Friday, March 6, 2026 from 4 to 8 PM. Funeral services will be starting at the funeral home at 9 AM on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Interment in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington, NJ.