Veronica (Von) M. Morelli October 13th, 1915 - March 18th, 2013

Veronica (Von) M. Morelli, a longtime resident of Pasadena, passed away peacefully in the early morning on March 18th at Abraham Rest Home in Walnut Creek, California, seven months before her 98th birthday.

Von was born in Townsville, Queensland, Australia on October 13th, 1915, to Peter Joseph Sexton and Mary Ellen Concannon. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and Diploma in Education from the University of Queensland where she met her husband, Dino Antonio Morelli (d. 1972). Von and Dino were married in 1942. In 1948 Von moved to Pasadena to join Dino who had preceded her to pursue graduate studies in Engineering at the California Institute of
Technology. In addition to raising two children, Von was a dedicated and respected teacher of Algebra and Trigonometry for many years at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena. She was also an active member of the Pasadena community, donating time to the Linda Vista/Annandale Neighborhood Association, Friends of the Pasadena Public Library, and local and national political campaigns. She was a generous supporter of numerous charities. Von was a founding parishioner of St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church in La Canada, and she served the parish faithfully for almost sixty years until her health began to decline. Von had a real spirit of adventure and loved to travel. She spent many summers exploring Ireland, England, Western and Eastern European countries, Russia, the Far East, and her beloved Australia. She had a special fondness for Perugia, Italy, where she acquired fluency in Italian and expanded her knowledge and appreciation for the Fine Arts. Von was herself an accomplished pianist and violinist in her youth. Her family and friends will remember her for her outgoing nature, her energy, her style, her beauty, and her faith.

She is survived by her two children, Mark D. Morelli of Los Angeles and Tessa E. Lepper of
Walnut Creek, four grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren.

Private funeral services will be held in Walnut Creek. Von’s family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her memory to St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church, 215 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge, 91011, or to Westridge School for Girls, 324 Madeline Dr., Pasadena, 91105.