Maria Carmel Marciano, 63, died at her home in California on Jan. 19. She was the beloved wife of Don Collins. Maria was born in New Haven on Dec. 11, 1948, daughter of Thomas A. Marciano of Guilford and the late Carmel Possidente Marciano. She grew up in Branford and received her undergraduate and master’s degrees from UCONN.  While living in Chicago for many years, she owned her own corporate recruiting firm. 

Maria was very generous and hospitable, sharing her beloved city of Chicago with family and friends. She loved to travel the world, and she visited England, most of Europe, Hawaii, Egypt, and most recently, China.  She was devoted to her family, full of life, and had a wonderful sense of style, with a flair for coordinating her hats with her outfit.  Her passions included music, gourmet cooking, gardening, and playing with her dog, Tari.  Maria lived life to the fullest. She will be greatly missed by all.

Besides her father and her loving husband, she is survived by her loving sisters, Jane Yates and her husband Jeff, Nancy Taste and her husband Joseph, Judi Marciano and her husband Jim, Carla Marciano and her husband John, Annette Bigos and her husband Ken, and Bethanne Benfield and her husband George.  She was the loving aunt of Kristin McCarthy and her husband Craig, Shannon, Tyler, and Michael Yates, David and Wayne Murray, Marciano Boudreau, Marc Boudreau and his wife Ashley, and Michael Boudreau, Joseph, Juliet, Jacob, and Janeanne Levenstein, Judith Corry and her husband Michael, David Gonsalves, Joshua Bigos and his wife Carmen, Joseph Bigos, Kristopher Bigos, Shawn Bigos and his wife Kizzy, and Brandon Bigos and his wife Melissa, Candice Guilmette, and Thomas, Robert, and Arielle Benfield. In addition, she is survived by her six beloved great-nieces and great-nephews, Angelina Rose, Talula Carmel, Rylie Nicole, Braden, Kasen, and Zachary, as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who loved her dearly. She was predeceased by her much-loved brother, Thomas A. Marciano, Jr. 

Family and friends may call on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 to 11 a.m., at the W.S. Clancy Memorial Funeral Home, 244 North Main St., Branford, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will take place in St. Agnes Cemetery, 295 East Main St., Branford. Donations in her memory may be made to the National Fibromyalgia Association, 2121 South Towne Centre Place, Suite 300, Anaheim, CA 92806, or to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241. See online memorial @ www.wsclancy.com.