Dr. Alberto F. Tonelli, of Uxbridge, MA, formerly of Greenville, RI, 81, a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and caring physician, passed away on Sunday, May 31st after a year of failing health. Dr. Tonelli is predeceased by his brother Emilio Tonelli of Bologna, Italy and survived by his wife of 54 years, Virginia (Clegg) Tonelli, daughter Elisabetta (Bettina) Tonelli-Sippel and husband Richard, son Stefano Tonelli and wife Elisabeth (Dabney), his sister Annamaria Sermasi and sister-in-law Lidia Tonelli, both of Bologna, Italy; and treasured grandchildren Jeremy Tonelli-Sippel, Isabel Tonelli-Sippel and Lorenzo Tonelli.
Alberto was born in 1933 in Bologna, Italy, son of Elisabetta (Avanzini) Tonelli and Dr. Oreste Tonelli.
Dr. Tonelli graduated from the University of Bologna in 1959 and completed an internship at St. Joseph Hospital in Providence, RI, and a 4 year residency in Internal Medicine at the Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. After running a busy medical practice in Italy, he returned to the US in 1979 to begin a 3 year fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, RI, following which he opened a medical practice in North Providence, RI. He retired from private practice in 1993 but worked until his 80th birthday at Disability Determination Services (DDS) in Providence, RI, as Chief Medical consultant, in Worcester, MA as Quality Assurance medical consultant, as well as at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Auburn, MA as Physician Advisor.
He was a lifelong lover of tennis, playing well into his late seventies. In the words of his tennis partners who presented him “The simply amazing award: This award should be renamed the Alberto Award because he amazes everyone who plays with him. The ageless wonder just flat out beats his opponents, whether it is with his shots, or with his wisdom.”
Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the Anderson Winfield Funeral Home, Route 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville, RI, Friday June 5th, 4-6 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association or Caring Voice.