Connie Jane Tela was born on December 2nd, 1936, in Everett, Massachusetts. She moved with her parents, Josephine and John, and brother, Salvatore, to San Jose, California, when she was 12 to be closer to other family who also made the move from the East Coast. She met the future love of her life, James Rozzi, when she was only 13, as the two families, common in Italian communities, were close friends. When she was 16, she and James, then 19, eloped to Reno to get married. The love story began on the corner of her street, where she waited for him, clothes in a paper bag, 10 dimes in her pocket, headed for “school,” but getting picked up by her love instead. It is joked that her father, a barber by trade, would have been in his barber shop sharpening his straight razor on the leather strap as they ducked and drove by! James’ parents, aware of these plans, supported the youngsters and embraced the union. It took her parents a little longer! They returned home to live with her in-laws so she could learn to cook all his favorite foods while he went to serve our country in Korea. Their love continued to grow as they took on the challenges of a family and his career. They would have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this month on the 19th. Connie loved to sew. She connected with a non-profit organization in 2018, Dress a Girl Around the World, wherein she sewed over 2,700 dresses that were distributed across impoverished countries. There was never a truer angel than Connie, and she will be lovingly missed. She began her Heavenly journey on January 9, 2026. Connie leaves behind her beloved husband, James; her son, Carmin James; daughter, Rosanne; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren, with an eighth on the way; cousins; a niece; nephews; and friends.