Urban News photographer, Renato Rotolo, lost his wife Shirley Rotolo during the hurricane as the result of a heart attack.
On Saturday night, September 28, 2024, in the wake of the storm which ravaged our Asheville community, our dear friend, Shirley Rotolo, passed away unexpectedly. Her husband, Renato, and her children, Nausica, Ulisse, and Gea, are all devastated. They are safe and currently staying with family in Raleigh.
In this time of hardship, we are asking for help on behalf of the Rotolo family. All donations will help pay for funeral expenses for Shirley Rotolo. Anyone who knew Shirley knows she was the backbone of the Rotolo family. She worked hard to care and support them.
Due to the devastation of Hurricane Helene, no one in the family is able to work for the foreseeable future. They cannot even begin the sad task of planning a memorial to honor her passing because of the shut downs and chaos in the Asheville area.
We know so many people are in need right now, but we are asking for contributions to Shirley’s family in order to help pay for funeral expenses, repairs to the family home, and to support the family while they grapple with this sudden and shocking loss.
A Note from the Family
We are in denial, our mother is our home and we lost her and at the same time watched our home town be wiped away by the hurricane. The horror of this last weekend will stay with us forever.
Our mother was a magical woman—passionate, strong-willed, and inspiring. She had the best sense of humor, always making us laugh and finding time to be playful and full of joy. The pain and loneliness we feel is indescribable—her shoes feel impossible to fill. She was a superwoman and going on without her will be the hardest thing any of us will ever have to do. She will be forever missed.
We here at The Urban News are hoping that, as a community, we can care for the Rotolo family. Please give whatever you can. Anything will help.
If anyone would like to…
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