Carmella M. (Belli) McMeekin, a resident of Elderwood at Wheatfield, died Friday, April 23, 2021. She was 94.  Born on April 28, 1926, she was the daughter of the late Francesco Belli and Luigina (Ianero) Belli.

She grew up in Niagara Falls and attended local schools.  In September 1944, she married Robert McMeekin. The couple lived in Jamaica, Queens, while Robert was stationed there while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.  After returning to Niagara Falls in 1945, Carm worked as a lab technician at several plants in the city, including Oldbury Chemical Co. and Hooker Chemical Co. She later worked at Viatran Corp. on Grand Island before retiring in 1993.  She was a longtime resident of the LaSalle neighborhood in Niagara Falls. Before moving into Elderwood in 2016, she had been a resident of Wheatfield Towers.

Active in her parish, what was then Prince of Peace Church, she served as the head of its CCD program for several years in the 1970s and early 1980s and volunteered in its Home School Association. In 1975, she received a lay award from the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo.

Carm was an avid reader, who particularly enjoyed English history and biographies of historical figures by authors such as Thomas B. Costain. A lover of languages, she was fluent in Italian and French. She also was a talented artist, working in charcoal and oil paint, and she was an enthusiastic visitor to galleries in Western New York and many of the cities she toured. On Saturdays, she could often be found near a radio listening to opera performances from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, but her musical tastes ran the gamut, from Pavarotti to Benny Goodman to Pink Floyd.

One of Carm's passions was cooking, especially meals prepared for family gatherings, and many of her recipes were passed down to children and grandchildren.  More than anything, Carm was devoted to her family, and anyone who was welcomed into her home felt like they were a part of it.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Elderwood of Wheatfield for taking such good care of Carm these last few years.

She is survived by her daughters, Diana (Robert) Volkman and Susan (Gary) DeBacco, both of Niagara Falls, and son, William (Carolyn) McMeekin of Nashville, Tennessee; her grandchildren, Warren Adams of Niagara Falls, Matthew (Jen) Snyder of Cheektowaga, Lana (Ned) Perlman of Niagara Falls and Lydia McMeekin of Nashville; great-grandchildren Garrett Perlman and Isla Perlman; special niece Lorelei Coutts of Hollywood, Florida, and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.  In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Robert, who died in 1977, and sisters Rena Coutts and Lydia Belli.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 8 at 10 AM at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Prince of Peace Church Site, 1055 N. Military Road, Niagara Falls, NY.  Interment in Niagara Falls Memorial Park Cemetery, Niagara Falls, NY. If desired, donations may be made to the Elderwood at Wheatfield Activities Fund. Arrangements by M.J. COLUCCI & SON NIAGARA FUNERAL CHAPEL.  Visit mjcoluccifuneralchapel.com for online condolences.