Michelle Frances (Pirro Benedetti) Moss

Michele Frances (Pirro Benedetti) Moss

Michele Frances Moss, age 81, died peacefully on June 6, 2025, in Santa Rosa, California. Much loved by her family and all who knew her, she was a kind and gentle person.

Michele was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Evelyn (Birrel) and Carmon Pirro of Solvay, New York. Shortly after Michele’s birth, Carmon was killed in action in WW II. In time, Evelyn married Gene Benedetti who loved and adopted Michele as his own child. With an expanding family of five brothers and sisters, Michele thrived in post-war Petaluma, attending St. Vincent Elementary and High Schools. She was a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, taught high school English & poetry, and worked as a paralegal in Oakland and San Francisco. As Michele’s mental health declined, her brief marriage to Michael Moss, whom she met at U.C. Santa Barbara, came to an end.

For her last sixty years, Michele’s life was anything but easy. She suffered from the cruel torments of schizophrenia, doing so with extraordinary courage and the will to survive every single day. She lived independently, as she wanted, and would give what little she had to friends, neighbors, and complete strangers. Although she was unable to fulfill the many aspirations of her youth, she found love and support in her family, and enjoyment in music, poetry, art, flowers, the ocean, and meaningful conversations. She was a smart, beautiful, peace-loving woman with a witty sense of humor who also happened to suffer from mental illness. Now, finally, she is at peace.

Michele was pre-deceased by her biological father Carmon Pirro, her mother Evelyn Benedetti, and her adoptive father Gene Benedetti. She is survived by her siblings, Bonna Benedetti Flynn, Donna Benedetti, Dante Benedetti, Gene M. B. (Herm) Benedetti, and Gina Benedetti Petnic, 12 nieces & nephews, and 17 grandnieces & grandnephews.

Memorial donations may be made in Michele’s honor to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Sonoma County; COTS Mary Isaak Center, Petaluma; the Redwood Gospel Mission, Santa Rosa; or a charity of your choice.

Friends and family will be remembering and honoring Michele in a private gathering.

National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) of Sonoma County
182 Farmers Ln #202, Santa Rosa CA 95405
Tel: 1-866-960-6264
Web: https://namisonomacounty.org/