Deeply loving wife, mother and friend. Gifted teacher. Champion rower.

Terese Abelli was born and raised in Framingham, MA, one of eight children of Lou and Jeanne Abelli.  True to her adventurous spirit, she moved across country after graduating from Bridgewater State University in MA to pursue graduate studies at Humboldt State University where she met her husband Bruce Amen. They settled in Petaluma, CA and raised two beautiful children, Ella and Kyle.  They returned each summer to enjoy time on the beach with Terese’s ever-growing Abelli clan in Marshfield, MA.

In June of 2019, Terese was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. After three months of intensive chemotherapy, she was declared cancer free in January 2020, but soon began having trouble walking. In the summer of 2020, she was diagnosed with ALS. 

Throughout her illnesses, she had the constant support of her amazing community of friends, teammates and caregivers, her loving brothers and sisters, and always Bruce, Ella and Kyle.  She continually expressed profound gratitude to all of them, who loved her so much. 

She died on May 28, 2021.  She was 58 years old.

Terese’s life was defined by unlimited energy and love – for her family and friends above all, the many students she mentored, east and west coast beaches, downhill skiing, and gardening.  In later years she discovered the great joy of sweep rowing with her astonishing teammates. 

In lieu of flowers, Terese asked that donations be made to ALS research so that a cure to this fearsome disease can be found.