By Beverly Beckham AUGUST 11, 2017

I never called her Carmela. She was always Mrs. Denneno to me. “Hi, Mrs. Denneno?” “How are you, Mrs. Denneno?” “What’s new?” “How are the kids?” These are the questions you ask people you know, but don’t really know. And, really, what do I know about her? She was the longtime matron of Denneno’s Pizza on Pearl Street in Stoughton, a mom-and-pop place that’s been in business since the mid-1940s. I know she made pizza behind its tiny counter for 62 years. I know, also, that there was always a smile in her eyes, that she was always welcoming, and that on the walls of her restaurant, she hung art she’d painted, which made the small space feel like a home. (cont)