Danielle A. Benedetto Fund

On June 2, 2017, at the age of 18, Danielle was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Route 16 in Ossipee, New Hampshire. Danielle was the cherished daughter of Charles A. Benedetto of Wakefield and the late Alison Mavilia, and sister of Charles, Jr. and Ariana, both of Wakefield. Born in Melrose on June 15, 1998, Danielle was a lifelong resident of Wakefield and was a 2016 graduate of Wakefield Memorial High School. She was a student at Emmanuel College in Boston, studying Neuroscience, along with working part time at Panera Bread in Lynnfield.

From a very young age, Danielle had a zest for learning, always with a book in hand and a question to ask. She was very gifted, and through hard work and dedication, she earned High Honors throughout most of her schooling. The family always had a standing joke: “wondering where her brilliance came from, ” unfortunately, none could take claim for it. She deeply loved her family and was especially close to her older sister Ariana and her brother Chuck. As the youngest, Danielle would always be Daddy’s little girl; thoughtful to a fault, calling him dozens of times a day to check on him.

Danielle was an avid skater, and spent much of her free time at Burbank Arena. She also enjoyed participating on the Field Hockey and Lacrosse teams during her school years. Danielle treasured spending time with her large family, her cousins and friends, along with her beloved dog, “Wolfie” and cat, “Leo.”

Danielle was fortunate that she grew up in a neighborhood filled with family, but her beauty, kindness and friendship traveled far beyond the borders of her small neighborhood, affecting and bringing joy to so many. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, always with a smile and a kind word. She had an old soul and was always reaching beyond her young years. Danielle is a light that will forever shine on the lives of those who knew her and loved her.

Many of Danielle’s friends and family, including her siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, father and grandfather, attended Wakefield schools. As Danielle was such an avid learner, and well-loved member of the Wakefield community, her family has established this scholarship for Wakefield students as the one year anniversary of her passing approached. Danielle valued education, family, and community. It is their hope that this scholarship will allow a student with similar values to pursue academic excellence, as Danielle would have surely done.