OBITS: Staten Island Advance 19 Oct 2005; Staten Island, Richmond co., New York text-formatted by W. David Samuelsen for The USGenWeb Archives Project *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm *********************************************************************** Source: Staten Island Advance Death Notices http://www.statenislandadvance.com/ Carbone, Gerald Gerald Carbone of Pleasant Plains on October 16, 2005. Beloved son of Dolores Willemsen and the late Ralph Carbone. Loving father of Emily Dunn. Dear brother of Adam and Louis Belajack, Annie Larsen, Deborah Wagner and the late Troy and Wayne Moore. Also survived by many nieces and nephews, four great-nieces and three great-nephews. A funeral serice will be held at Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, 7447 Amboy Road, Thursday 10 A.M. Cremation Rosehill Crematory. Friends may visit Wednesday 2- 4 and 7-9 P.M. Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home Family Owned & Operated since 1841 www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/19/2005. DePrima, Filomena (Mignone) Filomena DePrima (nee Mignone) of New Brighton on October 15, 2005. Wife of the late Alphonso. Loving mother of Mary and Dolores. Dear sister of Angelo and Anne Mignone. Funeral from Casey Funeral Home, 350 Slosson Ave, Castleton Corners on Wednesday 8 P.M. Interment Cairo Cemetery, Cairo, N.Y. Friends will be received Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/19/2005. Farren, Eleanor F. "Faith" "Pitov" Eleanor F. "Faith" (Pitov) Farren, of Peabody, formerly of Westford, Ma. and St. Petersburg, Fla. age 83. Wife of Leo R. Farren. Mother of Eleanor Walker Jenkins and her husband Mark of Peabody. Grandmother of Courtney Corine and Caitlin Faith, both of Peabody. Sister of David Pitov of Brooklyn, NY. Memorial Services will be held in the Chapel at Brooksby Village, Peabody, Ma., on Saturday at 1 P.M. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 1332 No. Halsted Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60622 or Hospice of the North Shore, 10 Elm St, Danvers, Ma. 01923. Arrangements by Solimine, Landergan and Richardson Funeral Home, 426 Broadway, Lynn, Ma. Guest book at www.solimine.com www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance on 10/19/2005. Geelan, Linda Kay Linda Kay Geelan (Pettersen) of Beach Lake, Pa., formerly of Great Kills, on October 18, 2005. Beloved wife of Gil Geelan. Loving mother of Danielle A. Magnus and Nichole E. Frustaci. Dear sister of Carolyn Tillstrand, Richard and Harold Pettersen. Devoted daughter-in-law of Rose Geelan. Fond mother-in-law of Kenneth Magnus and Nicholas Frustaci. Also survived by three grandchildren and many loving nieces and nephews. Funeral from Harmon Home for Funerals, 571 Forest Ave., West Brighton Saturday 8:45 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial St. Teresa's Church 9:30 A.M. Committal private. Friends will be received Thursday 7-9 P.M., Friday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. K. Terrance McGinley, Director, Harmon Home for Funerals Locally Family Owned and Operated Staten Island's only member of the International Order of the www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/19/2005 - 10/21/2005. Gregorio, Celia (Menichella) Celia Gregorio (nee Menichella) of Richmondtown on October 17, 2005. Beloved wife of Anthony. Devoted mother of the late infant Linda. Cherished sister of Michael. Reposing at Colonial Funeral Home, 2819 Hylan Blvd., corner of Tysens Lane. Friends may call Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial Friday 10 A.M. St. Patrick's Church. Entombment Moravian Cemetery. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/20/2005. Harris, Theresa Theresa Harris will be waked at Mount Sinai Baptist Church 15 Pike St, on Wednesday October 19, 2005 from 2-4 and 6-9 P.M. Service will be Thursday, October 20, 2005, at St. Peter's Catholic Church. All arrangements are being held by Stradford Funeral Home. www.silive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance on 10/19/2005. Immordino, Dr. Charles H. Dr. Charles H. Immordino on October 17, 2005. Beloved husband of the late Nina Mazzola. Loving brother of Anthony. Cherished uncle of several nieces and nephews. Funeral from Colonial Funeral Home, 2819 Hylan Blvd., corner of Tysens Lane. Mass Friday 10:15 A.M. St. Charles R.C. Church. Entombment St. John's Cemetery. Visiting hours Wednesday and Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/19/2005. Izzo, Anthony D. Anthony D. Izzo of Westerleigh on October 16, 2005. Beloved husband of Therese. Loving father of Peter Izzo and Felicia Izzo-Rivera. Dear brother of Mary Gianerasso and Deacon Louis Izzo. Devoted grandfather of Matthew, Leanna and Nicholas. Funeral from MATTHEW FUNERAL HOME INC., 2508 VICTORY BLVD. AT WILLOWBROOK RD., on Thursday 9:15 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial Holy Family R.C. Church. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Friends may call Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. In lieu of flowers donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering would be appreciated www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/19/2005. Jackson, Judith Judith Jackson of West Brighton on October 15, 2005. Wife of the late Wilson Jackson. Mother of William, Adrienne, Mary, James, Leslit, Wilson Jr. and Kimberly Jackson. Sister of Diane Schaming. Also survived by eighteen grandchildren and five great-grand children. Funeral Service at Scamardella Funeral Home, 322 Broadway, West Brighton, Friday 9:39 A.M. Interment Silver Mount Cemetery. Visiting Thursday 6-9 P.M. only. Joann Scamardella Licensed Funeral Home www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/19/2005 - 10/20/2005. LaFiura, Mary M. Mary M. LaFiura of Meiers Corners on October 18, 2005. Beloved wife of the late Philip. Loving mother of Philip and Michael LaFiura, Roseann Heycock, Mary Ann Mallon and Joseph LaFiura. Dear sister of Tony Radicella and Rita Neill. Also survived by twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Funeral from MATTHEW FUNERAL HOME INC., 2508 VICTORY BLVD. AT WILLOWBROOK RD., on Friday 9:30 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial St. Rita's Church 10 A.M. Entombment Woodbridge Memorial Gardens, Woodbridge, NJ. Friends may call Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/19/2005 - 10/20/2005. Leddy, Francis Herbert Francis Herbert Leddy on October 9, 2005. Beloved son of the late Joseph R. and Margaret G. Leddy. Dear brother of Joseph W. and Grace Joan Leddy. Funeral from Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home, 1289 Forest Ave, P.R., on Friday 12 noon. Interment to follow at Ocean View Cemetery. Friends will be received Friday morning 10am - 12 noon. Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home Family Owned www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/19/2005 - 10/20/2005. Pedernales, Benita Benita Pedernales of Mariners Harbor on October 18, 2005. Beloved wife of Joseph Pedernales Sr. Loving mother of Joseph Pedernales Jr., Emili DiMauro, Benita Dini and Elvira Simon. Dear sister of Emilia Rivera, Maria Alahandro and Michael Cortazar. Also survived by ten grandchildren. Funeral from Harmon Home for Funerals, 571 Forest Ave, West Brighton Saturday 9:15 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial St. Clement's Church 10 A.M. Interment Moravian Cemetery. Friends will be received Friday 2-4, 7-9 P.M. K. Terrance McGinley, Director, Harmon Home for Funerals Locally Family Owned and Operated Staten Island's only member of the International Order of the www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/19/2005 - 10/21/2005. Poidomani, Joseph Joseph Poidomani on October 16, 2005. Beloved husband of Josephine (nee Scaduto). Loving father of Carl, Carol and Anthony. Dear grandfather of five grandchldren and three great- grandchildren. Also survived by a brother Vincent. Visiting Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. A. Azzara Funeral Home Inc., 183 Sand Lane, South Beach, S.I. Private cremation to follow. A. Azzara Funeral Home., Inc. Family Owned & Operated since 1900 www.SILive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/19/2005. Rothman, Miriam E. Miriam E. Rothman, age 72, died Sunday, October 16th at University Medical Center at Princeton. Born in England, she came to the United States in 1949 and lived in Staten Island before moving to Princeton twenty years ago. Mrs. Rothman was educated at Oxford University and at fashion and art schools in London and New York. She was an entrepreneur, owning many small ventures including a restaurant, a jewelry business, a professional personal assistant company in Princeton name "Beck and Call," and was an active investor in the stock market. Mrs. Rothman was an avid volunteer in Staten Island at the Children's Theater, the Jewish Community Center, and the Mental Health Society, where she was the Chairperson of Entertainment at the annual Family Holiday Fair. A devoted mother and grandmother, she was unselfish and generous, and always thought of others before herself. Despite a long struggle with MS she always remained optimistic which was an inspiration to those around her. Daughter of the late Irene and Sydney Kennedy, she is survived by two daughters, Amy Covello of Princeton, and Nina Fairchild of Medford, NJ, a sister, Frances Anderegg of Buzzards Bay, MA, one granddaughter, Sydney Fairchild and two grandsons, Logan Fairchild and Zachary Ryan. A period of visitation will be observed from 4 to 6:30pm, Friday, October 21, 2005, followed with a Service of Remembrance at 6:30pm, at Kimble Funeral Home, 1 Hamilton Ave, Princeton, NJ 08542. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Multiple Sclerosis Society, 246 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ 07755. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance on 10/19/2005. Thompson Jr., John E. John E. Thompson, Jr of Bulls Head on October 16, 2005. Fond brother of Lawrence and Charles Thompson and the late Dorothy Schwall and Russell and Elwood Thompson. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Funeral from the Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home, 1289 Forest Ave, P.R., on Thursday 9 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial Our Lady of Pity R.C. Church 9:30 A.M. Interment Moravian Cemetery. Friends will be received Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home Family Owned www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/19/2005. Valitutto, Joseph "Chippy" Joseph (Chippy) Valitutto of New Brighton on October 15, 2005. Loving husband of the late Sophia (nee Burhart). Beloved father of Joseph, Charles, Marie and George and the late Peter and George Valitutto. Dear brother of Mary Grillo and Dominick and the late Carmine Valitutto. Devoted grandfather of Michael, Danielle, Paul, Peter and Philip Valitutto, Christine Tacorante and Frank Mancuso and great-grandfather of four. Funeral Services at the Richmond Funeral Home, 2052 Richmond Road at Midland Ave., on Thursday 11 A.M. Interment St. Mary's Cemetery. Friends will be received Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9:30 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations to the family would be appreciated. Richmond Funeral Home Family Owned and Operated www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance on 10/19/2005. Zeena, William William Zeena of Latourette on October 18, 2005. Beloved husband of Carolyn. Cherished father of Jane and Matthew Casella, William Zeena Jr., Ann Marie and Louis Biondo and Carolyn Crapanzano. Cherished grandfather of Robert, Michael and Nikki Ann. Reposing at Colonial Funeral Home, 2819 Hylan Blvd., corner of Tysens Lane. Friends may call Thursday and Friday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial Saturday 9:15 A.M. St. Charles Church. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/19/2005 - 10/21/2005. Zinicola Jr., George J. George J. Zinicola Jr. of Port Richmond on October 16, 2005. Beloved husband of Doris (nee Davis). Loving father of Beverly and Diane Zinicola and Joan Collia. Dear brother of Rachel Riccardelli and the late Mariano and Anthony Zinicola and Rose Scro. Cherished grandfather of Franco, Daniella and Victoria Collia. Funeral from MATTHEW FUNERAL HOME INC., 2508 VICTORY BLVD. AT WILLOWBROOK RD., Friday 9 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial St. Roch's Church 9:30 A.M. Interment Moravian Cemetery. Friends may call Wednesday and Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 10/18/2005 - 10/20/2005. PHILIP BURMEISTER, 87 World War II veteran was A&P worker for 43 years Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Lifelong Staten Islander Philip (Woody) Burmeister, 87, of Dongan Hills, a retired A&P employee, died Monday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. Born in Stapleton, Mr. Burmeister settled in Dongan Hills 46 years ago. He graduated from Curtis High School. During World War II, Mr. Burmeister served as a sergeant in the Army. He participated in the campaigns of Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno and Tunisia. He was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in North Africa. He was a member of the Sgt. Michael Labetti Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Rosebank, and the Cardinal Club, a Rosebank social group. For 43 years, he loaded trucks at the A&P warehouse in Edison, N.J. Mr. Burmeister retired in 1980. He was an avid New York Yankees fan. Mr. Burmeister was a parishioner of St. Ann's R.C. Church, Dongan Hills. Surviving are his wife of 60 years, the former Rose Santanello; his son, William; his daughter, Phyllis Ward; two brothers, Albert and Edward; a sister, Gloria Brown, and five grandchildren. The funeral will be Saturday from the Virginia Funeral Chapel, Dongan Hills, with a mass at 10 a.m. in St. Ann's Church. Burial will follow in Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp. MIRIAM ROTHMAN, 72 Owned Mass. restaurant and ran jewelry business Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Former New Springville resident Miriam E. Rothman, 72, of Princeton, N.J., a former business owner and a volunteer at several Staten Island organizations, died Sunday in University Medical Center, Princeton. The cause of death was pneumonia, one of the complications of a struggle with multiple sclerosis that spanned more than 20 years. Born Miriam E. Kennedy in London, England, she was educated there before moving to Manhattan at age 16 in 1949. As she did in London, Mrs. Rothman attended fashion and art schools once in the city. In 1954, she married Dr. Arthur R. Rothman. The couple lived in San Rafael, Calif.; Silver Spring, Md., and Brooklyn before settling in New Springville in 1962. The couple reared two daughters before divorcing in 1969. Mrs. Rothman relocated to Princeton 20 years ago. An entrepreneur, she owned "Betty Ann's," a restaurant on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts, located near her sister's house; she ran a jewelry business out of her New Springville home, buying high-end costume jewelry from manufacturers, then displaying and selling it; and, upon moving to New Jersey, she operated a professional personal assistant company called "Beck and Call." She retired in 1993 when multiple sclerosis, originally diagnosed 12 years earlier, prevented her from continuing. While on Staten Island, Mrs. Rothman was a volunteer for the Staten Island Children's Theater, the Jewish Community Center and the Staten Island Mental Health Society. For the latter, she was chairwoman of entertainment for the group's annual "Family Holiday Affair" for about five years. An avid investor in the stock market, Mrs. Rothman also enjoyed painting in oils and cooking. "She was noted for making her famous English trifle. ... It was a dish of cake, fruit, custard and whipped cream, and it was delicious," said her daughter, Nina Fairchild. "She was also handy as a seamstress early in her life, having made her own wedding dress." In addition to her daughter, Nina, Mrs. Rothman is survived by her daughter, Amy Covello; a sister, Frances Anderegg; her former husband, Arthur, and three grandchildren. The funeral service will be Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the Kimble Funeral Home, Princeton. The arrangements include cremation. MARY LaFIURA, 77 Passionate New York Yankee fan liked to cook, sew Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Lifelong Meiers Corners resident Mary M. LaFiura, 77, a retired manufacturing company manager, died yesterday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. After graduating from Port Richmond High School, the former Mary M. Radicella became a floor manager at a junior sportswear manufacturer in Port Richmond. She retired in 1985. Mrs. LaFiura enjoyed cooking, sewing, and frequenting Atlantic City with her friends from the Sgt. Michael Labetti Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Rosebank, where her husband was a member. She also was a passionate New York Yankees fan, watching every game and knowing each player's name. According to her family, her greatest joy came from taking care of her children and grandchildren. Mrs. LaFiura was a parishioner of St. Rita's R.C. Church, Meiers Corners, where she was treasurer of the Golden Age Club and took part in various social events with other members. Her husband of 55 years, Philip, died in 2003. She is survived by her three sons, Philip, Michael and Joseph; her two daughters, RoseAnn Heycock and Mary Ann Mallon; a brother, Tony Radicella; a sister, Rita Neill; 12 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. The funeral will be Friday from the Matthew Funeral Home, Willowbrook, with a mass at 10 a.m. in St. Rita's Church. Entombment will follow in Woodbridge (N.J.) Memorial Gardens. JUDITH JACKSON, 64 Sea View Hospital nurse happiest around family Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Lifelong Staten Islander Judith Ann Jackson, 64, of West Brighton, a retired nurse, died Saturday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, after a long battle with cancer. Born Judith Ann Schaming, she was reared in the historic Rossville community of Sandy Ground -- the site of the nation's oldest free black settlement. She graduated from McKee High School, and soon married Wilson Jackson. The couple settled in Virginia, so Mrs. Jackson could attend Virginia State University, where she earned her nursing degree. About a decade later, they returned to Staten Island, settling in what would become their permanent neighborhood of West Brighton. Mrs. Jackson became a registered nurse at what is now Sea View Hospital Rehabilitation Center and Home. She retired in the mid-1990s, capping a career that spanned more than two decades. In 1996, Wilson Jackson died after 37 years of marriage. Having grown up in a family that was as close as it was big, Mrs. Jackson was happiest when she was surrounded by her children and grandchildren, whom she called by pet names. She helped her children rear their own children, teaching them right from wrong, playing with them and knitting them blankets, hats, mittens and more. A poem written by her daughter, Mary (Penny) Jackson, sums up Mrs. Jackson's priorities: "Mother of many, nanna to plenty, great-grandma, you'd better get busy." Another daughter, Leslie (Poopy) Jackson, agreed. Describing her mother as an "extremely outgoing" woman who loved everybody, she added, "Everybody that met her fell in love with her. Every neighborhood she lived in, every kid in the neighborhood, she was their grandmother. Every adult, she was their mother." Mrs. Jackson loved to play cards and solve puzzles. In addition to her daughters, Leslie and Mary, surviving are her daughters, Adrienne Jackson and Kimberly (Asmarelda) Jackson; her three sons, William (Billy), James (J.C.) and Wilson (Popeye); four brothers, Edwin (Eddie) and Robert (Bobbie) Schaming, and James and Arthur Dale; four sisters, Ophelia Jones, Diane Sarkas, Jackie Dale and Mary Fitzgerald; 18 grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. The funeral service will be Friday at 10 a.m. in the Scamardella Funeral Home, West Brighton. Burial will follow in Silver Mount Cemetery, Silver Lake. GIUSEPPE BASSO, 35 Operated N.J. construction business for two years Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Former Staten Islander Giuseppe (Joe) Basso, 35, of Mahopac, N.Y., a landscaping company owner, died Sunday of injuries suffered in a one-car accident on Watermelon Hill Road in Mahopac. According to a report published in The Journal News, Mr. Basso was traveling alone and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said they are still investigating the cause of the accident. Born in Sant' Angelo dei Lombardi, Italy, Mr. Basso moved to Brooklyn in 1987 and to Dongan Hills in 1999. He relocated to Mahopac in 2003. He was the owner of Joe Basso Landscaping for 15 years, first in Brooklyn and then on Staten Island, and had owned Basso Construction in Mahopac for two years. According to his family, Mr. Basso enjoyed hunting and fishing, and was a member of the Brooklyn Landscape Gardeners Association. While living on Staten Island, he was a parishioner of St. Christopher's R.C. Church, Grant City. Surviving are his wife of 11 years, the former Rosa Chieffo; his two sons, Nicholas and Gerardo; his daughter, Christina Basso; his parents, Nicola and Francesca Basso; two sisters, Anna and Angela Basso, and a brother, Gerardo. The funeral will be Friday from the Joseph J. Smith Funeral Home, with a mass at 11 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Church, both Mahopac. Entombment will follow in Ferncliff Mausoleum, Hartsdale, N.Y. GERALD CARBONE, 41 Construction worker enjoyed time with his family Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Gerald Carbone, 41, of Pleasant Plains, a lifelong Staten Islander and construction tradesman, died suddenly Sunday in his work truck parked on Arthur Kill Road in Tottenville. An autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death. Born in Stapleton, Mr. Carbone was brought to Pleasant Plains as a 6-year-old boy. He attended Tottenville High School. Mr. Carbone worked in the construction trade from age 17 and was self-employed, specializing in roofing, siding and concrete. He was a parishioner of St. Joseph and St. Thomas R.C. Parish, Pleasant Plains. Mr. Carbone enjoyed spending time with his family. "He would do anything for anyone," said his sister, Annie Larsen. "He had a heart of gold." In addition to his sister, surviving are his daughter, Emily Dunn; his mother, Dolores Willemsen; two brothers, Adam and Louis Belajack, and another sister, Deborah Wagner. The funeral service will be tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home, Tottenville. The Rev. Ann Morgan, pastor of Bethel United Methodist Church in Tottenville, will officiate. Cremation is being handled by Rosehill Crematory, Linden, N.J. ELEANOR FARREN, 83 Founded group that donated food to the homeless Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Eleanor (Faith) Farren, a Livingston native who lived across the globe before settling down in Massachusetts to rear her daughter, died Friday at her home in Peabody, Mass. She was 83. Born Eleanor Pitou in 1922 to parents of French and Scottish descent, she was a woman ahead of her time, opting to move to Norway by herself to work for a travel agency for a year when she was in her late 20s. In 1955, she left for Bermuda, alone again, to work on a U.S. Air Force base, said her daughter, Eleanor Walker-Jenkins. "I think she was kind of lonely until she met my father" in Bermuda, her daughter said. "She watched all of her friends get married and have children and she just wasn't ready to settle." Instead, her mother, whom she described as a "forthright, extremely stubborn [woman] with an extremely strong conscience," chose to explore new countries and cultures in her single life. She moved to Bermuda from Norway "on a whim," her daughter said. It was there that she met her husband, Leo -- the man she married 50 years ago this Friday. The couple lived around the world until relocating to Westford, Mass., in 1966 to rear their only child. "She took her maiden name as her middle name, which I think was radical for 1955. Women didn't do that," Mrs. Walker-Jenkins said. She attributed her mother's strong will to a maternal line of gutsy women. "My grandmother and my great-grandmother were both unique. ... They were both very strong women, and my mother got her strength from them," Mrs. Walker-Jenkins said. She relayed a quirky tale of her great-grandmother insisting on wearing basketball shoes with her dresses when her feet grew tired. Of her mother, a graduate of Curtis High School who worked at clerical jobs for temp agencies, she added: "She was sometimes difficult to deal with, but she was an amazing person." An Episcopalian woman whom her daughter described as "very faithful and very spiritual," Mrs. Farren attended St. Peter's Episcopal Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she and her husband moved upon his retirement in 1965. They lived there until 2003, when they moved to Peabody, to live near their daughter and two granddaughters, Courtney and Caitlin. Through the church, Mrs. Farren helped found an organization that donated food to the homeless in the mid-1990s, her daughter said. Mrs. Farren's zestful life had its low points, as she watched her husband and daughter battle alcoholism, Mrs. Walker-Jenkins said. She became a member of Al-Anon, an organization for the relatives of substance abusers, and attended meetings religiously, her daughter added. And although theirs was an "extremely volatile" relationship, Mrs. Walker-Jenkins said she grew to admire her mother in recent years, when Mrs. Farren beat lymphoma. "They only gave her a 25 percent chance of recovery and she wasn't buying that," her daughter said. Mrs. Farren descended from a well-known Staten Island family. Her great-grandfather, Erastus Wiman, was a prominent real estate developer on the Island during the 1800s and is credited with creating the transportation hub in St. George and helping to bring electricity to the Island. A ferry was named in his honor. In addition to her daughter, Eleanor; her husband, Leo, and her two granddaughters, Mrs. Farren is survived by a brother, David Pitou. The funeral will be Saturday from the Solimine, Landergan & Richardson Funeral Home, with a service at 1 p.m. in the Brooksby Village Chapel, both Peabody. A private family burial will be held Monday in Cedar Grove Cemetery, also Peabody. DR. CHARLES IMMORDINO, 94 Gynecologist for 40 years had a passion for pool Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Dr. Charles H. Immordino, 94, of Bay Terrace, a retired gynecologist, died Monday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. Born one of nine children in the South Bronx, where he spent most of his youth, he moved to Staten Island in the late 1920s. He settled in Bay Terrace after his wife of 40 years, the former Nina Mazzola, died in 1978. Dr. Immordino attended Evander Childs High School in the Bronx and received his degree in medicine from New York University-Bellevue Medical School, Manhattan, when he was 27. He had a 40-year career with the city Board of Health and was associated with St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan. A gynecologist, he retired in 1975. According to his brother, Anthony, Dr. Immordino especially loved to play pool. He frequented the pool tables at St. Vincent's Hospital and so stayed connected with friends old and new. The funeral will be Friday from the Colonial Funeral Home, New Dorp, with a mass at 10:15 a.m. in St. Charles R.C. Church, Oakwood. Entombment will be in St. John's Cemetery, Port Richmond. DONALD ELWELL, 73 Silver Lake native was college and hotel custodian Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Donald Elwell, 73, a native Staten Islander, hotel custodian and retired stockbroker, died Saturday at his home in Ithaca, N.Y. Born in Silver Lake, he lived there for more than 40 years before relocating to Ithaca. Mr. Elwell graduated from Curtis High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Gettysburg (Pa.) College. The Korean War-era veteran served in Alaska with the U.S. Army and attained the rank of lieutenant. In the 1960s, Mr. Elwell began a career as a stockbroker. A member of the American Stock Exchange, he worked for the former Elwell & Co., and the former A.G. Becker & Co., both Manhattan, for about 12 years. After moving upstate, Mr. Elwell began working as a custodian at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Dryden, N.Y. He also worked at Concept Management in Ithaca for more than 10 years. At the time of his death, he had been a custodian at the Clarion University Hotel in Ithaca for eight years. Mr. Elwell was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ithaca, and had attended the congregation in Clifton while he lived on Staten Island. He devoted his life to his faith, his family said. He was a funny, easygoing, delightful person -- and a phenomenal husband, father and grandfather. Mr. Elwell is survived by his wife of 34 years, the former Linda Riker; his three sons, Keith, Kent and Heath; his four daughters, Kimberly Colbeck, Heather Fultz, Holly Schindler and Hillary Elwell; a sister, Diane Valori, and 12 grandchildren. The funeral service will be Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ithaca. A private entombment will precede the service in Resurrection Park, Lansing, N.Y. Arrangements are being handled by the Bangs Funeral Home, Ithaca.