OBITS: Staten Island Advance 4 Sep 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/ Athanasopoulos, Mary ATHANASOPOULOS Mary Athanasopoulos of Bay Terrace on September 2, 2005. Beloved wife of Steve. Loving mother of Chris. Dear mother-in-law of Kathleen. Cherished grandmother of Caitlin and Mary. Funeral from the JOHN VINCENT SCALIA HOME FOR FUNERALS, 28 ELTINGVILLE BLVD. (AT ELTINGVILLE STATION) Tuesday 9:15 A.M. Funeral Service Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 10 A.M. Interment Cypress Hills Cemetery. A gathering of family and friends will take place on Sunday from 7-10 P.M. and Monday from 2-5 and 7-10 P.M. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/3/2005 - 9/4/2005. Batignani, Richard BATIGNANI FLAG NYFD Richard Batignani of Eltingville on September 2, 2005. Beloved husband of Gail I. Loving father of Devon and Cristin. Cherished grandfather of Frank, Bridget and Carli. Funeral from MATTHEW FUNERAL HOME INC., 2508 VICTORY BLVD., AT WILLOWBROOK RD., on Tuesday 10:15 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial Our Lady Star of the Sea RC Church 11 A.M. Entombment Moravian Cemetery. Friends may call Sunday 7-9 P.M. and Monday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/3/2005 - 9/6/2005. Iommi-Shanley, Joanne SHANLEY Joanne Iommi-Shanley on September 1, 2005. Beloved wife of Dennis A. Shanley. Dear mother of Kaitlin J. Shanley. Adored daughter of the late Catherine and Albert J. Iommi Sr. Fond sister of the late Albert J. Iommi Jr. Stepsister of Linda Fogliani, Susan McGuiness, John and David Babicky. Loving niece of Julia DiFortuna. Also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Funeral from Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home, 1289 Forest Avenue, P.R., on Tuesday at 10:15 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial Sacred Heart R.C. Church 11 A.M. Interment St. Peter's Cemetery. Freinds will be received Sunday and Monday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home Family Owned www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/3/2005 - 9/4/2005. Lodato, Michael J. LODATO Michael J. Lodato (Retired FDNY) of Sunnyside of September 1, 2005. Loving father of Cara Murray, Lauren Lodato and Michael R. Lodato. Fond brother of Theresa DuChemin, Augustus and Robert Lodato. Cherished grandfather of Rachael, Alexandra, Sean and Cathryn. Funeral from Harmon Home for Funerals, 571 Forest Avenue, West Brighton Tuesday 9 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial Blessed Sacrament Church 9:45 A.M. Interment St. Peter's Cemetery. Friends will be received Sunday and Monday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. K. Terrance McGinley, Director Harmon Home for Funerals - Locally Family Owned & Operated Staten Island's only member of the International Order of the www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/3/2005 - 9/4/2005. Pearson, Walter "Wally" PEARSON Walter (Wally) Pearson of New Dorp on September 1, 2005. Beloved husband of Margaret (nee Curran). Loving father of Linda Sullivan, Stephen Pearson, Bernice Cunningham, Jane Girello and Trisha Giglio. Cherished grandfather of Melissa, Erin, Kerrie, Jonathan, Jason, Alex and Olivia. Fond brother of Mildred Basmajy, Carol Lang and John Pearson. Funeral from the Hanley Funeral Home, 60 New Dorp Lane Tuesday 8:15 A.M. Mass St. Charles Church 9:15 A.M. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Friends will be received Sunday and Monday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Hanley Funeral Home, Inc Family Owned and Operated www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/3/2005 - 9/4/2005. Schenk, Richard V. SCHENK Richard V. Schenk of Elm Park on September 1, 2005. Beloved husband of Elizabeth M. (Betty) (nee Henry). Beloved father of the late Elizabeth Schenk. Dear brother of Muriel Maffeo and the late George Schenk and Joan Werner. Fond brother-in-law of Emily Harkins-Cuevas and Peter Cuevas. Also survived by several nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great nephews. A Funeral Service will be conducted in Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home, 1289 Forest Avenue, P.R., on Tuesday at 11:30 A.M. Interment Ocean View Cemetery. Friends will be received Sunday and Monday 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Meislohn-Silvie Funeral Home Family Owned www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/3/2005 - 9/4/2005. Sofia, Michael SOFIA Michael Sofia on September 1, 2005. Beloved husband of Janet. Cherished father of Mike. Loving son of Sarah and the late Daniel. Brother of Danny and Joey. Also survived and loved by many nices, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Funeral from the Hanley Funeral Home, 60 New Dorp Lane, Thursday 10 A.M. Service 11 A.M. Our Lady Queen of Peace Church. Private cremation to follow. Visiting 2-4, 7-9 P.M. Tuesday and Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, donations to Kids Against Cancer, 2241 Victory Blvd. S.I., N.Y. 10314, would be appreciated. Hanley Funeral Home, Inc Family Owned and Operated www.SiLive.com/obits Published in the Staten Island Advance from 9/2/2005 - 9/4/2005. WALTER PEARSON, 72 Mets fan enjoyed crossword and jigsaw puzzles Sunday, September 04, 2005 Walter (Wally) Pearson, a retired banker and former Navy radioman, died Thursday at home in New Dorp. He was 72. After graduating from Boys High School in his native Brooklyn, Mr. Pearson served 2000 in the Navy from 1952 to 1956 as a radioman. He was stationed in the Mediterranean region, serving on both the USS Remy and USS Purvis, according to his family. Shortly after his return in 1960, he moved to Grant City and settled in New Dorp two years later. Mr. Pearson worked as a banker at Chase Manhattan Bank in Manhattan for 34 years, retiring in 1990. According to his family, he was a New York Mets fan, a History Channel buff, and a crossword and jigsaw puzzle aficionado. "He was an excellent husband, father and grandfather," said his wife of 45 years, the former Margaret Curran. Mr. Pearson was also a member of Kells-Grennie Post, American Legion, in New Dorp. In addition to his wife, surviving are his son, Stephen; four daughters, Linda Sullivan, Bernice Cunningham, Jane Girello and Trisha Giglio; a brother, John Pearson; two sisters, Mildred Basmajy and Carol Lang, and seven grandchildren. The funeral will be Tuesday from the Hanley Funeral Home, New Dorp, with a mass at 9:15 a.m. in St. Charles R.C. Church, Oakwood. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains. ROSEMARIE VISCIANO, 57 Native of Brooklyn was nurse at Carmel Richmond Sunday, September 04, 2005 Rosemarie Balzano Visciano, 57, of Grasmere, a retired nurse, died yesterday in St. Vincent's Hospital, West Brighton. Born Rosemarie Balzano in Brooklyn, she moved to New Jersey in the late 1960s before relocating to Eltingville in 1972. She returned to Brooklyn in the early 1990s before settling in Grasmere five years ago. A nurse, Ms. Visciano worked briefly at Staten Island University Hospital before working at Carmel Richmond Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, Dongan Hills, for 12 years. She retired more than 10 years ago. Ms. Visciano enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was a parishioner of Holy Rosary R.C. Church, South Beach. Surviving are her husband of 18 years, Frank; a son, Vincent Guerrieri; two daughters, Kim-Marie Kehoe and Christina Guerrieri, and seven grandchildren. The funeral will be Tuesday from the Casey-McCallum-Rice South Shore Funeral Home, Great Kills, with a mass at 9:45 a.m. in St. Clare's R.C. Church, also Great Kills. Burial will follow in St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, L.I. MARY ATHANASOPOULOS, 73 Prepared pastries of her family during the holidays Sunday, September 04, 2005 Mary Athanasopoulos, 73, of Bay Terrace, a retired budget analyst for the U.S. Navy, died Friday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. Born in Manhattan, the former Mary Georgas was raised 2002 in Brooklyn. In 1965, she and her family settled in Eltingville. She and her husband moved into their son's Bay Terrace home in 2000. Mrs. Athanasopoulos was active in the Kimisis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church in Brooklyn, serving as president of the Ladies Philoptochos Society from 1963 to 1965. For 25 years, Mrs. Athanasopoulos was a budget analyst for the U.S. Navy, working in the Ship's Stores Office, first in its Brooklyn location and then when it was moved to Fort Wadsworth. She retired in 1990. Upon moving to Staten Island, Mrs. Athanasopoulos became a member of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, Bulls Head. Known for excellent cooking, Mrs. Athanasopoulos would prepare Greek pastries at Christmastime and serve the treats to large tables of her eagerly awaiting relatives, said her family. In her leisure time, she enjoyed playing bingo. Surviving Mrs. Athanasopoulos are her husband of 52 years, Steve; her son, Chris, and two granddaughters. The funeral will be Tuesday from the John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Eltingville, with a mass at 10 a.m. in Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Burial will follow in Cypress Hills Cemetery, Queens. MARIE FUCCELLO, 66 Enjoyed bowling, playing cards and dancing Sunday, September 04, 2005 Marie J. Fuccello, 66, of Toms River, N.J., a retired dietitian, died Friday in her daughter's home in Manahawkin, N.J. Born Marie Cannone in Manhattan, she moved to Huguenot as a young woman. 1999 She relocated to Florida 13 years later before moving to Toms River 12 years ago. Mrs. Fuccello worked as a manager for several years at Toys R Us, New Springville. While living in Toms River, she worked as a dietitian for eight years at the Community Medical Center there and retired three years ago. She enjoyed bowling, playing cards and dancing. Mrs. Fuccello was a parishioner of St. Maximilian Kolbe R.C. Church in Toms River. Surviving are her husband of 34 years, Peter V.; two sons, Frank A. and Robert M. Petillo; a stepson, Peter Fuccello; a daughter, Patricia M. Sutton; two brothers, Ignatius and Anthony Cannone; a sister, Frances Farina, and nine grandchildren. The funeral will be Wednesday from the Timothy E. Ryan Home for Funerals, Toms River, with a mass at 10:30 a.m. in St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. Burial will follow in Ocean County Memorial Park, also in Toms River. MARIE BASIL, 87 Enjoyed cooking for family gatherings Sunday, September 04, 2005 Marie Basil, 87, of Midland Beach, a homemaker whose Easter pies and stuffed peppers were huge hits with her family, died Thursday in St. Vincent's Hospital, West Brighton, after a short battle with lymphoma. Born Marie Florio in Brooklyn, she moved to New 2004 Dorp in 1968, before settling in Midland Beach in 1972. A homemaker, Mrs. Basil enjoyed cooking and baking. In her kitchen, she whipped up stuffed peppers, meat and potato pies, and lemon meringue pies for dessert. "She could cook anything," said her grandson, David Malone. "And everything was top-notch." Mrs. Basil also enjoyed knitting and crocheting. When each of her grandchildren were born, she made blankets for them. "She may have been a grandmother, but as we were growing up, she was like a second mother to us, her grandchildren, Thomas, Fran, Mariaelena, Janine, Mark, Peter and myself," said Mr. Malone. Mrs. Basil was a masterful storyteller and often told tales about her childhood in Brooklyn, he said. "You could sit on the couch, and hours would pass and you wouldn't even realize how the time went," he said. "She later doted on her great-grandchildren the same way she did her children and her grandchildren." He recalled that she told one story of how she, her late sisters, Helen and Dorothy, and their cousins would build igloos out of mounds of snow after winter storms. They would create little fires inside the igloos and cook foods like potatoes, he said. Mrs. Basil was a member of Lighthouse Tabernacle Church in Great Kills. Her husband of 59 years, Nick, died in 1997. In addition to her seven grandchildren, surviving are her daughter, Elaine Basil; her son, Frank; brother, Raymond Florio, and 13 great-grandchildren. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in the Colonial Funeral Home, New Dorp. Burial will follow in Ocean View Cemetery, Oakwood. JOSEPHINE MONTAGNINO, 88 Enjoyed cooking, baking and reading Sunday, September 04, 2005 Josephine Montagnino, 88, of New Springville, a homemaker, died Aug. 19 in Eger Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, Egbertville. She was born Josephine Sabella in Manhattan, and her family took her to Brooklyn when she was a child. She settled in New Springville more than 40 years ago. According to her family, when Mrs. Montagnino was 16, her husband-to-be, Leonard, met her at a party and told her, "I'm going to marry you." The couple wed in 1934. "My father has always been madly in love with her," said Mrs. Montagnino's daughter, Lenore Fazio. Mrs. Montagnino devoted her time to caring for her home and family, and enjoyed cooking, baking and reading novels. "She was a very bright woman who passed on a lot of wisdom," said Mrs. Fazio. "She had friends of all ages ... and she did a good job of raising her children." Mrs. Montagnino was a parishioner of Our Lady of Pity R.C. Church, Bulls Head. In addition to her husband, Leonard, and her daughter, Lenore, she is survived by her son, Anthony; two other daughters, Gina Brancato and Elizabeth Gulluscio, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The funeral was Aug. 22 from the Matthew Funeral Home, Willowbrook, with a mass in Our Lady of Pity Church, with burial in Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp. FLEUSISENA DORZELA, 77 Enjoyed cooking Haitian dishes Sunday, September 04, 2005 Fleusisena Gertrude Dorzela, 77, of Rosebank, a retired laundry-service worker, died Thursday in Clove Lakes Health Care and Rehabilitation Center, Castleton Corners, where she had been a patient for four months. Mrs. Dorzela was born Fleusisena Gertrude Odnez in a small, Haitian town on the 1971 outskirts of Port-au-Prince. She began working at a young age, opening a street stand where she sold clothes and native crafts. In 1968, she married Wanique Dorzela, who shared her dream to emigrate to America. A year later, Mrs. Dorzela arrived first, landing in the bosom of Brooklyn's vibrant Haitian community, where she would stay for nearly the rest of her life. Within a year she got a job at Brooklyn-based Arrow Linen Supply and sent for her husband, who joined her in Brooklyn. Mr. Dorzela died in 1995. In 1998, Mrs. Dorzela retired. In her nearly 30-year laundry-service career, "She never missed a day of work," said her daughter, Paulette Marseille. When Mrs. Dorzela fell ill from complications related to diabetes the year after her retirement, she moved in with Mrs. Marseille, in Rosebank. "She loved to cook her native Haitian dishes," recalled Mrs. Marseille, listing rice and beans and conch soup as a couple of meals in the regular rotation. Mrs. Dorzela also played bingo practically every day. The social game was a way for the warm, outgoing woman to surround herself with community and friends, said Mrs. Marseille. "She made lots of friends, even with the language barrier," said her daughter. An independent woman with an adventurous soul, Mrs. Dorzela adored traveling. She signed up for every possible church bus trip, to places like Atlantic City and Bear Mountain, N.Y. She also frequently visited her beloved Haiti. Her daughter described her as "very strong-minded, independent, sharp," adding, "Even when you were talking English so she wouldn't hear, she would say, 'I know what you're talking about.'" In addition to Mrs. Marseille, surviving Mrs. Dorzela are three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The funeral will be Wednesday with a service at 11 a.m. in the Stradford Funeral Home, Tompkinsville. Cremation will follow at Rosemount Memorial Park, Elizabeth, N.J. EDWARD KIELTY, 88 Con Edison engineer liked to work with stained glass Sunday, September 04, 2005 Edward Robert Kielty Sr., 88, of Coco Beach, Fla., an engineer with Consolidated Edison and native Staten Islander, died Thursday in Rockledge (Fla.) Rehabilitation Center, after a two-month illness. Born in Mariners Harbor, Mr. Kielty moved to West 2003 Brighton in the early 1950s. He settled in Florida about 25 years ago. After attending Port Richmond High School, he received a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) and a stationary engineer's license from New York City. During World War II, Mr. Kielty worked as a machinist at the former Brewers Dry Dock in Mariners Harbor. He then followed in his father's footsteps when he began working with Con Edison. Mr. Kielty was a stationary engineer at the utility for more than 35 years before retiring in the late 1970s. According to his family, Mr. Kielty and his father worked more than 70 years at the energy company combined. A passionate sportsman and sports fan, Mr. Kielty spent almost a decade in the late 1960s and early 1970s coaching in a Staten Island women's softball league. While winning was important, his family said that his objective was for everyone to have fun. In his leisure time, Mr. Kielty worked with stained glass -- making lamps and figurines. Every Christmas, he would send family members stained glass ornaments. Mr. Kielty loved bowling -- and was good at it, according to his family, who praised his high game score of 288. An avid New York Yankees fan, he enjoyed bantering with his grandson, a Mets fan, about the two teams. A member of the Knights of Columbus, Mr. Kielty had been a parishioner of and usher at Sacred Heart R.C. Church in West Brighton. "His character and his strength will be passed on to his children and his grandchildren," his son said. In addition to his son, Edward, surviving are his wife of 27 years, Harriet; his two daughters, Kathleen McMahon and Maureen Santiago; a sister, Margie Gale; 20 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. The funeral will be Tuesday from the Casey Funeral Home, Castleton Corners, with a mass at 10 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton. CYNTHIA FONTANA, 52 Worked in the vitamin business; was animal lover Sunday, September 04, 2005 Cynthia Fontana, 52, of Perth Amboy, N.J., a former Staten Islander who worked in the vitamin business for 10 years and liked animals, died Thursday in the University Medical Center in Princeton, N.J. Born Cynthia Varicchio in Bethpage, L.I., she lived on Long Island until 1978, when she moved to Sunnyside. She moved to Annadale in 1980, back to Long Island in 1983, and then to Huguenot in 1989. She settled in Perth Amboy five years ago. She graduated from a Long Island high school and pursued knowledge about holistic medicine throughout her life. For about a decade, she worked in the vitamin business, including several years when she opened and managed the Vitamin Shoppe on Richmond Avenue. "She was an angel, very sweet, very loving toward people and animals," said her husband, Jay Fontana. "Her son was her whole focus." If she saw a hurt animal, she would nurse it back to health before setting it free, he said. In addition to her husband of 28 years, Jay, surviving are a son, Anthony Fontana; her mother, June Rogalo, and four brothers, John, Robert, Stephen and Kenneth Varicchio. The funeral will be Tuesday from the Colonial Funeral Home, New Dorp, with a mass at 9:45 a.m. in Our Lady Star of the Sea R.C. Church, Huguenot. Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Pleasant Plains. CATHERINE DUNNE, 87 Life insurance company employee Sunday, September 04, 2005 Catherine P. Dunne, a former life insurance company employee, died Friday in her Sunnyside home. She was 87. Born in Manhattan, the former Catherine P. Devine settled in Sunnyside in 1951. She 2001 worked in an administrative capacity at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. in Manhattan and St. George, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to her family, she enjoyed reading and traveling with her husband of 63 years -- Joseph P. Dunne, a retired supervisory U.S. Customs inspector -- in their retirement years. "She was very close to her grandchildren, Mary Catherine and Elizabeth Brennan, Thomas, Timothy and Caitrin Dunne, and Capt. Brendan Dunne, of the U.S. Army," said her son, Joseph P. Mrs. Dunne was a parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church, Tompkinsville. In addition to her husband, son and grandchildren, surviving are another son, Martin, and a daughter, Patricia Brennan. The funeral will be Thursday from the Harmon Home for Funerals, West Brighton, with a mass at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton. ANGELOMARIO MAZZONE, 81 Made wine, dry sausage for his family Sunday, September 04, 2005 Angelomario Mazzone, 81, of South Beach, a retired longshoreman, died yesterday in Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze. Born in Senerchia in the Italian province of Avellino, Mr. Mazzone moved to Manhattan in 1954. He settled in South Beach in 1963. A longshoreman, Mr. Mazzone worked for 30 years on the Manhattan waterfront before retiring in 1984. While living in Italy, he served in the Italian army. A parishioner of Holy Rosary R.C. Church, South Beach, he was a member of the church's senior center. Mr. Mazzone enjoyed making wine, tending to his garden and making his own dry sausage. Surviving are his wife of 54 years, the former Eugenia DelGiudice; three sons, Anthony, Jerry and Peter; four brothers, Aldo, Teodoro, Gerardo and Luigi; three sisters, Michelina Ferrara, Filomena Trimarco and Antonietta Papa, and seven grandchildren. The funeral will be Wednesday from the A. Azzara Funeral Home, South Beach, with a mass at 9:30 a.m. in Holy Rosary Church. Entombment will follow in Moravian Cemetery, New Dorp.