Mrs. Barbara J. (Smith) Dispirito

Mrs. Barbara J. (Smith) Dispirito, age 85, went home to the Lord as she passed away on Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at The Pines at Utica Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. Born in New York Mills on February 12, 1931, Barbara was the daughter of the late Ethel (Edwards) and Robert Lounsbury. She was educated in the Whitesboro Central School District. On August 29, 1951 she married Anthony “Jay” Dispirito; their union of love remained strong for nearly 63 years. Barbara began her working career at the original Memorial Hospital as a Nurse’s Aide. When she started a family, she became a stay-at-home mom. She was the classic matriarch - she tended to her children and husband and created a home that was filled with love, meals, and family gatherings. She embraced the traditions of holidays and delighted in the many birthdays, family picnics, and celebrations with loved ones. Her children and grandchildren were the center of her universe and the stars in her eyes. She was proud of how they matured and entered into their own as respectable adults. Barbara was a spit-fire and her eyes flashed when she teased in the spirit of fun. She could bandy words and barbs with the best of them. Many admired her tenacity and true grit in maintaining a sense of dignity and humor in spite of life’s challenges. She loved animals and frequently fed the squirrels in her yard. She was a parishioner of St. Anthony & St. Agnes Church and through her faith she found a quiet strength that set the course of her life. Barbara will be forever in the heart of her treasured husband, Jay; her children and their loves, Michael and Patty Dispirito, Debra and Bruce Messenger, Susan and Frank Grossi, and Jay and Denise DiSpirito; her grandchildren, David Dispirito; Jeremy and Sarah Messenger, Michael Messenger, Katherine Messenger and fiance Michael Kealty; Natalie DiSpirito, and A.J. DiSpirito; her great-grandchildren, Liam, and Kaiden; her sisters, Patty and Jackie; and her brothers, Larry and Laney, and their families. Her extended family includes her in-laws Frank Dispirito, and Lena Carzo; nieces and nephews, especially Diana and Kent Roerig, Anthony and Patty DiSpirito, Joe and Fran DiSpirito, Sharon and Jim Corrente, Florie and Bill Jones, Rocco and Helen Carzo, twins David Carzo and John Carzo, John and Carla O’Dell, Maureen O’Dell, Dicky and Robyn Moody, Cathy and Don Harris, and Camille and Ed Barrett; great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her brothers and sister-in-law, Curtis and Margaret Smith, and David Smith; and her in-laws, Tina and Dick Moody, Sam and Elizabeth Dispirito, Catherine and John O’Dell, Florence Dispirito, Joann DiSpirito, and Rocco Carzo. The family extends their gratitude to Dr. Lisette Alfavo-Berg for her professional care; and the nurses and aides at The Pines at Utica/3rd Floor, for their kindness and compassion, and the welcoming home they provided to Barbara during her stay. The family will honor and commemorate her life in a private gathering. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Barbara’s funeral service and Celebration of Life which will commence on Saturday morning at 11:00 at St. Anthony & St. Agnes Church where her Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by Rev. Mark Kaminski. The family will receive visitors at the conclusion of Mass. Expressions of sympathy in the form of donations may be made to St. Anthony & St. Agnes Church or the Stevens-Swan Humane Society in lieu of flowers; envelopes will be available at the service. Interment will take place in Calvary Cemetery at the convenience of the family. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc. 932 South St. corner of Hammond Ave.

Mrs. Barbara J. (Smith) Dispirito

February 12, 1931 - August 10, 2016