Susan Grace (DeBernardis) Augusto

July 2, 1955 - May 16, 2020

UTICA - Susan Grace (DeBernardis) Augusto, age 64, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 16, 2020 with those she loved most in her heart. Born in Utica on July 2, 1955, Susan was the daughter of the late Leon J., Sr. and Carolyn (Giannatelli) DeBernardis. She was a graduate of Utica Free Academy/Class of 1973 and went on to attend MVCC and the Munson-Williams School of Art. She had a natural talent as an artist and was extremely skilled in embroidery. Susan’s first venture in her career was at radio station WOUR/96.9 where she worked her magic as an assistant and was later promoted to Network Coordinator. Many of her workdays were followed by gathering with co-workers at the Devereux. She also held positions with the Rock City Box Company, and Divine Brothers Company as a Bookkeeper and Payroll Preparer. Above all else, Susan adored her children and grandchildren. She was a constant presence in their lives, loved them unconditionally, and would go to any length for them. Her maternal grandma, affectionately known to all as “Ma” was a guiding influence and source of learning about her Italian culture and cooking traditions. As a result, Susan became an accomplished cook, with sausage rolls, spinach rolls, fried chicken, and mushroom stew among her specialties. She also mixed a memorable salad dressing and was a fan of the early cooking shows, especially “Lidia’s Kitchen”, starring celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich showcasing Italian cuisine. Susan and her family looked forward summertime, especially Thursday nights when they would leave for the weekend for their summer home on Caroga Lake,… something was always forgotten, and they had to return home to retrieve it and start the trip all over again. When they finally arrived at their destination, Susan and Celeste made a beeline to the beach, and at the end of the day Susan would spend countless hours playing her guitar, singing, and harmonizing with her and family and friends by the campfire; this made for great summer stories and memories. Susan loved the seasonal holidays, especially Halloween and Christmas. She was a very giving person, thoughtful to a fault, and worked very hard to make everyone happy. A free spirit, Susan was a self-taught guitarist who played by rote and perfectly replicated any song from the music of her era, occasionally drawing from her vast album collection. Susan and her sister Celeste enjoyed those years and were constant companions, but Celeste was the Queen Bee. Although Susan had challenges in her life, they never broke her spirit. In looking back, it was the support and power of humor she found in her brother Leon and sister Patty that got her through many years. Susan knew in her heart that love means you can trust the people you love. Susan is survived by her daughter, Alison Augusto; son, Eric Augusto; grandchildren, Aiden Augusto and his mother Samantha, and Alex Augusto; sister and brother-in-law, Patty and Harry Scaramella; and brother and sister-in-law, Leon J., Jr. and Mia DeBernardis. Always close to her heart was the memory of her sister and brother-in-law Celeste and David Rositano with whom she shared many magical times. Known as “Aunt Sue”, she also leaves her nieces and nephews, Matthew Rositano, Valerie and Mike Tomaselli, Amanda and Tony Lawrence; Carolyn and Matthew Montalbo, Alexandra and Daniel Rosenthal; Thomas DeBernardis/Esq, and Gabrielle Bull; great-nieces and nephews, Charlie, and Ollie; Isabella, and Lexi; Lucy, and Marlow; Sofia, Rocco, and Violetta, and the memory of her nephew, Marcus Joseph Rositano who she adored. She appreciated the occasional visits from her aunt, Anna Trevisani; and cousin, Anna Maria LaBella. She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents, Grace and Pasquale Giannatelli; and paternal grandparents, Anthony and Vivian DeBernardis. The family extends sincere thanks to the personnel of the Cardiac ICU/3C at MVHS at St. Elizabeth Medical Center including the Nursing staff, and especially Palliative Care nurse, Arianna; all went above and beyond in caring for Susan, and providing comfort and compassion to the family. Due to current health concerns and in keeping with federal and state regulations, the family will honor Susan’s life privately. Expressions of sympathy in the form of donations may be directed to the Utica Food Pantry online at https://www.uticanyfoodpantry.org or by mail to 729 Broadway St., P.O. Box 306, Utica, NY 13502. A celebration of Susan’s life will be held in the future. Please take a moment to connect with Susan’s family through the “Memories” section of her obituary on our website. Our prayers continue to go out to all as a sign of our community support.