Frances T. (Testa) Fontana

Mrs. Frances T. (Testa) Fontana, age 91, of Utica, passed away on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at the Eden Park Health Care Center. Born in Utica on January 26, 1915, Frances was the daughter of the late Salvatore and Francesca (Rizzica) Testa. Raised and educated locally, she was a graduate of Utica Free Academy. It was on September 23, 1939 in St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church that she married Charles C. Fontana with whom she shared a blessed 66-year union, one that was filled with their mutual love and devotion. Frances and Charles were true soul mates. Mrs. Fontana was employed as a dental technician with the Parker Dental Laboratory for more than ten years. She retired in 1976. Frances was an exemplary wife and mother. Not only was she loved by family and friends alike, but she was a woman who touched, influenced, and inspired the lives of everyone who had the good fortune to know her. Many of her favorite activities were domestic in nature as she dedicated herself to the happiness and comfort of her loved ones: she especially enjoyed cooking, baking, and crocheting. In addition, she and Charles loved to dance and derived great pleasure from ballroom dancing and square dancing. A valued member of both the Eastside Senior Center and the North Utica Senior Day Center, she was the first to volunteer at the Center’s Thrift Shop. Among the many activities she participated in at the senior centers, she and her husband especially enjoyed the numerous trips they took to locales such as the Catskills and other places of interest and scenic beauty. She was a communicant of St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church. Mrs. Fontana is survived by her husband, Charles; and a daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Marc McConnell of AZ. She cherished in her heart the memory of her son, Carl Fontana, who passed away on November 24, 1990. Frances is also survived by two grandchildren, Andrea and Shawn; four great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by three sisters and a brother-in-law, Mary and Salvatore Bosco Sr., Betty Loope, and Josephine D’Amico; a brother, Peter Testa; and her in-laws, Joseph T. and Mary Fontana. Visitation will be held today (Tuesday) from 4-7 at the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc., 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave. By family request, please omit floral offerings. Mrs. Fontana’s funeral will commence on Wednesday at 10:00 from the funeral home and at 11:00 at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church where her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated. Interment will take place in St. Agnes Cemetery.

Frances T. (Testa) Fontana

January 26, 1915 - June 1, 2006