Mrs. Rose M. (Marino) Pastorella

UTICA - Mrs. Rose M. (Marino) Pastorella, age 92, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 18, 2018. At the time of her passing, she was in the hearts of those she loved most. Born in Utica on April 28, 1926, Rose was the daughter of the late Vincenzo and Antoinette (Danzo) Marino. If you ever visited Rose’s home, you sat in the kitchen while she got you something to drink and filled the table with whatever she had in the fridge. And hungry or not, you ate. Then the large square containers of her baked goods would come out of the lower cabinet. And you ate more. And if you didn’t eat, she’d keep offering until you did. Because for Rose, food was love. On April 29, 1944 she married Achille “Corky” Pastorella. They had an amazing love and she missed him each and every day since his passing on October 7, 2009. Rose was the matriarch and backbone to a sprawling but close-knit family. In her 92 years, she completely devoted herself to this family that she loved more than anything. A stay-at-home mom, she raised 4 amazing children, had 10 grandchildren who adored her, and 15 great-grandchildren who happily ran around her house. She was a role model for a strong work ethic and commitment to family. And she was so very proud of her offspring. Always ready with a card and gift to send, Rose never forgot a birthday or anniversary. She never forgot anything, really, and she was terrible at keeping secrets. Her family knew that telling Mom/Nannie something was like telling the newspaper. Holidays were important to her and Rose spoiled her loved ones with endless dishes and her amazing baked goods. She always had people in her house. She didn’t know how to sit and relax. She was strong, energetic, selfless, and always wanted to do something helpful. She enjoyed spending time around the table with her family, hearing everyone’s news, telling stories, and laughing. She had a great laugh. Besides baking her famous biscotti, Rose loved to crochet. Every child, grandchild, and great-grandchild has a handmade blanket. After the passing of her beloved husband of 65 years, she began crocheting blankets for refugee babies visited by the staff of the Oneida County Health Department. For this, she received the Outstanding Senior Contributing to the Community award presented by state and local officials. Rose could tell you exactly how many blankets she made, close to 100! Rose often said, “I can’t believe I’m so OLD! I never thought I’d be this OLD”. She was tough as nails. She lived a full life and her family feels very lucky to have had her for so long. She really was a wonderful lady. Rose will be dearly missed by her children, Beatrice and Dale Allison of Holland Patent, Cheryl and Richard Dowe of Whitesboro, Vincent and Cecilia “Cissy” Pastorella of Utica, Rosemarie Pastorella and fiancé Nick Harmatiuk of Ilion; grandchildren, Renee Nolan, Christopher Allison, Jennifer and Mark Zalatan, Richard and Kory Dowe, Dana and Eugene Ryazanov, Vincent and Amanda Pastorella, Louis DeMichele, Marianne and John Sodaro, Amy Pastorella, Nicholas DeMichele; and great-grandchildren, Rylee, Stephanie, Shane, Marcus, Nathan, Zoe, Reese, Alana, Jacob, George, Lily, Makayla, Julia, Daniel, and Johna. She also leaves three sisters-in-law, Vita Marino, Ann Stores, and Diane Pastorelli, as well as nieces/nephews, great-nieces/great-nephews. She now joins her beloved husband, Corky, and their first born baby, Nicholas. Rose was predeceased by her great-grandson Noah Thomas Nolan; her sister and brother-in-law, Theresa and Salvatore Gambino; brothers and sisters-in-law, Rocco and Mary Marino, Pat and Kay Marino, and Anthony Marino. She mourned the death of a special niece and goddaughter, Antoinette Marino Gaetano, as well as many members of the Pastorella family. The family is grateful to the Utica Fire Department and Rescue 1, Father Pasik for his spiritual guidance, and the wonderful nurses at the Sitrin Health Care Center. A special thank you to Jeanette, Regina, Brittney, Lejla, and Medina who cared for her at home in the past year and treated her like family. Visitation will be held Tuesday from 5:00-7:00 at the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc., 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave. Rose’s funeral service and Celebration of Life will commence on Wednesday at 11:00 from the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc., 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave. and 12:00 noon at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel/ Blessed Sacrament Parish where her Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by Rev. James Cesta. She will be laid to rest beside her beloved Corky and their baby Nicholas in Calvary Cemetery at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations in Rose’s honor may be made to the Rescue Mission of Utica, 293 Genesee St., Utica, NY 13501 or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at https://www.stjude.org “Rest in peace, Mom. Your memories will be cherished Until we meet again”.

Mrs. Rose M. (Marino) Pastorella

April 28, 1926 - August 18, 2018