Dolores Phyllis Sancetta-Dioguardi

Dolores Sancetta-Dioguardi passed on Nov 19, 2022, two days short of her 95th birthday. In typical Dolores fashion, she was just celebrating her Big Birthday with close friends, toasting with champagne and wearing a tiara just hours before she passed. She is survived by her four children, Diana Sancetta, Linda Sancetta, Robert Sancetta and Anthony Sancetta and her five grandchildren Paul Rainone, Anais Sancetta, Gina Rainone, Mia Rainone and Dominic Rainone. She was predeceased by her husband Dr. Antonio Sancetta and her second husband Philip Dioguardi. A mass was held on November 22, 2022 at Aycock Funeral Home in Jupiter, Florida.

EULOGY

Dolores Sancetta-Dioguardi, our devoted and "glorious" mom and grammy, was born into very humble circumstances from immigrant, Italian parents. She spent much of her life in NY. Dolores grew up in the Bronx directly across the street from the Bronx Zoo where she went every day after school and fed the yaks. The proximity to the zoo began her first love affair, a passion for animals. She was close to her family, her sister, Adele, and her life-long best-friend and cousin, Claire.

She got married to her second love after animals, our beloved father, Dr. Antonino Sancetta, MD, and moved to Long Island. There we, her four children, Anthony, Bobby, Diana, and Linda grew up. The couple of 45 years made the inevitable migration to Florida after their retirement. But first, as a married woman, she endured a few years in Arkansas and Texas where the doctor was doing his mandatory military service. In the deep South, Dolores bravely learned how to deal with wasps, cockroaches, and other fun critters which seemed to be attracted to displaced northerners.

Dolores and Antonino spent many years, from the early 50s until the late 80s, on Long Island. Dolores was an admirable "doctor's wife" and a very successful country club golf champion – she had 3 holes-in-one! She also, as a busy mom of four, kept the house warm with good humor, a compassionate heart, and of course, plenty of delicious food. This was the Italian mom at her finest, feeding immediate and extended family, as well as miscellaneous friends practically daily. She was a phenomenal cook…a love she passed on to all of her kids and grandkids.

Dolores' third love in life, the love of theater, led her to try acting. Dolores was no quitter. She got a couple of movie parts which led her to an unexpected career. She became a talent agent in Manhattan, necessitating the arduous daily rail commute. She was determined and successful! She had a notable career as a talent agent, casting everything from commercials to Broadway shows to television to motion pictures. She represented many famous people but we, her children, think she, Dolores, was the greatest celebrity of all.

Once the show business chapter of her life ended by her choice, Dolores and Antonino retired and moved to a beautiful golf community in Palm City, Florida. Antonino unexpectedly died a short few years later. Once our mom got over the shock of widowhood, she was reluctantly introduced, by blind date, to the man who became her second husband of 23 years, and her fourth love in life, Philip Dioguardi. They had many years of fun together; cruising, golfing, dancing, and socializing. Mom, at the the age of 88, unbelievably continued to be A Something, receiving her first product patent. She and Philip began a venture with the help of a superpower business partner, and now part of our family, Jennifer Jackson-Strage. Mom enlisted Philip to help design THE BED TUCKER, a sheet tucking device, which is ultra-simple to use and ultra-effective. The Tucker is now a super-seller on Amazon and used in many well known hotel chains and cruise lines. She and Philip enjoyed this late business bloom until Philip’s death just three years ago this week at the age 99. But that didn’t stop Dolores - she continued to work daily to grow the Tucker business and, as it grew and grew, her vitality never wavered.

Everyone loved Dolores’ self-deprecating sense of humor. She was always able to find the humor in life’s events, even if it was at her own expense. That quality was very endearing to us all.

But, sadly, at 94 years and 363 days young, Dolores left us. She had always wanted to leave her family a legacy and hoped the TUCKER would be just that - and maybe it is. Yet, her most amazing and telling legacy for us is what she had tattooed on her forearm at the age of 93. It was her determination that enabled her to do so much and thoroughly enjoy life.

That legacy is now our family's mantra…

"Yes I Can"

Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to either The Maltz Jupiter Theatre https://go.jupitertheatre.org/donations/Online/default.asp or ARC of Palm Beach County https://www.arcpbc.org/donate