Antoinette Frances D'Aco

Antoinette Frances D’Aco passed away peacefully at the age of 98 in her room at the Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026 at 2:30 AM. Born Antonina Allegria on June 14, 1927, at 208 Thompson Street in New York City, she was the daughter of Giuseppe Allegria and Giuseppa Mangano, hardworking immigrants from Linguaglossa, Sicily. Known affectionately as “Nina” by her family, she grew up alongside her beloved sisters, Santa and Josephine.

Her parents’ perseverance carried the family through the hardships of the Great Depression and the years of World War II, first on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village and later on East 110th Street in Manhattan. As young girls, Nina and Santa delighted in exploring their neighborhood—roller skating through Washington Square Park and taking long walks through Union Square Park with their mother and her friends—creating memories that would stay with Nina throughout her life.

After moving to East 110th Street, Nina attended Washington Irving High School, commuting by subway each day. She pursued an academic program, complemented by studies in sketching and fashion design, reflecting her creative spirit. Following graduation, she began her working life at a dress design shop in the iconic Flatiron Building at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

Through family friends from her parents’ hometown of Linguaglossa, Nina met her future husband, Salvatore Giuseppe D’Aco, who had served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In a touching turn of fate, Salvatore lived at 208 Thompson Street during the time they were courting—bringing Nina’s life journey full circle to the place where it had begun. Nina and Sal married in 1948 and raised four children in Astoria, New York.

Antoinette’s life was firmly rooted in her faith, which sustained and guided her in all things. Raised as a Catholic, she was instrumental in giving her children a Catholic education and supporting them in marriage and the priesthood. Her charity did not stop at home but extended to teaching catechism to children and reading the scriptures in church as a lector. Her prayers to St. Anthony for lost things had a startling efficacy, and she took special joy in celebrating her birthday on his feast day. She also attended charismatic prayer groups both in Astoria and in the Bronx.

As she grew older, her devotion deepened into a daily rhythm of attending Mass, reading Scripture, and praying the rosary. She found quiet strength in prayer, entrusting her worries to God and interceding for those she loved. In her later years, her prayers expanded to embrace her country, offered with hope and conviction.

Antoinette’s faith shone gently through her presence—in her soft smiling eyes, her subtle humor, and her steady, practical wisdom. These outward gifts were the reflection of her love for God that inspired her enduring kindness and care for others.

Antoinette was predeceased by her husband Salvatore and her sisters Santa Gallo and Josephine Allegria. She is survived by her children Vincent and his wife Rosemary, Rev. Joseph D’Aco, Marie and her husband Ronald Cameron, and Concetta and her husband John Pilsner; her grandchildren Kristin Lindstrom, Lauren Andino, Katherine D’Aco, Paula Cameron, and Christine Cameron; and her great grandchildren Cameron, Kaysi, Kai, Emma, Jameson, Connor, Tyler, Kaleb, Miguel, and Gabriella.