Benedetta Tomaino

Mrs. Benedetta Tomaino, better known as EVA Tomaino, passed away peacefully at 7:11pm on Monday, December 7, 2015, in her bed, surrounded by her family. She was 94 years old. She was born to Caterina (Napolitano) and Antonio Santaniello in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 11, 1921. Her birth date would be her lifelong lucky numbers 7-11-21. She was the oldest of eight children. (two of her sisters, Connie and Anna, were also born on July 11th, years later). When her mother enrolled her into school, the teacher said the name Benedetta was too long for her to say, so she changed it to Eva. Since her mother only understood Italian, she said OK & Benedetta became Eva from that day on. Her father obtained a job with the City of New York cutting cobble stones for their streets, so they had to move to New York. They bought a house on Third Avenue & 187th Street in The Bronx near Arthur Avenue, The Little Italy of The Bronx. She graduated from PS 5 in Jersey City, NJ and Theodore Roosevelt High School on Fordham Road in The Bronx, NY. She worked in a glove factory while in school and then with Manufacturers Hanover Bank & Hearst Magazine in NYC after graduating High School. She belonged to the YMCA and loved to travel with her friends to upstate New York, the Delaware River and the Jersey Shore. She enjoyed the outdoors, horseback riding, cycling, swimming, going to the beach and to the theatre. The first play she saw on Broadway in 1943 was Oklahoma!

In 1947, her sister Connie Mazza lived across the street from Rose Amoroso on Grace Avenue in The Bronx. Rose had a younger brother, Bernard "BEN" Tomaino, who was 35 years old and single, Eva was 26 years old and single, so they thought they would make a good match. They were introduced to each other in Rose's living room and fell in love! To make it a more romantic story, they bought that same house from Rose in 1954, which became the home that they would live in their whole life together and raise their family.

Eva and Ben were married, on her birthday, July 11, 1948. Ben never knew that her name was Benedetta until they had to apply for their marriage certificate. He was surprised because now they were Ben and Ben! They went on their honeymoon to Asbury Park, New Jersey and settled into a small furnished basement apartment on Holland Avenue in The Bronx. Ben, a Navy veteran, worked in produce at A. D'Alessio & Sons Supermarket on Allerton Avenue, which was only a short distance from their new home. They gave birth to the first child, Bernard, in 1952. From that day on, Eva stayed home and became a housewife. When their second child, Concetta was born in 1954, they purchased the home where they first met on Grace Avenue. Two years later, Catherine was born. Eva was now 35 and Ben was 44, so they were happy with three children. To their surprise, five years later at the age of 40, Eva gave birth to their fourth child, John Baptist. God had blessed them with four beautiful and healthy children and their life was now complete.

They sacrificed and saved to send all their children to Private Catholic Grammar School and High School. Their children would go on to college and become successful in their professions and raise their own families with the same love their parents had shown them.

The Tomaino Family worshipped at Saints Philip and James Church in The Bronx.

At age 50, Eva decided to go back to work. She obtained a job as an assistant head of stock at Loehmann's Clothing Distribution Center, a few blocks from her home, working the evening shift. She worked there until the age of 70. Her husband Ben, passed away when she was 56 years old and she continued to work and support her family. In 1986, her youngest son, John, opened a Copy, Print & Mailbox Center in New Rochelle, NY. She started working with John to help him grow his business and to keep herself busy. She would work there for the next 22 years of her life, 5 days a week, until she was 92 years old. She enjoyed talking with the clients, and most of them became lifelong friends. Eva handled the shipping & mailbox department of the store. She was also responsible for handling the NY Lottery sales, which she loved the most. She loved to gamble and loved scratch-off tickets. She also enjoy Horse Racing, Casinos and going to the OTB to try her luck. She said the action made her feel alive and happy! Since she lived to be 94 1/2 years old, so she must have been very happy!

While in New Rochelle, Eva and her son John started attending Holy Name of Jesus Church, which became their parish through 2010. She later moved to New Fairfield Connecticut to live with her son John and his family and attend St. Edward's Church there until her death.

Eva was predeceased by her husband Bernard and all of his siblings and their spouses, her sisters & brother in-laws, Connie (Joe), Maria, Anna (John & Charlie) and Lucy (Gordon) and her brother Jerry. Eva is survived by her brothers, Morris and his wife Mary Ann, and Anthony (Junior) and his wife Christina and her sister in-law Nancy Santaniello. She is also survived by her children, Bernard (Ben) and his wife Bette, Concetta (Connie) and her husband Walter Barrett, Catherine and her husband Al Brunner, John and his wife Karina, and her Grandchildren, Christopher and his wife Dorota, Lauren, Rebecca, John, Bernadette, Jennifer, Julissa and Catherine, and her Great-Grandchildren Emma and Isabelle.

Eva is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins, their children and many friends.

The Family will be receiving visitors on Thursday, December 10, 2015, from 2-4 & 7-9 at George T. Davis Funeral Home, 14 LeCount Place, New Rochelle, NY.

A Mass of Christian burial will take place on Friday morning at 9:30 am at

Holy Name of Jesus Church, 70 Petersville Road, New Rochelle, NY

Interment at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in The Bronx, NY

In Lieu of Flowers, please send a donation in her honor to:

Holy Name of Jesus Church, 70 Petersville Road, New Rochelle, NY 10801

or to:

St. Edward's Church, 21 Brush Hill Road, New Fairfield, CT 06812