Dalcisa (Chemotti) Cominolli-Tarolli

September 29, 2013

Nonna Dalcisa Chemotti-Cominolli-Tarolli was born in the Trentino village of Zuclo (home of the bears) on May 3, 1923 to Cleto Chemotti and Serafina Artini Chemotti. Her younger siblings are Abramo (deceased) and Giuseppina (Josephine/Pina Fragnito). Nonna’s family moved to the neighboring village of Bolbeno (home of the foxes) and that’s where she lived until she was 11 years old. Nonna attended school as far as the fourth grade. She was an excellent student and award-winning writer.

In 1934, Nonna got on a ship with her mother and siblings and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to join her father in Solvay. The family lived on Hall Avenue, a couple of blocks from the Solvay Process Company (predecessor of Allied Chemical Corporation). After marrying Major, Nonna lived first at Cominolli’s Dance Hall on Freeman Avenue and then at 108 Summit Avenue until she moved to St. Camillus, where she’s had a few falls and also received lots of loving care.

Nonna studied English briefly at night school and, shortly after, began working at a factory, where the boss changed her name to Mary. She next worked as a nanny to twins in Brooklyn. Back in Syracuse, she helped create artwork at Syroco/the Ornamental, built 1911 pistols at Remington Rand during World War II, and worked as a cleaning lady at Allied Chemical. From 1976 to 1982, she cared for her second husband, Battista Tarolli, at home. After Battista passed, Onondaga County wanted to hire her as a home health aide. She decided to babysit instead. Nonna helped raise her grand-children, nieces, nephews, relatives, and many other lovely, local children—Tyrolean and non-Tyrolean.

Everything happened at Nonna’s kitchen table. She stuffed turkeys there with Sarah’s children, helped Rita study for medical school exams, and worked on guns with Joe. She was a wise woman who loved to cook, crochet, travel, visit relatives, talk Italian, exercise, and pray. She had a sense of humor and a neat collection of elephants.

Nonna is survived by her son, Joseph Cominolli and his wife, Mary; her daughter, Sarah Chauncey and her husband, Stephen; her daughter Rita Cominolli and her husband, Mario P. Tarolli; her grand-daughter, Juliana Chauncey; her grand-sons: Charlie Chauncey; Michael Cominolli, and his wife, Liz; Erik Cominolli, and his wife, Jenny Dickinson; her great-grand-children, Isabel and Nate Cominolli; her sister, Josephine Fragnito (Zia Pina) and her husband, Dan (Zio Danny) and nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 am Wednesday at St. Cecilia Church, 1001 Woods Rd., Solvay. Burial will follow in Assumption Cemetery, Syracuse. BAGOZZI TWINS FUNERAL HOME, Solvay, has care of arrangements. Contributions may be made in her memory to St. Camillus Health and Rehabilitation Center, 813 Fay Rd., Syracuse, NY 13219.

Online condolences may be offered at www.bagozzitwins.com.