Constance Camera Weigel

Constance Camera Weigel, 92, died peacefully in her home on December 4 in Arlington, Virginia. Constance—known to everyone as Connie—was born on February 2, 1928 in White Plains, New York, to Louis John Camera of Portici, Italy, and Emilia (Millie) Pastore of Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

During her life Connie called a few places home, but she was a New Yorker to the core. She spent her early life in White Plains prior to her first marriage to Matthew DePaso in 1949. After living for several years in Scarsdale, New York, where their daughters Jacqueline and Diane were born, she and her family moved to Thornwood, New York. Connie left her imprint on her community. She was a Girl Scout leader and President of the Thornwood Women’s Club, and for a few summers she hosted inner-city children in her home for a week as part of the Fresh Air Fund. Following her marriage to John Weigel in 1975, Connie divided her time between Nyack, New York, and Yuma, Arizona. Her circle of family and friends expanded, and many wonderful memories were made from family beach vacations in Amagansett, New York, to trips and cruises throughout the world with family and friends.

Connie’s energy was electric. She could captivate any audience and was always happy to speak to strangers. Anyone who came into contact with Connie was forever changed. She was always impeccably dressed. She loved travel, golf, dancing, and most of all spending time with her family and friends. Her grandchildren will always remember her love of lemon cookies, Entenmann's coffee cake, and a perfect cup of tea. She was a loyal, generous, and caring friend, always going out of her way to stay connected to those she loved.

In the last years of her life, Connie lived close to her family in Virginia who lovingly cared for her with the help of Janet Moore and a team of wonderful home health aides—Ruth, Samantha, Josephine, Nusie, and Saibatu. Even in Connie’s last days, her spunk and personality were ever present.

Connie is the beloved mother of Jacqueline DePaso McCauley (Brian) and Diane DePaso (David Pinals); grandmother of Lara McCauley (Sergio Oehninger), Matthew McCauley, Kathleen McCauley Womack (Halston), Lisa Pinals (Michael Siegel) and Rebecca Pinals (Andrew Crothers); step-mother of Nancy Weigel (Jay Palmer), Stacy Weigel, Kim Weigel Bellamy (Joe), and Tim Weigel; step-grandmother to Michael Stelmaszyk, Casey Cassone (Nicole Refino), Sarah Cassone Parrish (Neil), Julia Cassone Karkambasis (George), Jeanmarie Cetra (Taylor Brown), and Brendan, Alex, and Greg Weigel; aunt of numerous nieces and nephews; and cousin to many. In addition to Connie’s immediate family, she was cherished by her large extended family and many friends.

Connie was preceded in death by her husbands Matthew Charles DePaso and John Alfred Weigel; step-children Johnny Weigel and Dale Weigel Cassone; and siblings Joseph Louis Camera (Rose), Louis John Camera, Jr. (Yvonne), and Patricia June Camera Troiano (Dominic).

Due to COVID-19, a memorial mass and celebration of Connie’s life will be postponed until her family and friends can gather together safely.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends may honor Connie with a donation to Catholic Charities, USA (https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org) or So Others Might Eat (SOME), a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Washington, DC (https://www.some.org).