Dolores di Certo

Dolores Valentina Sottile was born on February 14th, 1931. She grew up in a loud and boisterous tenement apartment on Pleasant Avenue, NYC. She shared the small space with her mother Laura and father Frank plus eight siblings. She was the last surviving member of the wild and loving bunch and is reunited with John, Frances, Joe, Leonora, Molly, Ann, Frank and Laura.

She met her future husband Dominick DiCerto at work, where her close friend spotted the handsome man on his first day of work and proclaimed “That is your husband!”

They were a beautiful couple on that June 12th of 1955 when they, indeed, got married. Military life brought them to Mississippi where Dominick was stationed and the first of their own large family began with Debra.

Back in NYC, Donna joined the family. Then Denise, who sadly passed two days after birth. Then came Michael, the only boy. Then Laura and last, but not least, Kristen in 1971.

She was a masterful cook, filling the home with aromas of Italian food as well as her famous fried chicken, that teased the noses of all those on 118th street. She loved gardening in the backyard and was also a very talented artist, a talent passed down from her painter dad.

She was primarily a home maker but worked for a few years at the Holy Rosary school, transforming a chaos of books into a highly organized library.

Her kids were her primary concern and love. She was a tough, sharp-witted and talented woman. Sadly, dementia struck her late in life, but even through the memory loss, she always greeted her children, who fawned over, with wide, joyous smiles. She lost her husband of almost 70 years in 2025. She leaves behind her five loving children and children by marriage, Suzy, Peter and George and three grandchildren who she adored; Valentina her namesake, and Jillian and William.

Her fiery spirit will be missed.