Zia Maria!  Tu voglio bene! Miss you TERRIBLY!!!!!!!  Hug Pop and Nana, Nano, and Zio Giuseppe for me!!  Michele Distefano

10 years today since Mom died and you were there for me - and all the Beatty

Zia, I miss you every single day.  Hug Nana, Nano, Pop, and Zio Maru and Gieuseppe for me.  Michele.

Zia Maria! Miss you and love you immensely!  Just posted on Pop's site!  Sorry I missed an entry on your site in Oct!  Been working on our book on Playboy and Pop.  Steven's a dad for the third time now.  Everyone's well.  Linda invited me for Thanksgiving but I was buried out here on the book. So I spent it with Vinnie Falcone (Frank Sinatra's and Tony Bennett's pianist and conductor) and his family! All is great! Miss you!  Love you!  XO - Michael

Zia!  Come si! Miss you and love you!  They imploded the rest of the Riv earlier this week. Every time I make the red sauce, I think of you as it's your recipe to a T! Still drinkin' the apple juice too!  Miss you, Zia!  Immensely! I have your wall statues of Jesus and Mary you willed to me, hanging above my bed!  Ti voglio bene sempre! Si bene e ricca! Give Pop, Nana, and Nano and Zio Maru a big hug! Il tuo nipote, Michele!

Zia Maria!  Come si?  How are you?  Miss you and love you always!  The Riviera is being imploded Monday.  Lots of sweet, sweet memories there!  Give everyone a hug for me!  Love, your nephew, Michael.  Love you, Zia.  Give Pop a hug.  MRD - P.S.  I just played piano for an elementary school play of The Wizard Of Oz for the 5th grade.  You would have loved it!  I also made the 5 hour simmer sugo wih the sausage and meatballs!  Followed your recipe to the T!  It was a smash!!!!  Love you!

Zia Maria, Ti voglio bene sempre.  I miss you and I love you, Zia.  Just got back from London.  Stayed at the Grosvenor where Pop and I stayed years ago.  Please be well, Zia and love to everyone up there!  Miss you, thinking of you, and love you always and forever!  I miss you so much, Zia.  It always hurts when I realize I can't hug you, Pop, Zio Giuseppe, Nana, Nano, Zia Maru, Sal DiGiacomo, Sal Cascone, Zia Iolanda, Peppina, etc., etc., etc.  I miss all of you!!!  God Bless e Sei bene e ricca! XOXO  Il tuo nipote, Michael.

Visited your grave and placed roses upon it, Zia.  Miss you and Pop and Zio Giuseppe.  Love you and miss you!  Ti Voglio Bene sempre!

Zia Maria, ti voglio bene sempre.  I pray every day for you, Pop, and your husband, Zio Giuseppe.  I miss all of you terribly.  It hurts, Zia.  It hurts horribly bad not being able to pick up the phone and chat with you, let alone hug all of you.  My heart is in AGONY, Zia.  I hung Pop's crucifix that he had over his bed as a child, in my living room, and his casket crucifix in my bedroom along with Zio Maru's.  I really miss all of you.  I'm flying tomorrow to Chicago for the family reunion dinner in Orland Park with Linda and Casey and Al.  Gary and Sharon can't make it in this time and neither can Steven and Whitney.  But Al and Steve are bringing your great grandson, Kellen Michael!  I'm overwhelmingly honored they made their first son my namesake, Zia!  Love you, Zia.  I'm still working every day to make you proud!  Hugs and kisses to everyone!  Sei bene e ricca! - Michael

Zia Maria!  Come ti senti? I miss you, Zia!  I miss you to the point of literal tears daily!  I truly miss you and Pop so bad, it is physically painful and gut-wrenching.  I watch my homemade videos of the two of you, every day right after the evening news.  And the video I made of Nana making the scaccia.  Zia, your paintings are hanging on my walls in my 24th floor, Regency Tower condo.  All of your religious statues and Nana's as well, are all in my condo as well.  Gary and Linda were kind enough to give me Nana's dresser set from your condo also.  So I'm using Nana's small, medium, and large-sized drawer dressers every day in my bedroom!  She bought the entire set when you were 8 years old (in 1939) at Goldblatt's on 47th and Ashland and the entire set still looks brand new!  I've got Nana's rosaries that you gave me, as well and use them daily, Zia!  Please give everyone a hug, Nana, Nano, and Pop (as I know you are daily)!    Love Michael!

Zia, I am so ashamed and sorry for not posting much, much earlier!  You know me!  Better late than never, right?!  Pop used to always tell me I'll be late to my own burial!  LOL!  Zia, you and Pop are finally together again now without having to look at your watches while worrying about getting to the airport on time.  You can enjoy each other's company eternally now and in peace - no time limits.  I made the sugo last year with your precise recipe and it came out perfect!  My then girlfriend even loved it! (e lei's una tedesca!)   Miss ya' and love ya' Zia!  Studyin' for the Bar exam!  Zia, you have always been and will forever remain along with Pop, my most prominent inspiration!  Your fortitude, dignity, integrity, and loving kindness are exceptional testaments to not only the existence of God, but the necessity of our following Him and exemplifying His eternal doctrines, teachings, and model codes of human conduct.  He taught us through you, Zia.  You, Nana, and Nano always remained Pop's "heroes" as he called you all, and continue now to remain mine, as well, and forever.  Ti voglio bene sempre e sei bene e ricca.  Speriamo il Signore's il tuo compagna sempre. - Michele Distefano - il tuo nipote.

DEAR GARY ,LINDA & SAM
MY DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
MARY WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED
HOPING ALL THE WARM MEMORIES WILL COMFORT YOU
MILLIE MIGLIORESE   BONITA SPRINGS, FLORIDA

Dear Gary & Linda,  Your mother was a person who I greatly admired and respected. She had such strength in her life. Even as she faced her own health issues, she reached out to me last year when I had my cancer diagnosis. I will never forget her kindness and words of support. She was a wonderful woman. She is at peace now and in God's hands.

OBITUARY

Mary T. Kurnat

January 26, 1931 – March 20, 2013

Blake-Lamb Funeral Home

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