Marie Delsante

Marie Delsante, 99, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and matriarch of a large and loving family, passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon, January 8, 2026 at her home of more than sixty years, surrounded by her family.

Born Maria DeGaetano on December 7, 1926 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Marie was the daughter of Antonina (née Ladara) and Antonio DeGaetano, immigrants from Italy. She was one of eight children—six brothers, John, Salvatore, Frank, Joseph, Vincent, and Peter, and one sister, Angelina—and grew up immersed in the close-knit Italian immigrant community of the Lower East Side that shaped her values and deep devotion to family.

Marie’s early life was marked by both hardship and resilience. When she was an infant, her mother was diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to a Staten Island sanitarium. During that time, six of the children were placed in care facilities, and Marie lived in foster care. She was reunited with her family at approximately five years old when her mother recovered, an experience that left a lasting imprint on her heart and instilled in her a lifelong devotion to children and family.

Marie worked in sales before marrying Joseph Delsante in February 1952, a close friend of her brother Joseph. After their marriage, the couple moved from Manhattan to Flatbush, Brooklyn, and eventually settled in Staten Island, where they built a home and life together. They raised five children, while Marie continued to work part-time in sales and, at one point, helped run a small family restaurant. Joseph passed away in November 2017, preceding his wife by nine years.

A woman of wide-ranging interests and talents, Marie loved art, music, and history, with a particular passion for Italian and Greek history. She studied French, Spanish, and Italian, and expressed her creativity through painting, crewel embroidery, crocheting, and pressed-flower art. She was an avid gardener, tending both vegetables and flowers, and she loved to dance. Holidays were especially dear to her heart—she was happiest when cooking for days in advance, preparing meals that brought generations together, a tradition lovingly carried on by her daughters.

Above all else, Marie loved children and her family. Being a mother defined her life. In addition to raising her own five children, she opened her home to nieces and nephews during extended periods when their mothers were ill, offering care, stability, and love. Her devotion to family was rooted in her own upbringing in a large household and extended community.

Marie often spoke of turning fifteen on the day of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, an event that deeply affected her, particularly as she was the sister of six brothers, and shaped her understanding of sacrifice, family, and history.

Marie is survived by her five children: Dominick (retired NYC teacher) and his wife Pamela (Bessaro); Valarie (NYC special education middle school teacher); Christopher (retired NYPD lieutenant) and his wife Vilma (Gomez); Joseph (Sales Manager for Altria) and his wife Katrina (Tarasevich); and Lisa (chief legal officer for an energy company) and her husband Joel Robbins.

She was a cherished grandmother to Lauren, Christopher, Joseph, Lia, Edward, Dylan, Juliana, Natalya, and Zachary, and a beloved aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Marie Delsante will be remembered for her warmth, humor, unwavering devotion to family, generosity of spirit, and the love she so freely gave. Her home was a place of welcome, her table a place of gathering, and her life a testament to the enduring strength of family.

Visitation will be held at Casey Funeral Home, located at 350 Slosson Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314, on January 13, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and again from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The funeral service will take place at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church, located at 101 Cromwell Ave, New York, NY 10304, on January 14, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

The committal service is scheduled at Resurrection Cemetery, located at 361 Sharrott Ave, New York, NY 10309, on January 14, 2026, from 11:30 am to 11:45 am.