Obituary of Caterina Piemonte

On Saturday, February 28, Caterina Piemonte, 92, of Rome, N.Y., passed away peacefully. The daughter of Salvatore (Sam) Carambia and Francesca (Frances) Cardaci, she was born on November 18, 1922, in Regalbuto, Sicily. Her father emigrated to America before her birth, and her mother joined him when Caterina was a young girl. She remained in Regalbuto, where she was raised by her mother's widowed sister, Rosa, alongside her cousins Ciccina and Giuseppe. Caterina met her husband Antonino (Nino) at a village dance when she was just sixteen. Having lived through the Allied bombing of Sicily in 1943, they were married on April 29, 1945, in Chiesa Madre along Regalbuto's main piazza, and lived in a home a few doors away during the reconstructive years that followed the end of World War II. In 1950, with their toddler Anna, the young family sailed to America to join Caterina's parents and her U.S.-born brother Anthony, and sister Rosemarie in Rome, New York. Nino became a contractor, and they eventually settled in a house he built near the original Rome Free Academy. Caterina embraced life in America, adjusting to the challenges of English and snow, adapting to new holiday traditions, and exercising her right to vote with pride. An ardent supporter of JFK, she followed presidential campaigns, enjoyed her favorite soap opera, and tuned in daily to the evening news. She remained forever Sicilian at heart. For two decades, Caterina worked as a seamstress at Joseph and Feiss Company, Utica, where she befriended many other immigrant employees. A devout Catholic, she was a dedicated parishioner of St. John the Baptist Church and a member of the Congregation of Mary Society, contributing her cannoli for special events and once sewing a prize-winning Sicilian folk costume for the Society's pre-Lenten Carnival celebration. Her domestic skills, especially her cooking, embroidering, and gardening, were unrivaled. There was always an extra chair at her abundant table, and often a game of briscola over coffee afterward. Never having gone beyond grade school, Caterina and Nino were most proud of providing a college education for their four children. This accomplishment, together with their strong family values and their beautiful language and culture, were their most treasured gifts. Caterina was predeceased by her beloved husband Nino in 2000. She leaves behind her children: Anna Piemonte Drewry and her husband David Drewry of Haymarket, Virginia; Vito Piemonte and his wife Kathy (Vinneau), of Rome, New York; Salvatore Piemonte of Camillus, New York; and Francesca Piemonte Slesinger and her husband Larry Slesinger of Bethesda, Maryland; nine grandchildren: Amy Hazam, Mark Drewry and his wife Christy (Williams); Katrina and Juliana Piemonte; Tori Piemonte; and Sophie, Eric, Nina, and Gabriel Slesinger; three great- grandchildren: Lucille Hazam, and Kylie and Jacob Drewry; her brother Anthony Carambia (Helen) of New Hyde Park, New York, and sister Rosemarie Powell Carambia (Mike) of Auburn, Maine; and many cherished cousins, nieces, and nephews. Her family is grateful to the staff at Bethany Gardens for their care of Caterina during her final year and to her dearest friends for their constant presence in her life. A Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday at 10:30 AM at the Church of St. John the Baptist, 210 E. Dominick Street, with Father Joseph Sestito, officiating. Calling hours will be Sunday, 4 to 7 pm, at Barry Funeral Home, 307 W. Chestnut Street. Donations in Caterina's memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association (envelopes available at the funeral home; or visit www.alz.org (see Donate, then "Tributes").