Obituary of Carol M. Martinelli

Carol Martinelli of Yonkers, NY, passed away suddenly on Wednesday morning,November 19th. She was born on February 8, 1925 to Ricardo & Rose Madatto in Mongrassano, Italy, in the province of Cosenza, region of Calabria. Carol came to the United States through Ellis Island when she was 4 years old and grew up in Mt. Vernon where she graduated from Our Lady of Victory and A.B. Davis High School. She met the love of her life, Angelo Martinelli, at RKO Proctor's in Mt. Vernon where she worked as a cashier and he as an usher. They were married on June 26, 1949 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and began raising their family at 20 North 7th Avenue before settling in Yonkers in 1960. In addition to raising their 6 sons, Carol was always happy to lend a hand with the couple's 12 grandchildren and she was thrilled to be the great grandmother of four! As if that wasn't enough, she was a friend and confidante to her husband when he entered politics. Her organizational skills and huge network of friends were important factors in Angelo's being elected Mayor of Yonkers six times. Always by his side, she also dressed him so well that he was selected as one of the best dressed public officials in the country by the Fashion Institute of America. She also prepared and presided over countless family dinners that were joyous occasions enjoyed by extended family and friends for years. Carol often said that she was very proud of the varied accomplishments of each of her sons and grandchildren and that she was never happier than when she was celebrating with her "boys." Just recently, she was blessed with the opportunity to celebrate her 65th Wedding Anniversary to Angelo with her entire family both here and on a family trip to the Bahamas. In addition to these many duties, Carol always made time to give back to the community. From voluteering at Mt. Vernon Hospital as a candy striper to organizing home cooked meals through a St. Eugene's program providing a monthly meal for the the homeless of the Yonkers Sharing Community, Carol was a tireless volunteer always trying to improve the quality of life for the poor and their families. She was a member of the St. Joseph's Medical Center Auxillliary and the Ladies Guild of her parish, St. Eugene's. For many years she chaired the American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days and she served on the Advisory Board of the Westchester Division of the Committee on Italian Migration which presented her its "Mother of the Year" Award in 1980. A former member of the YWCA Board of Directors, Carol was honored by the Exchange Club of Yonkers at its "One Nation under God" dinner for a lifetime of public service. Wife, mother, sister, friend, volunteer, grandmother and great grandmother, Carol touched the lives of countless people with her boundless generosity, support, kindness, selflessness, enthusiasm and love. She will be missed by all. She is survived by her husband, Angelo, her son, Michael (and his wife, Jeanne), her son, Paul (and his wife, Lori), her son, Robert (and his wife, Alice), her son Richard (and his wife, Beth Ann), her son, Thomas (and his wife, Kathy), her son, Ralph, her sister, Josephine and her brother, Peter. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jeanette, Michael, Jr. (and his wife, Jeanna), Lyda Jo (and her husband, Andreas), Chris (and his wife, Tami), Nick (and his wife, Bari), Christen, Richard, Jr., Rose, Jack, Sean, MacKenzie and David, and her great grandchildren, Stefano, Nick, Jr., Macy and just born, Lucas. The family will be present to receive visitors at the Sinatra Memorial Home, 601 Yonkers Avenue, on Thursday from 7 – 9 pm and Friday from 2 - 4 and 7 – 9 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Eugene's Church on Saturday at 10 am followed by internment at St. Mary's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to Autism Speaks (www.autismspeaks.org) would be appreciated by the family.