Obituary for Marie A. Carotenuto
Marie A. Carotenuto
Marie Antoinette Carotenuto passed away on Monday, March 27, 2023. Marie was born on July 23, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, oldest of four children to Ernest “Harry” and Isabelle “Betty” (Carretta) Cropanese. Marie grew up in the Parish of St. Finbar surrounded by a large, loving family of Carrettas on Bay 23rd Street and the Cropanese side of the family in a neighborhood nearby. Marie loved to share stories about her grandparents, parents, other family members, and neighborhood characters that populated her childhood. Except for a short stint in Valley Stream, New York, during the 1960’s, Marie was a Brooklyn girl through and through.
A great cook for a family of outstanding cooks, Marie enjoyed keeping up the traditions she had enjoyed as a child. Family and friends delighted in the meatballs, braciole, eggplant parmigiana, lasagna, and especially the Christmas Eve seafood dinners she lovingly prepared. Marie collected a few hundred cookbooks over the years, searching for new recipes. Old favorites or new discoveries, the food was not only delicious but beautifully presented. Marie was also known for Italian Christmas cookies which might turn up any time of year during a school bake sale-and always brought a good price!
Marie’s artistic and creative nature took many forms. She loved decorating and after re-doing her own house a few times, then having a hand in decorating half of Brooklyn as a wallpaper consultant with Loconsolo Paints, Marie and her husband Joe built and decorated numerous doll houses. There were many, many dollhouses over the years for grandchildren, friends, family and some given as charitable gifts. Marie and Joe loved to shop. They scoured flea markets for dollhouse furniture and other finds. Family members were frequently gifted with everything from holiday dishtowels to pasta forks to tube socks. Marie had a talent for shopping and dressed well. She loved planning parties, too. Whether dinner party, bridal shower or wedding , each was greeted with the same enthusiasm and attention to detail.
Marie loved watching all classic movies and shared her list of favorites—actress Bette Davis, costume designer Edith Head, dancer Fred Astaire. But, as much as she admired Hollywood’s Golden Age, her favorite actor was Al Pacino. Best Movie? A toss-up between Moonstruck and Titanic! Marie never mastered answering machines or cell phones, and even waged an ongoing battle with the TV remote, but if there was a good movie anywhere on cable, she would find it.
The movies gave her great pleasure when the years of entertaining friends and family dwindled, then passed into memory. Marie was predeceased by her husband of many years, Joseph Carotenuto, her son, Frank Mazzeo, and sister Antoinette Bevilaqua. She is remembered by her children Francine D’Alessandro and Anthony Mazzeo, stepdaughter Carol(Robert) Parilla, stepson Joseph (Roslyn) Carotenuto, stepdaughter Theresa (Mario) Fiore, daughter-in-law Nicole Mazzeo, brothers Carmine Cropanese and Frank (Carol) Cropanese. In addition to her nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins, Marie Carotenuto is mourned by her beloved Chinese neighbors, the Liang Family, who knew her as Grandma Marie. And, as with all the other grandchildren, there were school events, recitals, graduations and weddings to attend.
She loved her family and it was the joy of her life. Her presence in our lives will be missed.
A Funeral Mass for Marie A. Carotenuto will be held on Saturday, April 15, 2023 at 11:00 AM at St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, 2800 Route 17K, Bullville, New York, 10915
Mass will be live-streamed at www.stpaulsbullville.org
Lunch will immediately follow in the church hall.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Marie’s favorite charity,
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.prg
To plant a tree in memory of Marie A. Carotenuto, visit the Tribute Store.
Previous Events
Service
Saturday
15
Apr
11:00 AM
- 12:00 PM
St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church
Rt. 17K
Bulliville, NY 10915
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