Obituary of Carmela Savarese

Carmela Savarese, age 88, of Ithaca, New York, passed away in the presence of loved ones on March 16, 2021. She is survived by her beloved brother and sister-in-law, Nino and Antoinette Patafio. She is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews, as well as great-nieces and great-nephews; thereby earning the endearing nicknames Auntie and Grantie. Carmela was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. At about the age of 13, Carmela, after the passing of her mother, Lena Buzzanca, was adopted by her uncle, Frank Patafio. She graduated from Lafayette High School in 1952. Carmela was married for a time in the 1960's, then eventually lived with her sister and brother-in-law, Millye and George Levine, in both Brooklyn and Staten Island. Carmela went on to play a large role in the lives of Millye and George's four sons: Adam, Peter, Paul and Robert; she was a third parent to them. Carmela was also extremely close to Adam, Peter, Paul and Robert's children, Charlie, Thomas, Sofia, Sasha and William. Most of her working career was spent in the insurance industry, most recently working for Marsh & McLennan, from where she retired in 2007. In addition to her mother, Carmela was preceded in death by her loving sisters, Grayce Cutroneo and Millye Levine. A Catholic Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Rosary R.C. Church, 80 Jerome Avenue, Staten Island, NY at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow at Rosedale Cemetery, Linden, NJ at approximately 12:00 PM. Due to Covid, all visitors are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.