Obituary of Maria Russotto

 

 

Maria Russotto (Née Pace), beloved aunt, sister and

cousin died on the 13th of April, 2026 at approximately

10:17p, in Brooklyn, NY after a six year battle with

dementia. She was 93.

 

She leaves behind a sister, Grace, sister-in-Law, Anna,

two nieces, Gabriella and Maria, two nephews, Jim

(Maria) and Tony, and cousins Maria, Joe, Frank, Pina

and Aldo. Along with six great-nephews and nieces,

Daniella (Fred), Amanda, Joelle (Mike), Alexandra, John

and Alex. Also great-grandnephew, Lorenzo and great-

grandniece, Milania. She was predeceased by her husband

Salvatore, her father Filippo Pace, her mother

Gabriella Pace(née Morici) and her younger brother,

Leonardo Pace.

 

Maria Russotto was born on November 6th, 1932 in

Palermo, Sicily located in the country of Italy. Born

to Filippo Pace, a skilled shoemaker, who was drafted

into the Italian army when Maria was five years-old,

and Gabriella Pace (née Morici), an adept seamstress,

who raised Maria, and her two siblings, Grace and

Leonardo, on her own, from the the time Maria was five,

until Maria turned twelve years-old, when her husband

returned from the army, where he had been captured and

taken as a prisoner of war for the duration of World

War 2.

 

A sensitive child, Maria was ten years-old when she

began to care for her two younger siblings, often for

twelve hours a day and very little to eat, while her

mother worked to support the family while her husband

was in the army.

 

In her early twenties, Maria met her future husband,

Salvatore Russotto, a soft-spoken gentleman, while he

was back home visiting after emigrating to the United

States two years earlier. They soon married and moved

to the USA and settled in Brooklyn, New York, in 1960,

where Salvatore worked as a sous-chef and Maria worked

as a seamstress in the garment industry. They were

married over forty years until Salvatore’s death on

January 12th, 2002.

 

She loved doting on her husband, always making sure to

leave anywhere she was at the time, so dinner would be

ready when he arrived home from work. While their

marriage evolved with the changing times, their nightly

dinner routine was never broken.

 

They loved hosting family gatherings, sleepovers with

their nieces and nephews, and quiet nights at home

watching Johnny Carson.. always Johnny Carson.

For a couple of years in the 1990’s, Salvatore and

Maria opened up their home to a couple of foster

children. While they were overjoyed at finally having

children in the house, the temporary nature of foster

care was too much for them to bear, when children they

had grown attached to had to leave. Ending that chapter

of their lives.

 

Mary was not a drinker or smoker. In fact, she never

drank or smoked unless the family was gathering for a

holiday celebration. Then you would find Mary,

cigarette in hand, drinking one glass of wine or beer,

and a half shot of Galliano liqueur, leading to three

or four hours of jubilant, raucous, inebriated laughter

with Salvatore, her mom, Gabriella, siblings, Grace,

Leo and sister-in-law Anna and whichever friends,

neighbors or family happened to join the festivities.

In the background, dozens of meticulously wrapped

Christmas presents under the tree.

Holiday disagreements would follow of course, then

right back to the laughter.

 

It was a joyous time in her life.

 

She loved spending days with her mom, and often her dad

would join her and Salvatore for dinner.

She loved shopping and taking strolls along 18th Ave,

her long time Brooklyn neighborhood. Greeting everyone

with a smile and her signature hello, in a sing song-y

voice (Ha-Low!).

 

Even in her later years, suffering from dementia, she

would never begin eating, unless her guests were seated

and served first.

 

She loved her family, and her family loved her.

We will miss you Mary.