Obituary of Jeanette Kathleen De Silvia

The family of Jeanette Kathleen De Silvia is saddened to announce her passing. Jeanette passed away peacefully on December 8, 2024, at the age of 87 years.

Jeanette was born on November 8, 1937 in New York City. She was a daughter of Edgar and Anne De Silvia.  Jeanette is survived, by her daughter Cynthia Bonanno (Cindy Lou), her son Anthony Cusanelli, her grandchildren Emily Bonanno, Jessie (Joey) Cusanelli-Diaz, Christopher Cusanelli, her nephews Kevin Traina, Christopher Traina, Matthew Traina and Harold Hughes and her nieces Barbara Hughes Nolan,  and Irene Hughes and great nieces and great nephews. 

Jeanette was predeceased by her son William Christopher Cusanelli, and her sisters Barbara Traina and Vera Hughes. She was also predeceased by her ex-husband Ernest Cusanelli. 

Jeanette was a telephone operator in her very late teens. In her 30's, once the last of her three children were in school, she went back to school to perfect her typing skills and to learn stenography, both Pittman and Gregg. She wrote her grocery lists and reminder notes in stenography! She then became an executive secretary at CBS in New York City. Part of her duties were to coordinate the television commercials for CBS TV. While at CBS, she was on the women's soft ball team called the "Eyefuls". They played at Central Park and had yellow shirts with the CBS  "eye-like' logo in black to every practice and game. So everyone knew when the CBS Women's Team was at the park.  During this time, Jeanette also joined her church's women's bowling league;  it was on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 8pm, so her sister Vera babysat her children for those couple of hours. 

After leaving CBS, Jeanette worked at the library in Sunnyside, Queens New York until her retirement in 2007.

Jeanette was a devout Catholic and after retirement volunteered at her parish, The Holy Name of Jesus,  one block from her residence on West End Avenue in New York City. She was a Eucharistic minister and member of the choir. She helped organize Christmas parties and pageants. She went on various pilgrimages with her church to Portugal, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Mexico City. 

She volunteered at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen in NYC on Wednesdays.  Jeanette also read to students in remedial reading class at P.S.075, Emily Dickinson School, New York City, two days a week during the school year. One day a week, she gave out peanut butter sandwiches and apples in a brown paper bag, including a card with the nearest soup kitchen to those living on the street on Amsterdam Avenue.   Once, someone threw an apple at her, but missed, thankfully.  The next week Jeanette went on her mission with the concierge of her building as protection.

Jeanette also filled her retirement time with English Country Dancing and Contra Dancing on Saturday nights at Country Dance New York (CDNY) on W13th St., in NYC. She loved going to CDNY.

Throughout most of her life, Jeanette loved to sew and often made dresses and jackets for her and her daughter and shirts for her sons. She enjoyed embroidering, which she often gave as gifts. She also knew how to play the piano and violin, and often said " I'm not too good a player, but I'm a good dabbler."

As a mother, she taught her children how to ride a bike, how to roller skate, ice skate, swim, throw a baseball. She also taught them how to do laundry and clean house! She took them many times to museums in the city, ice skating in Central Park, the Central Park Zoo, swimming in Astoria Pool and Rockaway Beach, parades, concerts and Mets baseball games (the bleacher seats), and on and on.  Jeanette took her kids to the 1965 World's Fair in Flushing Meadow Park on a school day because the tickets were cheaper during the week. 

Every Christmas Season she took her children to see the Radio Music Hall Rockettes and the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center.   She didn't have much money, but she could stretch what she had! And she cooked everything, such as: spaghetti and meatballs, lasagne, baked macaroni and cheese,corned beef and cabbage, sauerbraten, stuffed peppers, braciole and so much more. 

Jeanette lived a very full life, always kept herself busy and continued to be active and volunteer right through into her very late seventies and very early eighties. Jeanette and her energy, enthusiasm, volunteerism and her  "just keep going" attitude, will  be very much missed  . She will serve as a role model and will never be forgotten by those who knew her well.  

To honor Jeanette, in lieu of flowers, donations to any Christian run Soup Kitchen or Food Pantry that you may know of and trust would be appreciated, whether it be a monetary donation or canned goods, etc.   Or,  you may prefer to volunteer, even just one time at a soup kitchen, or read to a remedial student  at a school program near you (whether in person or online).  Any way you that you may choose to help someone in genuine need, no matter how small that help may be, will serve as a memorial to Jeanette.  

 Her family will receive friends on Saturday morning December 14 from 8:30AM until 10:00AM at the John J. Fox Funeral Home, Inc. 2080 Boston Post Road Larchmont New York 10538. A Mass of Chrisian burial will be celebrated for Jeanette on that morning at 11AM at Saints John & Paul Church 280 Weaver Street Larchmont, NY 10538. Interment is private.