Maria (Emmi) Giamartino's Obituary
Maria (Emmi) Giamartino, 78, of Manlius, NY, passed away May 29, 2023 after a seven and a half year battle with pancreatic cancer surrounded by her loving family. She was born in Linguaglossa Sicily, daughter of the late Paolo and Maria Concetta (Ragusa) Emmi.
In addition to her parents, she was also predeceased by her sister, Antonina “Nina” LaRosa.
Maria moved to the United States from her tiny town at the base of Mt. Etna with her family at the age of eleven. Despite the challenges she faced as an immigrant, Maria was a woman of great strength and determination. She worked tirelessly, attending school, baking bread, cooking meals and helping to provide for her family in their new home. After high school she attended beauty school and started a career as a highly sought after beautician. Ultimately, it was her friendship with one of her clients that led to an introduction to John, the love of her life.
Everyone that knew Maria knew that she was an incredible cook. She loved nothing more than sharing her beautifully prepared meals with her loved ones, friends, neighbors, caddies or anyone else her family brought to her home. All were welcome to her table.
Maria never lost touch with her roots. She was proud of her Sicilian heritage and she instilled a love of her culture in her children and grandchildren. She was proud to have the ability to take her family back to see her homeland. She made sure to visit often and despite the distance between them, she never lost touch with her family that remained in Italy.
Maria was an avid golfer. She spent countless hours playing golf, not only at her club courses in Syracuse and Jupiter, Florida; she had the good fortune to play top courses around the world, including Augusta National. She passed this love of golf down to her grandchildren and started taking them out to play when they were very young. While Maria truly loved the sport and the competition that came with it, she loved the time it provided her to spend with John, her grandchildren and with so many of her cherished girlfriends.
Maria is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, John Giamartino; three children, John Paolo (Heather) Giamartino, Maria Francesca “Mia” (James) Stanton and David Anthony (Catherine) Giamartino; seven grandchildren, Emmi Gioia, Gianpaolo, James John, Michael Angelo, Maricatherine Concetta, Maria Emmanuella and Anna Claire; two sisters, Angela (Mario) LaRosa and Carmela (George) Brocco, along with several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Funeral Mass in celebration of Maria’s life will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, June 5, 2023 at Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church, 301 Ash St., Syracuse, NY. Private entombment will be in Woodlawn Cemetery Mausoleum. Family and friends may call from 2:00 – 6:00 pm on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at the THOMAS J. PIRRO JR. FUNERAL HOME, 3401 Vickery Rd. (corner of Buckley Rd.) North Syracuse, NY.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Maria may be directed to support the research of Dr. Jin He at the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery. Please make checks payable to Johns Hopkins University. Gifts may be mailed with a memo indicating that this gift is in memory of Maria Giamartino to the Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 550 North Broadway, Suite 722, Baltimore, MD 21205 or made online at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/jinhe
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