Claire D'Agostaro

Claire D'Agostaro was the third of the five children of Michael and Louise Cagnetta and the first of the family to be born in the United States. Born at home in Brooklyn, she grew up in a close family with oldest sister Marie, older brother Frank, and younger sisters Frances and Joanna. She was a good student and graduated from Lafayette High School, where she was enrolled in a co-op program that gave her the opportunity to learn bookkeeping and get work experience in her field while still a student. She worked as a bookkeeper and office manager for various companies for most of her life. In her later years she often said she had loved working and wished she could still work. She married Joseph D'Agostaro on October 11, 1953. They had two children, Theresa, and Giacomo (Jack.) Claire was widowed on September 19, 1975, when her husband Joseph suffered a sudden heart attack. She carried on with bravery and positivity, working hard to see both of her children graduate from college, start careers, and begin their own families. She was a loving, caring, and fun grandmother to Emily, Joseph, and Stephen. Her friends and family all delighted in her sense of humor and favorite sayings, from funny Italian proverbs and phrases to genuine words of wisdom. Claire enjoyed dining out, dancing, and just spending time visiting with her many friends. She was an avid Scrabble player and even in her 90's she was often able to beat her children at Scrabble. She was active in Parents without Partners, a local widows and widowers club, and several Friendship Club senior centers on Staten Island. She was a parishioner of St. Clare's church and later of Holy Child. A devout Catholic, despite her physical struggles in her last years she regularly attended Mass held at Island Shores senior residence as well as a rosary group run by the residents. A breast cancer survivor herself, Claire had spent many years as a volunteer for the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program, counseling and encouraging other women experiencing the effects of breast cancer surgery. She received an award certificate for her work. Until the COVID pandemic and increasing illness got in the way, Claire spent a lot of time in the last fifteen years with her beloved companion Richard Santo. They attended senior citizen activities and family events together, traveled a bit and dined out with other couples. When they were not going out, they liked to play Scrabble, eat dinner together and watch evening game shows on television. Claire is survived by daughter Theresa, son-in-law Albert, son Giacomo, daughter-in-law Debbie, grandchildren Emily, Joseph and Stephen, sister Joanna and brother-in-law Vito, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, and their families. To everyone who knew and loved her, Claire was an inspiration and an example of genuine kindness, perseverance in the face of difficulty, love of people and a genuine joy in life. Her loss is a great blow to her family and friends, but we are comforted by many happy memories of time spent with her. The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2022, at John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals, Inc., 28 Eltingville Blvd, Staten Island, New York. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at Holy Child Church located at 4747 Amboy Rd Staten Island, New York 10312. Private Cremation to follow.

Claire D'Agostaro

December 1, 1930 - September 22, 2022