Obituary for Nancy Lee Capone
Nancy L. Capone passed away on May 16, 2022 after a brief illness. Her loss was unforeseeable as recently as a few weeks ago, when she was to be found at her seat in the dining room of her residence offering her unique brand of encouragement to the staff that cared for her.
Nancy Lee Ciarletto was born in Yonkers, NY, on July 7, 1945, the first of four daughters to be born to Anthony and Gemma Ciarletto. Nancy would spend most of her life in Yonkers, except for an approximate decade when she and her first husband, Richard Yarolin Sr., and her sons Richard and Joseph (aka, Richie and Joey) held court in their rustic home in the wilds of Putnam Valley.
Nancy and Richard Yarolin married very young, and while their marriage may have had an expiration date, their association did not, as they relied upon each other at critical times for help and support, until his passing away a few years ago.
Those who knew Nancy best would probably say that her marriage to the late Vincent Capone were the happiest years of her life, although they never settled for very long in one place due to Vinny’s heightened sensitivity to the neighbors. While at times their relationship may have appeared fractious, it was always clear how much they loved each other.
Nancy embraced the role of grandmother like her mother and mother-in-law (Emily Yarolin) had demonstrated in their affection for her own children. Her love for Michael, Anthony and Amanda was surely as great a comfort for her as it was for them.
Nancy was a graduate of the former High School of Commerce, and that august institution prepared her for a life of steady employment as a Credit Manager for several large Westchester firms, such as Suburban Carting, Thyssen-Krupp Elevators and Coca-Cola (and several smaller firms that not even her skills at getting folks to pay their bills could save from bankruptcy).
Nancy was a fierce advocate for her family members, especially those who needed multiple chances to reach their potential. Not that this should be considered unusual for her, since Nancy was known for speaking exactly what was on her mind all the time. While not an active church goer, she lived the doctrine of forgiveness as well anyone found in the pews.
She will be remembered for all these things, but the picture of Nancy that will always emerge first to those who knew her from the closest vantage point is that of being greeted by her at the door with the comforting smell of a Sunday pot roast dinner embracing you as tightly as she was. Each trapezoidal slice of meat able to be cut with a fork, not by magic, but because she had cared enough about your visit to start preparing the meal at 6:00 AM so that it would be perfect and you would never know exactly how much work went into making it so.
Nancy is survived by her sons Richard and his wife Dawn and Joseph and his wife Iluminada, along with grandchildren Michael, Anthony and Amanda Yarolin, sisters Sandra Coyle and Marianne Scott, and several nieces and nephews.
She once revealed her concept of heaven, to live forever with just enough of everything to never know want. For those loved ones that predeceased her---Anthony, Gemma, Emily and Joseph Yarolin, Richard, Vincent, her sister Lenora, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins and some childhood friends---heaven, while it could not be more perfect, is a little more comforting now that pot roast is on the menu. For those she left behind, the present might be sadder, but for the knowledge that their fierce advocate has gone before them to secure their invitation to the banquet.
Nancy Lee Ciarletto was born in Yonkers, NY, on July 7, 1945, the first of four daughters to be born to Anthony and Gemma Ciarletto. Nancy would spend most of her life in Yonkers, except for an approximate decade when she and her first husband, Richard Yarolin Sr., and her sons Richard and Joseph (aka, Richie and Joey) held court in their rustic home in the wilds of Putnam Valley.
Nancy and Richard Yarolin married very young, and while their marriage may have had an expiration date, their association did not, as they relied upon each other at critical times for help and support, until his passing away a few years ago.
Those who knew Nancy best would probably say that her marriage to the late Vincent Capone were the happiest years of her life, although they never settled for very long in one place due to Vinny’s heightened sensitivity to the neighbors. While at times their relationship may have appeared fractious, it was always clear how much they loved each other.
Nancy embraced the role of grandmother like her mother and mother-in-law (Emily Yarolin) had demonstrated in their affection for her own children. Her love for Michael, Anthony and Amanda was surely as great a comfort for her as it was for them.
Nancy was a graduate of the former High School of Commerce, and that august institution prepared her for a life of steady employment as a Credit Manager for several large Westchester firms, such as Suburban Carting, Thyssen-Krupp Elevators and Coca-Cola (and several smaller firms that not even her skills at getting folks to pay their bills could save from bankruptcy).
Nancy was a fierce advocate for her family members, especially those who needed multiple chances to reach their potential. Not that this should be considered unusual for her, since Nancy was known for speaking exactly what was on her mind all the time. While not an active church goer, she lived the doctrine of forgiveness as well anyone found in the pews.
She will be remembered for all these things, but the picture of Nancy that will always emerge first to those who knew her from the closest vantage point is that of being greeted by her at the door with the comforting smell of a Sunday pot roast dinner embracing you as tightly as she was. Each trapezoidal slice of meat able to be cut with a fork, not by magic, but because she had cared enough about your visit to start preparing the meal at 6:00 AM so that it would be perfect and you would never know exactly how much work went into making it so.
Nancy is survived by her sons Richard and his wife Dawn and Joseph and his wife Iluminada, along with grandchildren Michael, Anthony and Amanda Yarolin, sisters Sandra Coyle and Marianne Scott, and several nieces and nephews.
She once revealed her concept of heaven, to live forever with just enough of everything to never know want. For those loved ones that predeceased her---Anthony, Gemma, Emily and Joseph Yarolin, Richard, Vincent, her sister Lenora, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins and some childhood friends---heaven, while it could not be more perfect, is a little more comforting now that pot roast is on the menu. For those she left behind, the present might be sadder, but for the knowledge that their fierce advocate has gone before them to secure their invitation to the banquet.