HUDSON FALLS – On Monday, July 13, 2020, our dear mother, Jean Santoro, 90, passed away due to a fall caused by her advanced Alzheimer’s Disease. Our hearts are broken but we are honored to have shared so many wonderful years with her.
Jean was born in Glens Falls, NY on September 1, 1929. She then moved to Brooklyn, NY with her parents, Sarah Deeb Cusato and Michael Cusato, where she was brought up in a loving, crazy family full of laughter and values. Her parents divorced when Jean was twelve, then moving back to Warren St.in Glens Falls, forming friendships that would last a lifetime. She was proud to be an East Ender, working at Sarah’s grocery store, where people gathered for coffee and conversation.
Jean’s husband, Frank “Che Chee” Santoro, drove past her one day, craning his neck to see his future beautiful bride. They later met on a train, started dating and were married in May 1953. They were a handsome couple who truly loved each other. Unfortunately, Frank’s untimely death left her a widow at 51.
Out of that marriage they had three loving and devoted children, Juliann, Francis and Sara Jean, who cherished their mother beyond measure. Her grandchildren, Thomas Sherman, Marissa Santoro and Anthony Santoro, as well as her great-grandchild, Kenny Heath, shared in that love for their Titah.
Jean was a lover of life and she was so much more. She was beautiful inside and out. She was a singer, a painter, a writer, a great friend, a confidant, an advisor, a world traveler, a humanitarian, a strong and independent woman, a proud Brooklynite and a fierce and loving mother. Her family was her life, including her extended family, the family she married into and the family of friends she made throughout the years.
She made everyone feel as if they were the most important thing in the world. She loved to smile and laugh and appreciated everyone she met. People liked her because of her spunk and zest for life. If you were lucky enough to go to a music event or theatre with her, you would witness someone who truly appreciated the talent in front of her, especially her nephew, Tony DeSare.
She loved all kinds of music, from Frank Sinatra to the Grateful Dead. Meeting the drummer, Mickey Hart, at age 80 was one of her proudest moments. And could she ever sing! She relished performing for people. It was her joy. She recently said, “Music is my medicine.”
For many years she organized an event called Global Kids Chalk 4 Peace, which was held in Juckett Park in Hudson Falls. It was started to help kids express their feelings about September 11th and peace. One year a boy told her he was the school’s biggest bully. She sat him down, explained what she was doing and the next year he found her and excitingly told her he was no longer a bully and he got it. Her work as a peace provider was established.
Jean’s love of the east end of Glens Falls was evident because of her annual gathering of friends at the yearly East End Reunion, were East Enders were invited to gather and share stories about their time living in that area. It was enjoyed by so many, held in honor of her Mom and the wonderful era of the past.
When not working as a dental receptionist, Jean loved to travel. She visited Mexico, Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco, various islands and many places in the US and Canada. She often traveled to NYC’s Roseland Ballroom with her mother and her beloved Syrian cousin, Taudda Najjar. She was always up for an adventure, a good meal or something to do.
One of her mottos was “I’m gonna live til I die”. Our mother was a tremendous advocate for things she believed in, a strong woman, a kind and caring soul, a fashionable person, always wanting a good haircut and a mother who loved her children fiercely and unconditionally. Alzheimer’s may have taken her memory but never her spirit and as she always said, “I’m not from Brooklyn for nothing”. Forever we will miss her and love her for “Sentimental Reasons.”
The Rite of Committal will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2020, St. Mary’s Cemetery in the town of Fort Edward. Please wear masks and practice safe social distancing while attending the burial.
In memory of Jean, please consider donating to a children’s charity of one’s choice.