Betty Lamancusa

GIRARD – Betty Lamancusa, 88, departed this earth to enter heaven and become a guardian angel, passing away peacefully of a broken heart at 1:41 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, in her sleep at her home, the way she hoped and prayed she would go.

Betty was born Feb. 22, 1931, in Youngstown, a daughter of the late Chester and Dorothy Wood, and was a lifelong area resident.

Betty attended East High School and worked as a waitress and hostess for Howard Johnson’s on Market Street, where she met Carmelo “Charlie” Lamancusa, who became the love of her life.

Betty and Charlie were married on April 28, 1954, and together they owned and operated Lamancusa’s Market from 1949 until the tragic night of Feb. 4, 2000, when she lost Charlie, her love and best friend, to a gunshot in a robbery of their store.

In addition to running the business with her husband, Betty was also a homemaker who dedicated her life to raising and caring for her family. She enjoyed cooking and having large gatherings of family for holiday meals. Her favorite holiday was Christmas and she loved making her “big pot” of wedding soup for everyone – a lot of work that nevertheless left her very happy. Betty was a very proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and family meant everything to her.

Betty was a member of St. Rose Church in Girard.

She leaves to cherish her memory her sons, Sam (Nicci) Lamancusa of Girard and Charles (Heather) Lamancusa of Hartford; her daughters, Rose (Thomas) DeMarco of Brookfield and Dorothy (William) Donnadio of Youngstown; her sister, Dorothy Shaffer of Pennsylvania; in-laws, Nancy Lamancusa of Boardman and Anthony (Diane) Lamancusa of Baltimore; her cherished grandchildren, Carmelo “C.J.”, Margie, Marissa, Scott, Danielle, John, Bryce, William, Anthony, Kaitlin, and Michael; her prized great-grandchildren, Vivian, Sammy, Joey, Johnny, Jack, Andrew, and Alex; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great nieces, and great-great-nephews.

Besides her husband and parents, who she now joins in heaven, her mother- and father-in-law, Sam and Rose Lamancusa; a sister and brother in-law, Iva and John Hager; a brother, Clarence Wood; and in-laws, Joseph and Barbra Lamancusa, Santino and Evelyn Lamancusa, and the greatest admirer of her wedding soup, Frank Lamancusa, also preceded her in death and are rejoined with her in the afterlife.

Family and friends may call from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 20, at St. Rose Church, 48 E. Main St., where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at noon.                        

Private interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown, where Betty will be laid to rest next to her husband.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home in Girard.

Betty’s family would like to offer special thanks to Debbie and Vickie of Windsor Care Givers, and to everyone at Southern Care Hospice for all the wonderful care that was provided to “mom.”

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.