Obituary for
Yolanda DiLella
Yolanda DiLella, (88) passed away on August 14, 2016 in Hopewell Jct., NY. She was the beloved wife of Giovanni DiLella for whom she shared 61 years of marriage.
She passed peacefully on her 88th birthday at home surrounded by her loving family. She was born, raised and married in Mirabello Sannitico (Italy), later immigrating to America in 1955. Her and Giovanni raised their children, and later their grandchildren in West Harrison, NY.
She is survived by her devoted husband Giovanni DiLella, and loving children Catherine Fama (Anthony Fama, d.), Vincent DiLella (Marguerite Caldara), Elena Randby (Ernie Randby), Linda Galanis (Paul Galanis), and grandchildren Vincent Fama (Josephine Fama), Brian Fama, Troy Galanis, Alyssa Galanis and Brandon Randby, as well as her family both present and departed, Anna Maria Volpacchio (mother, d), Florindo Volpacchio (father, d), sisters Lucia Anzovino, Elvira Fantacone, Carmelina Fierro, Angelina DiBiase, and brothers Fliorindo Volpacchio (d), Giovanni Volpacchio, Gino Volpacchio (d), Luciano Volpacchio and all of her nieces, nephews, family and friends whose lives she touched.
Yolanda worked tirelessly through sickness and in health to provide love and joy to her family and friends. She will forever be loved, missed and never leave our hearts.
Her viewing will be held on Tuesday August 16th from 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm at McMahon, Lyon & Hartnett Funeral Home located at 491 Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, NY.
Funeral services will be held at St. Anthonys of Padua located at 85 Harrison Avenue, West Harrison, NY on Wednesday August 17th at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at Ferncliff Cemetary located at 280 Secor Road, Hartsdale, NY.
Life Story for Yolanda DiLella
Yolanda DiLella was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. Our selfless mother's soul is best expressed through a family story that we all hold close to our hearts.
In 1961 our parents decided to move back to Italy. One night in Mirabello our mother heard a scream in the middle of the night. Knowing where the cries came from, she ran outside to an elderly woman's house across the street. There, she found the body of a neighbor who had fallen down in the middle of the night. She found the woman lying at the bottom of the stairs, alone, unkept and departed. She ran back home to grab soap and clean clothes and then returned to ensure the woman was cleaned and kept before being taken away. She followed her heart and did what she could to ensure that this woman, in her unknown and unfortunate condition was found and handled with her dignity in tact.
This story has helped serve as a guiding light for her children and grandchildren to live selflessly and treat everyone, even those we may not know with respect. Acts like these have formed a foundation for us to understand the quality of woman we are so grateful to have had enter and lead us through life and to continue guiding us through what lies ahead.
Our mother worked tirelessly as a seamstress by trade but as a full time wife, mother and grandmother in life. Like all of her siblings her primary source of pride and joy revolved around raising a healthy and happy family, and to the best of her abilities ensured that nobody and no child around her would experience even a minute of hunger that she couldn’t keep up with.
Yolanda always refused to celebrate her birthday on any day other than her official birthdate. Regardless of the day of the week, poor weather or just how sick she may have been, all she asked was that her family was with her, food on the table and peace in our hearts. She entered this world on August 14, 1928 and began her journey creating and influencing all of our lives, and with sadness she left us exactly 88 years later on August 14, 2016.
Her legacy will forever live on through our family and in all that she has taught and given us. As she prepared to pass we let her know that we would never let her down, giving her the comfort to leave us in peace...
