Olivia Passarelli, a longtime resident of New Rochelle, passed away peacefully at her home on December 23, 2016 just a few days shy of her 91st birthday. Born in Calabria, Italy, Olivia was the daughter of Michelangelo and Concetta (nee Sammarco) Sacco. She had five loving siblings – Maddelena, Carmella, Maria, Antonietta, and Franco – who always called her by her childhood nickname, Oli (pronounced Oh-lee). As a young woman, Olivia attended university and graduated with a degree in teaching. She immigrated to New York after WWII as a war bride to marry her husband of forty-five years, Joseph Passarelli, a native of New Rochelle.
As their family expanded, Olivia and Joseph scrimped and saved to purchase their home in New Rochelle where they lived for many decades. Joe was a presser in a local dress factory and Olivia was a seamstress and part-time home economics, sewing, and language instructor at the area middle and high schools. Olivia established her own small business, specializing in the creation of one-of-a-kind wedding gowns. After Joe’s long illness and passing from congestive heart failure in 1994, Olivia became a nanny, a role she happily embraced and that allowed her to share her sweet and nurturing spirit. In her later years, Olivia was thankful to have been blessed with the gift of three beautiful grandchildren who were the light of her life.
She was an especially creative person as reflected in her favorite pastimes of gardening, cooking, singing, and painting. Friends and family knew Olivia had a wonderful soprano voice and would often answer her phone with a song of praise to the Lord. She did extensive volunteer work in the community, visiting nursing homes to comfort, pray with, read and sing to residents.
Olivia came to America years ago looking for a better life and what she accomplished was to make life better for everyone who was fortunate enough to know her. She deeply loved her family, her church, her many faithful and generous friends, and most importantly, the Lord. While we will miss her greatly, we rejoice that Olivia is resting in the arms of the Lord. May He reward her for the loving kindness and faith she demonstrated throughout her lifetime and may she bask forever in the glory of His presence.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2
Olivia is survived by her daughter, Marisa Callan who, along with Jansen hospice, devotedly cared for Olivia at home during the last weeks of her life; her daughter and son-in-law, Tina and Jonathan Kasper; son and daughter-in-law, Joseph and Debi Passarelli, along with their three children, Olivia, Gabriella and William.
The family is grateful for the outstanding care and compassion shown to Olivia by the doctors and nurses of Westmed & Lawrence Hospital as well as by the staff at the Wartburg and United Hebrew Rehabilitation facilities.
Please make any memorial donations in Olivia’s name to your choice of the following religious organizations who further the work and Word of the Lord:
Gideons International (Bible distribution) – gideons.org
Times Square Church (local and international outreach) – www.tscnyc.org
Church of Our Savior (community outreach)
c/o Luz Sanzo
380 North Broadway – Apt C-23
Yonkers, NY 10701
Wartburg (nursing home outreach)
1 Wartburg Place
Mount Vernon, NY 10552
on check memo line, please notate – The Chaplaincy Fund
Funds will be directed to the Wartburg Lutheran Congregation Church – Pastor Carol Fryer
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