Yolanda DeFazio

Yolanda DeFazio was born one of 12 children to Carmela and Gaetano Cerullo in 1924, Harrison County West Virginia. Descendants from Italy, her parents settled in W. Va and became farmers. She spent most of her earlier years there. She would later meet the love of her life, Harold DeFazio and settle to Staten Island.

Yolanda had an immense love for cooking and gently cradled and embraced everything she made like a newborn baby. She was widely known for her Italian Easter pies, Pizza Gaina, Pizza Gran, the tastiest meatballs and lasagna, struffelis, was a masterful baker and shared much of her cooking rituals with her husband. She loved to crochet, paint and partook in ceramics as well.

When it came to her grandchildren, get out of the way. Nothing made her happier and she would get on the floor at the expense of her arthritic knees and hands to play with them.

Yolanda met her husband in the late 1940's and moved to Staten Island where they raised 3 children. They later on settled to Cairo NY in the Catskills where the smell and feel of the country woods would take her back home again. She remained upstate after his passing in 1988 then later settled to Massachusetts near her daughter.

Yolanda later moved back to Staten Island and resided in CLove Lake Nursing Home where she spent 3 years before her passing.

She is survived by her 3 children, Umberto, Sylvia and Paul with the normal name. 4 Grandchildren, Alex Daniella, Sarah and Christopher, daughter in law Magda DeFazio and son in law Jean Frenette. Yolanda was adored by all who crossed her path, she will be missed profoundly & leaves behind a legacy beyond words.