PORTLAND – Antoinette (Acito) Rotolo, age 93, a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on Nov. 30, 2013, at her home with family by her side. She was born Aug. 13, 1920, in Portland, the daughter of Donato and Anna Barbraosis Acito.
She was raised in Portland and attended local schools. On Feb. 20, 1944, she married Philip S. Rotolo and they were married for 65 years. They raised three children and made their home on Munjoy Hill and later moved to the North Deering area.
She was a teacher aide for Head Start and worked at Portland High School in the lunch program where she took care of many staff members and students. To this day, she is still remembered for all of the kindness and attention given to everyone at school for so many years. Her passion was cooking and baking, which was amazing! We always said she could have opened up an Italian Restaurant. Her Italian cookies were ones that you wouldn’t forget. You would find Antoinette making cookies for her family, the holidays, family weddings, or just to have them available in her home, so whoever stopped by was lucky enough to take home a “goodie bag.” Just three years ago, she made 500 Italian cookies by herself for her granddaughters wedding. Everything she cooked and baked was made from scratch…genuine Italian mother in the world.
Antoinette especially enjoyed the holidays spending time with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was in her glory when they were around. She was a woman of great faith, and carried that on to her children. She would watch daily Mass, and recited the Rosary daily. She will be forever missed every day by her family, her sister, and many friends she had over the years, especially her many St. Peter’s Church friends (the entire Greg St. Angelo family), Elena Emery, Stuart Infentine, and her friend Dot Pierre.
She was a communicant of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church for over 65 years.
She was predeceased by her parents and her loving husband, Philip; sister, Connie Sampietro; brother, John Acito; granddaughter, Lee Ann Sandy; and son-in-law, Timothy Flaherty. She leaves her daughters, Anne Marie Smyth of Orono, and Therese “Terry” Flaherty of Yarmouth; a son, Philip G. and his wife, Cynthia (Polito) Rotolo, of Portland; sister, Santa “Cindy” Dell’Aquila; grandchildren, John Mower, Mark Flaherty, Melissa McNaboe and her husband, Michael, Therese Mowrer, James Mowrer, Julie Clark and her husband, Keith, Philip A. Rotolo, Ashley Smyth, Joseph Smyth and Thomas Smyth; nine great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.
Relatives and friends are invited for a time of visitation 4-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, at Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland. Prayers will be recited 9:15 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at the funeral home to be followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Federal Street, Portland, with Father Michael Seavey as Celebrant. Interment will follow at New Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Ku-Ruth, and her nurse, Kathy and the wonderful staff at Inter-Med, and Joan Stultz, Coumadin Clinic, the VNA Hospice staff, especially to Cara, Pam and Sara, as well as our deep appreciation to family member, Terry Bergson for all the love and compassion that was shown to Antoinette. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to the Maine Cancer Foundation, 170 US Route No. 1, Suite 250, Falmouth, ME 04105. Those wishing to send a tribute in memory of Antoinette may do so at www.jonesrichandhutchins.com.
Antoinette (Acito) Rotolo
