OSWEGO, NY – Jacqueline Devere Santoro of Mount Holly, NC passed away Saturday, January 16, 2016, with her loving family by her side.
She was the only child of Colie and Mary Whiteside, born January 3, 1939.
Mrs. Santoro attended Brookland Grammar School followed by Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, SC, where she was a honor student graduating in 1957.
She played basketball and was voted Most Athletic.
She was a member of the Beta Club, Drama Club, Girls Activity Club, Bear Cat Activity Club, Chorus, and Band.
She won English Letter three years in a row and was on the Student Handbook Staff.
She attended the Baptist Church of West Columbia, SC, where she was an auxiliary member.
She loved to sew, making her own clothing as a teenager, her daughters’ clothing when they were young and did mending for many family members.
It was in third grade that she met her best friend, “B,” Barbara Danzler of Cayce, SC, whom Jackie even gave her wedding dress to for her wedding day.
Jacqueline met the love of her life, Onofrio William Santoro “Bill” on Spano Hill in Scriba.
They married at Saint Joseph’s Church August 30, 1958.
She is survived by two daughters: Pamela Bessel (Victor) Mowers of Oswego and Laurie (Gary) May of Belmont, NC; one son: Anthony (Mared) Santoro of Dorado, PR; 10 grandchildren: Kerri (Rick) Warner, Andrea (Marc) Skilinski, Kurt WR (Nicole Ryan) Bessel, Nicholas Mowers, Angela (Jeff) Cass, Bryan (Kyle Snipe) May, Kevin (Ashley) May, Erik May, Giovanni and Giancarlo Santoro.
“Honey,” as she was called by most of her family and friends, is also survived by seven great-grandchildren: Skye Ryan, Tyler and Lucas Warner, William, Holden and Benjamin Cass and Trevor May.
She was preceded by her loving and devoted husband in 2005 and her father and mother.
Mrs. Santoro worked for the Oswego City School District, Comstock at Nine Mile Point and Oswego Industries Inc., where she retired from.
Jackie and Bill maintained a summer camp at Sackets Harbor for 25 years, where they enjoyed entertaining children and grandchildren, fishing, boating and playing cards with their beloved friends.
Upon retiring they moved to Okeechobee, Florida, for continued enjoyment of boating and fishing and to stay away from the snowy winters.
Jackie moved to Mount Holly, NC, in February 2013, to be near her daughter, Laurie.
Mrs. Santoro was an avid Syracuse Football fan, but particularly Syracuse Basketball and the Ithaca Bombers fan.
“Mom,” as she was called, not only by her children but by her children’s friends, loved her family.
You could find her in the kitchen most Saturday mornings making homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs for dinner on Sunday.
She learned to cook Italian dishes better than anyone, including her famous Italian Wedding Day soup, passing this knowledge down to her family.
Calling hours will be 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at Nelson Funeral Home, 11 W. Albany St., Oswego.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at St Joseph’s Church.
Burial will follow at St. Peter’s Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to “The Bill Santoro Character Award” St Paul’s Leprechaun Basketball League, Trinity Catholic School Oswego, NY 13126, in the attention of Bob Sugar.
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