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May 2, 2026
Services
Friends may visit with the family from 9-11am on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ.
Following visitation, a funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:15am at the Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, 580 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ.
Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 W Stevens Ave, Hawthorne, NY, 10532.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society's Childhood Cancer fund. Please indicate your gift is in memory of Antoinette.
For those of you who are unable to attend the Mass service for Antoinette can watch it through Livestream. Please click on the link below and at 11:15 a.m. today to view it live. Click
Antoinette Ester Cavarra, age 95, passed away on May 2, 2026 surrounded by the love of her family, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, grace, and unwavering devotion to those she cherished most. Born on May 5, 1930, in Newark to Angelo and Theresa DiPaolo, Antoinette lived a life centered on family, kindness, and love.
In 1952, she married Johnny Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, and together they welcomed two beloved children, Joseph Cuccurullo and Anni Cuccurullo. Following their divorce in 1960, Antoinette devoted herself to raising her children while living in her parents’ home on Pierce Avenue in Bronx, NY.
In 1986, Antoinette married the love of her life, Frank Cavarra. Their marriage was one of deep companionship and devotion. Frank, a decorated World War II Army veteran, was captured during the Normandy Landings and courageously survived a year in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. Together, Frank and Antoinette lovingly cared for Antoinette’s mother, Theresa DiPaolo, who lived to the remarkable age of 102 before passing in 2004. Frank and Antoinette cherished seven years of loving and loyal marriage until Frank’s passing 1993.
Antoinette leaves behind her younger brother Joe and will see her older sister Emily who predeceased her recently.Antoinette is survived by her son Joseph Cuccurullo and wife Linda as well as daughter Anni Cusack & husband Jim.
Antoinette was the proud and loving grandmother of Eric, Travis, Meaghan, Chelsea, Madison, ToniAnn, Joey Rocco, Maxwell & Rilee and the adored great-grandmother of Giovanni and Augustus Oakley. In 2005, she moved from the Bronx to be closer to her daughter Anni Cusack and her family, where she continued to be a constant source of love, encouragement, and wisdom.
Antoinette possessed many talents and passions. An accomplished pianist, she proudly performed at Carnegie Hall, a memory she treasured throughout her life. She was also an exceptional Italian cook whose eggplant, pizza rustica, and famous bran muffins became beloved family traditions that brought everyone together around her table.
To her family and friends, Antoinette was truly a class act, she was elegant, gentle, and endlessly supportive. She never spoke a harsh word and always offered love, comfort, and encouragement to everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her strength, kindness, and beautiful spirit will remain forever in the hearts of those she leaves behind.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family from 9-11am on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ.
Following visitation, a funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:15am at the Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, 580 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ.
Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 W Stevens Ave, Hawthorne, NY, 10532.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society's Childhood Cancer fund. Please indicate your gift is in memory of Antoinette.
For those of you who are unable to attend the Mass service for Antoinette can watch it through Livestream. Please click on the link below and at 11:15 a.m. today to view it live. Click
May 2, 2026
Services
Friends may visit with the family from 9-11am on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ.
Following visitation, a funeral mass will be celebrated at 11:15am at the Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church, 580 Ratzer Rd, Wayne, NJ.
Interment will be in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 W Stevens Ave, Hawthorne, NY, 10532.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society's Childhood Cancer fund. Please indicate your gift is in memory of Antoinette.
For those of you who are unable to attend the Mass service for Antoinette can watch it through Livestream. Please click on the link below and at 11:15 a.m. today to view it live. Click
Antoinette Ester Cavarra, age 95, passed away on May 2, 2026 surrounded by the love of her family, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, grace, and unwavering devotion to those she cherished most. Born on May 5, 1930, in Newark to Angelo and Theresa DiPaolo, Antoinette lived a life centered on family, kindness, and love.
In 1952, she married Johnny Cuccurullo in Brooklyn, and together they welcomed two beloved children, Joseph Cuccurullo and Anni Cuccurullo. Following their divorce in 1960, Antoinette devoted herself to raising her children while living in her parents’ home on Pierce Avenue in Bronx, NY.
In 1986, Antoinette married the love of her life, Frank Cavarra. Their marriage was one of deep companionship and devotion. Frank, a decorated World War II Army veteran, was captured during the Normandy Landings and courageously survived a year in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp. Together, Frank and Antoinette lovingly cared for Antoinette’s mother, Theresa DiPaolo, who lived to the remarkable age of 102 before passing in 2004. Frank and Antoinette cherished seven years of loving and loyal marriage until Frank’s passing 1993.
Antoinette leaves behind her younger brother Joe and will see her older sister Emily who predeceased her recently.Antoinette is survived by her son Joseph Cuccurullo and wife Linda as well as daughter Anni Cusack & husband Jim.
Antoinette was the proud and loving grandmother of Eric, Travis, Meaghan, Chelsea, Madison, ToniAnn, Joey Rocco, Maxwell & Rilee and the adored great-grandmother of Giovanni and Augustus Oakley. In 2005, she moved from the Bronx to be closer to her daughter Anni Cusack and her family, where she continued to be a constant source of love, encouragement, and wisdom.
Antoinette possessed many talents and passions. An accomplished pianist, she proudly performed at Carnegie Hall, a memory she treasured throughout her life. She was also an exceptional Italian cook whose eggplant, pizza rustica, and famous bran muffins became beloved family traditions that brought everyone together around her table.
To her family and friends, Antoinette was truly a class act, she was elegant, gentle, and endlessly supportive. She never spoke a harsh word and always offered love, comfort, and encouragement to everyone fortunate enough to know her. Her strength, kindness, and beautiful spirit will remain forever in the hearts of those she leaves behind.
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