Antoinette Esposito

Antoinette Esposito (nee Cascone) age 97 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Saturday November 24, 2018 in the presence of, and while receiving the loving care of her family.

Antoinette was born and raised in Paterson and was one of four daughters to Carmelo and Orazia Cascone.  Antoinette was part of a group in our Society that has become known as “The Greatest Generation.”  The Greatest Generation are those who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity made decisive contributions to society.  Antoinette, like many others during that time, decided that their education would have to be put aside in order to help support their families, and Antoinette was barely a teenager when she entered the workforce.

She held several different jobs as a young woman including working as a seamstress, and assembly line worker.  However in and around 1938 that all changed for her. Sometime in 1938 Antoinette was attending the St Michael’s Feast in Paterson with her cousins, and she was introduced to a handsome young man named Walter Esposito.  They hit it off wonderfully and as fate would have it they fell in love, and after dating for about three years they were married on October 26, 1941.  They were married just as Walter was being shipped off to the US Army Air Corps.  Walter and Antoinette were only able to enjoy a one-night honeymoon in New York City before Walter had to return to his Army barracks.  Antoinette moved near to Fort Monmouth where Walter was stationed and Walter would sneak off the barracks every so often to meet her.  Walter was later transferred to Seattle and Antoinette followed him there so that they could see each other whenever possible.  

Following Walter’s return home after the war, the couple moved to Paterson where they lived with Antoinette’s parents in a two-family home.  They lived there until 1955 when the moved to Wayne.  They would call Wayne their home for the rest of their lives together and raised their two sons Wally and Joe there as well.  Antoinette and Walter cherished an astonishing seventy-two years of loving and loyal marriage together until Walter’s passing in 2014.  Immediately after getting married, Antoinette took on the role for which she was destined, a homemaker.  Antoinette was a totally selfless person, dedicating her life to caring and nurturing her family.  Antoinette was the pillar of strength for her family, always being there for her children and her husband.  She was an amazing cook, known by her family and friends particularly for her rice balls, artichokes and various pasta dishes.  Her recipes are being passed down through her children and her children’s children, many of them hand written by Antoinette herself.  Antoinette and Walter enjoyed traveling together to places such as Italy, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Sanibel Island, and St Thomas (to stay with her son Joe who lived for several years).  They also frequented Florida in the winters where they rented a house.  But above all, Antoinette’s greatest passion was for her family, nothing in the world, meant more to her than caring for and spending time with her children and grandchildren and great grandson.  Antoinette was a remarkable person who touched the lives all everyone that knew her and she will be sincerely missed.

Antoinette is survived by her two sons; Wally Esposito and his wife Kathy of Ridgewood, and Joe Esposito and his wife Carolyn of Wayne, four grandchildren; Michael Esposito and his wife Gianine of Morristown, Kristin Esposito of Needham, MA, Corey Esposito of Wayne, and Ty Esposito of Wayne, one great grandchild Christopher Kiesling of Needham, MA.  She was predeceased by her husband Wally Esposito in 2014 as well as by her three sisters; Mary Cappello, Francis Gulino, and Sadie Realbuto.        

In lieu of flowers, donations in Antoinette’s name may be made to Wayne First Aid Squad, PO Box 2004, Wayne, NJ 07470.