Obituary of Concetta Sanzari

CONCETTA (Connie) ZISA SANZARI, age 97, passed away peacefully at her home in Hackensack, on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. Daughter of the late Thomas and Carmela Zisa. She is predeceased by her loving husband, Pasquale (Pat) and five sisters, Anna Perna, Lena (Piccolo) Murta, Josephine Bykowsky, Rose Marie Romano, and Margaret Papasso and two brothers, John Zisa and Anthony Zisa. She is survived by her four children: Patrick (the late Doris) Sanzari of NY, Mary Lu (Philip) McPheron of Ithaca, NY, Joseph (Denise) Sanzari of Barnegat, NJ, and Michael (Cheryl) Sanzari of Park Ridge, NJ, ten grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She left a legacy of family love, caring, acceptance, support, and loyalty and she instilled an ethic that hard work can lead to success. She modeled warmth and honesty combined with compassion in raising her family and when tending to her extended family and friends. She had a great sense of humor and she laughed easily and often. Connie's sisters and brothers were incredibly important to her and she drew great strength from them. She cultivated strong relationships with the people she cared about and she benefited from the endless love and support from both the Sanzari and Zisa sides of her family throughout her life. Connie was a devout Roman Catholic and a lifelong parishioner at Holy Trinity Church in Hackensack, NJ. She gained a sense of community and friendship through the many relationships she formed there especially the one with Sister Emily. She sustained her faith by always attending mass even when her travels took her away from home. This was particularly true when she was with her husband during his basic Army training in Texas and continued after his deployment for service in WWII. Travel was an especially important part of Connie's life including her yearly trips to Florida, golf resorts, shore vacations with the kids, trips to Italy with her sisters and family, and her cherished world-wide adventures with her daughter-in-law. Her creativity was expressed through the beautiful flowers she nurtured in her many gardens and in her home. She loved playing a variety of games including cards. She was a skillful competitor as her children and grandchildren quickly discovered. As a cook she was ahead of her time as she emphasized healthy, balanced, and delicious meals. Many of her recipes have been carried down through the generations. Always elegant, she impressed others with her keen sense of style and fashion especially when attending black tie events at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC. She will particularly be remembered for her mental toughness as well as her physical strength which persisted throughout her life. A private Funeral Mass was conducted at Holy Trinity Church and entombment followed at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Hackensack, NJ were held on Aug. 22, 2015. Donations in Connie's memory may be made to a charity of your choice.