Obituary of Maria Lucia Pastro

On Friday, April 4^th, 2025, our Mom, Maria Lucia Pastro passed away peacefully.  She was 93, two days shy of her 94^th birthday.  Our family is grateful for the care, compassion and humor provided by the staff at Fellowship Village and especially Mom’s amazing aides.

Lucy Mitarotondo was born to Giacomo and Maria, immigrants from Italy, in 1931.   They lived first in the Bronx, and then in Brooklyn.   She married Benedetto Pastro in Italy in 1960.  They then established their home in Brooklyn and raised three sons, Al, Jim and Ben.  In 1984, the family moved to Westfield New Jersey.

Mom was a very dedicated mother and homemaker.  The importance of education and her Catholic faith were key values that she demonstrated regularly.  She taught her children to read and write (both print and cursive) before school age and sacrificed to send us all to Catholic grammar and high schools, and then on to college.  She was a den mother in our parish’s Scout troop, and all of us were engaged in parochial life.   Years later, she was a treasured babysitter for her first grandchild, and looked forward to her daily rosary.

Mom was a fantastic cook  and loved creating meals to bring her whole family around her. She was a child of the Great Depression, which instilled in her a gratefulness for whatever we had.

Lucy is survived by her three sons, her daughter-in-law Brooke, and six grandchildren Bri, Michael, William, Skyler, Christopher, and Mariella.  We will all miss her humor, her gentleness, and her big heart.

A visitation will be held on Friday, April 11th, at the Gallaway & Crane Funeral Home from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, located at 101 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Church of Saint James on Saturday, April 12, at 10:00 AM, located at 184 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ.  Lucy will be buried at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.

Donations in memoriam can be made to St.Jude Children's Hospital