In the early hours of Friday, January 22nd, beloved mother, and grandmother Antoinette Buscemi succumbed to a battle with COVID-19 at age 94. Antoinette, previously a resident of East New York, Brooklyn; South Ozone Park and Rosedale, Queens, lived in West Islip, New York with her family until her death. Friends and family would tenderly describe Antoinette as a strong, spirited, witty, kind, and devoted individual. Antoinette was born on September 6th, 1926 in East New York to parents Giuseppe and Anna Errico. If you ever asked her where she was born, Antoinette was always proud to say, “Pennsylvania Avenue!” She was a beloved sister to her late brother Rocco, her late brother Frank, and her brother John. On June 14th, 1953 (Flag Day, she would always remind those who asked) she married the love of her life, Salvatore “Teddy” Buscemi. Together, they had two sons, John, and Damian. Antoinette would have to prove her strength at a young age when she was widowed at 41 years old. She continued to raise her two boys as well as take care of her mother Anna until her death. At that point, Antoinette began to work at Alexander’s Department Store in Valley Stream, New York in the returns department until her retirement in 1992. “Retirement” was never really in Antoinette’s vocabulary, because she then immediately took up the job as devoted grandmother to her two granddaughters, Stephanie, and Giovanna. In 1993, the Buscemi family moved to West Islip where three more grandchildren would fall under Antoinette’s care: Salvatore, Julianna, and Johnny.

To her grandchildren, Antoinette wore many hats. She was their caretaker, their source of bedtime stories and horse-back rides, their chauffeur, their chef. The secretaries at all the schools knew her by name, as she would come to drop off a forgotten lunch or pick up a sick child. Everyone on her block knew her as Grandma. To her sons, Antoinette was a steady force of love and adoration. To her daughters-in-law, a second mother who loved each as her own. Antoinette is survived by her brother John, her son John and daughter-in-law Darlene, her son Damian and daughter-in-law Cathy, her grandchildren: Stephanie, Giovanna, Salvatore, Julianna, and John, and several nephews, nieces, and cousins. Antoinette’s viewing will be held on Thursday, January 28th, 2021 at Chapey and Son’s Funeral Home in West Islip, NY from 2pm-4pm and 7pm-9pm. The funeral services will be held Friday, January 29th, 2021 at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in West Islip, NY at 9:30AM. Interment will follow immediately after at St. Raymond’s Cemetery in the Tremont section of the Bronx. Flowers can be sent to 1225 Montauk Highway, West Islip, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Antoinette’s name to the St. Jude’s Foundation.