Wanda Mancuso

Life Legacy - of a Special Woman Her name Wanda Kurash Mancuso - - - yes she seemed to capture us all and then one day she left us………… as she slipped away on Monday, March 21, 2011 in Margate Florida. She left a void that seems way too difficult to fill. Wanda was surrounded by family and friends - a loving husband of some 65 years, her sons Jody (57) and Ray (49) and a very special friend much like an adopted daughter Tina (57) - she was survived by her grandchildren Jody 3rd her new daughter in law Hannah, Mathew, Nicole and Joseph, as well as so many extended family members. What fun it must have been watching her grow up in Wilkes-Blaire Pennsylvania back 85 years ago. She was a pistol, full of life, laughter and out to do almost anything that had adventure attached to it. Oh there were the days of cigarettes and the days of gambling. You see she had part of her father in her; oh that was the gambling side. Her father Joseph loved life too but he would get himself into trouble and before you knew it there was another story to tell. Her Mom Josephine was an angel. Wanda picked up the sweet mother and ladylike side from her but doesn’t count either of them short - there was fire among them. But Joseph and Josephine left us a long time ago leaving her Brother Ray to keep the laughs coming. After moving to New York City in 1942 at the age of 16, she was soon to meet the man of her dreams. While getting a photograph taken in a small photography shop located in the Lower East Side of New York City, you can only guess who the photographer was. Joe Mancuso, a handsome 17 year old, took her picture and never let her go for the next 67 years. As Joe went off to serve his country with the United States Marines, Wanda waited patiently for his return. Well, not so patiently! Upon Joe’s return from the historic invasion of Iwo Jima in June of 1946, Wanda suggested that they meet halfway home from Paris Island North Carolina in Washington DC. They did, but did not return home until they made a quick stop in Virginia. Yep, you guessed it, they returned to NYC as Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mancuso, never again to be apart from each other. Wanda’s big brother Ray was full of fun and laughter too. I guess you could say the family was a group of comedians. Back in the day, the trips from Long Island and Brooklyn into Staten Island via the ferry - oh yea those were the days - no Verrazano Bridge and the early stages of the automobile. She was a real family person though - loved to cook. While she was Polish, she was accepted into the Mancuso family only after an intense training course in cooking. And, boy, what a cook she was! She would whip up those dishes on any given Sunday and the gang would be coming. Her boys Jody and Raymond, well they were the apple of her eyes. Wanda couldn’t finish a conversation without something proud to say about her boys. Then there were the difficult years when Joe worked late and often over night hours but Wanda made sure she was the special gift waiting for him when he came home. During the years she worked no grass grew under her feet. Because of her office skills, not to mention her beauty, she was asked one day to help one company even while working for another company. Because of her involvement that other company was born and grew to become a 25 million dollar business. She was proud of many moments like that in her life but none more than family. Yea Wanda and Joe enjoyed many years living in New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and finally settling in Florida. Those close to Wanda could laugh at much of what she did but would take caution at what you said to her ……. You see as her son Raymond would say, Wanda was like a telegraph….. If you told her something the world would soon know it. As we all know, there are 3 forms of communication—Telephone, Telegraph, and “Tell Wanda” We will all miss her dearly, but we all know she will continue to look over us and guide us. A Celebration of Life Visitation will take place from 2-8 P.M. on Sunday, March 27, 2011 at Savino Weissman Funeral Home & Cremation Services located directly across the street from Northwest Medical Center, 2950 North State Road 7 Margate, FL 33063, 954.977.5244, www.savinofuneralhome.com. A wake service will be celebrated at 6 P.M. at Savino Weissman Funeral Home & Cremation Services during the visitation on Sunday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 9:30 A.M. on Monday, March 28, 2011 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church located 22094 Lyons Road • Boca Raton, Florida 33428 • (561) 483-2440 • email: office@lourdesboca.org. Burial will take place 11:15 A.M. on Monday, March 28, 2011 at South Florida National Cemetery located 6501 State Road 7, Lake Worth, FL 33449 (561) 649-6489. For directions please click on the service schedule button. To sign the virtual guestbook please click on the sign guestbook button. To share a memory/story please click on the Life Stories button. To upload a picture please click on the photo gallery button. Savino Weissman Funeral Home & Cremation Services is entrusted with funeral arrangements. We are located directly across the street from Northwest Medical Center on 441 south of Sample Road, 2950 North State Road 7 Margate, Fl 33063, 954.977.5244, www.savinofuneralhome.com, www.weissmanfuneralhome.com.

Wanda Mancuso

February 8, 1926 - March 21, 2011