Obituary: Florence A. Cascia, 94, Of Stamford

Courtesy of Lacerenza Funeral Home

Florence Albina (Whitman) Cascia of Stamford, CT passed away March 18, 2023.

Daughter of Francis Joseph Whitman and Albina Mikalonis Whitman, and Step-Mother Mary Magdalene Vitkosky Whitman, also of Stamford. She is recently predeceased by her husband of 67 years, Vito Anthony Cascia, brothers Robert Whitman, and Francis Whitman (WWII), survived by her sister Constance Whitman, sister-in-law Leonora Cascia, sons, Leonard (Julie Lyonn Lieberman), Mark (Kimberly Bogdan), Christopher, Anthony, Paul (Lisa Gustafson), and predeceased by David (JoAnne Eveloy).

She is also survived by 11 grandchildren Colin (Katherina), Lauren (Jessie Haggerty), Greer, Mia, Austin, Brandon, Marisa, Domenic, Joseph, Nicholas (Jaclyn), Patrick, predeceased by Gabriel, and survived by great-grandson Theo Haggerty.

Florence was born September 2, 1928 in Kingston, PA, daughter of Lithuanian coal mining immigrants. Looking for a better life and future for his children, her father moved the family to Stamford, CT when Florence was in her teens, finishing her senior year and graduating from Stamford High.

She soon started her career as a switchboard operator at the Bell Phone Co. and was quickly promoted to Commercial Instructor. In her mid-twenties, a sore throat, turned into rheumatic fever, put her in the hospital her for several months. Shortly after recovering and embarrassed that she had lost so much weight, she was reluctant to accept an invitation to go on a blind date on a beautiful spring evening in 1954 with the best friend of her co-worker’s boyfriend (Domenic “Salami & Cheese” Scutti) to meet a handsome, eligible young man, Vito Cascia.

She decided to go, which was a good thing, as when they met, she knew right from the start that she had found the love of her life. They married about a year later on December 26, 1955 at a day-long traditional Lithuanian wedding at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Stamford. They lived for a couple of years in Stamford’s West side, renting a row home while Florence continued to work at the Bell Co. as she and Vito scrimped and saved enough to buy a single family home in Glenbrook in which to raise her family and spend their life together. The children, however, kept coming, 6 within an 8 year period, and she decided to change careers and devote her life to her husband and growing family.

Having quickly outgrown their modest house in Glenbrook, they purchased a larger one in 1971 in the Roxbury/Westhill/Stillwater area of North Stamford which she and her family called home for more than 50 years. She was known as a saint to all who knew her, and well-deserved, for the 6 boys she faithfully raised.

Florence was actually quite an avid reader and talented artist but gave it all up once she started having kids, deciding that her family was more important. She was known to sneak in a novel or two when she could, though. She was deeply religious, and prayed the rosary daily, usually while watching her favorite soap operas on TV. After the kids grew and moved away, Florence and Vito kept busy into their early 90’s traveling back and forth to the homes of his 6 kids now scattered along the Northeastern US, enjoying boating on the waters of Long Island Sound and Chesapeake Bay with their children and grandchildren, being Queen and King as master ballroom dancers, and spending every holiday or special event with her family.

Florence was a devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a great cook and was well known for her cheese pie, lasagna, and potato pancakes, and holiday baking of cookies, coffee cake, and nut and poppy seed breads. She always put her family ahead of herself, fiercely loyal to her children, and loved being around her loved ones. She was proud, yet humble and would famously say in Lithuanian when asked about her accomplishments, Aš nežinau (ahsh nehzhah noh) “I don’t know”.

Florence was always upbeat, happy, and cheerful with a smile on her face all the way to the end. She could always brighten up your day despite her ailments and will be truly and sorely missed by all who knew and loved her. May the Lord Bless her, and Keep her, and let His face Shine upon her, and be Gracious to her, and may He turn His Face towards her, and Give her Peace, Amen.