Carmella Rancurello Obituary

Rancurello, Carmella

92, of Centerville, Ohio, passed away on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at Hospice of Dayton. She was born on June 7, 1931, in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Italian immigrant parents Salvatore and Grace (Brocato) Lucchesi. Carmella was the first in her family to ever attend college. She married her college sweetheart, Antos Rancurello, on June 28, 1953, and lived in Chicago, IL, before settling in Dayton, OH in 1954. They raised five children together, until Antos passed away unexpectedly at the age of 50 in 1972. Carmella, then 41, took on the full responsibility of providing for their children, ages 9 to 18 years, of whom she was fiercely protective. Despite much heartbreak and uncertainty, Carmella managed to keep her family together, becoming an extraordinary role model for each of her children every single day of her life. In addition to being a wonderful, loving, strong, kind woman and mother, she was a teacher, a librarian, an accomplished artist, an avid reader, and a great cook. She was known for her spaghetti and meatball dinner parties, her hand drawn birthday cards, her quick wit and sense of humor, and her integrity and honesty. Due to the loving care and dedication of her children, she was able to maintain an independent life, with dignity, in her own home up until the time of her death. Carmella was preceded in death by her husband, Antos, infant daughter Marisa, sister Rose Mancuso, and brother Jack Lucchesi, as well as many pets. She is survived by her 5 children, Michael (Suzanne Kodya) Rancurello, Mary (Todd) Ostendorf, John (Pam) Rancurello, Suzette (Curtis Crawford) Rancurello, and Karen (Kevin) Whitaker, grandchildren Sarah (Chris), Megan (John), Kendra, Erica (Aaron), Katie (Gianina), Antonia (Ben), Shawn (Molly), Larissa (Dayvon), Kayla (Sam), Forrest, and Zachary (Devin), great grandchildren Jaden, Archer, Harvey, Natalia, Ainsley, Mara, Hadley, Ezri, Antos, Evie, Owen, and her loving cat companion of 18 years, Molly. Carmella will be deeply missed, yet always remembered. In lieu of services, her family will be planning a celebration of life at a later date.

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Published by Dayton Daily News on Jan. 7, 2024.

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