Catherine (Kay) Bellanca DiIorio

Catherine (Kay) Bellanca DiIorio passed away after a brief decline on Sunday, October 26th, 2025, at Autumn Lake of Cromwell. She previously resided in Pelham Manor, N.Y., followed by Rocky Hill, CT, to be closer to her only child. Kay was born on June 8th, 1925, in N.Y.C. to Alphonsina Spinelli Bellanca and Joseph Bellanca in, in N.Y.C.

She and her five siblings were raised in N.Y.C., then Ridgewood, Queens. Joseph passed away when Kay was just eight, at which point her mother was forced to find work to support the family. Her two oldest sisters had to leave school to help look after the younger siblings, serving as surrogate parents, a fact that Kay brought up many times as she continued to feel sad that their childhood was compromised. Kay adored her three sisters and two brothers, and memories of their adventures and close relationships kept her grounded in her later years.

She met her future husband, Edward Louis DiIorio when, as a family doctor, he made a house call to her family’s apartment to attend to her mother, who was ill. Kay claimed that there was an immediate attraction, despite his being fourteen years older. Shortly before she passed, she mentioned that one of the things she most admired about her husband was his keen intellect. Kay loved sparkling conversation and spirited debate!

Kay was an independent, bold, outspoken maverick, a woman clearly ahead of her time. Although she was fulfilled staying at home to raise her only daughter, she frequently mentioned that she regretted not attending college and establishing a career as a younger woman. When, as a new mother, she and her young family moved from Fort Lee, N.J. to Pelham Manor, N.Y., a quiet suburb of N.Y.C., she had to use a bicycle for transportation for a few years after the move, as she never obtained a license while living in the city. She rode to the grocery store and to other errands, eventually transporting her daughter to kindergarten in a rudimentary child seat attached to the back of her bike- no harness, no helmets in those days! In her later years, she told her daughter that one of her life’s goals was to ride her bicycle across the country.

Kay had a strong appreciation for the arts and was quite creative. She painted, loved decorating her home, sewed, and did crewel work. She also loved gardening, music, theater, opera, the ballet, and above all, reading. She continued to read daily until her eyes no longer served her at age 100, preferring mysteries, but reading anything she could get her hands on. She was an adept Bridge player, beginning in her forties and continuing to play well into her nineties. She was not fond of cooking, but was an adventurous eater with a hearty appetite, despite her petite size.

He favorite role would prove to be grandmother to her two grandchildren. She was so proud of them, both as human beings and for their accomplishments. She bragged shamelessly about their intelligence, artistic and athletic abilities. She was also fiercely proud of her daughter’s qualities and successes, from childhood and right up until the end, extolling Edwina’s virtues to anyone and everyone she encountered!

Kay was predeceased by her siblings Sara, Josephine, Mary, Stephen, and Salvatore, as well as her husband of twenty-four years, Edward. She was also predeceased by her long-time friend and partner, Frank Britt, with whom she shared her life for twenty years, following her husband’s passing.

She is survived by her daughter Edwina Louise (DiIorio) Newbury, her two grandchildren, Emily Christine Newbury and Alex Joseph Newbury, as well as her nieces Lucille Mansfield, Francine Acebedo, Diane Ray, Carol Nickerson, and nephews Michael Bellanca, and Jeffrey Bellanca, as well as their respective spouses and children. She is also survived by a very special girlfriend whom she met in her late teen years, Helen Karter, now 98 years old. Like many close friends, Helen was more like a sister to Kay, and was able to attend Kay’s amazing 100th birthday bash in June, 2025, despite living hours away. Helen, a former teacher, wrote a touching, yet hilarious “poem”, of sorts, honoring Kay, which she recited at the party. Helen was also able to have one final, emotionally charged and touching conversation over the phone with Kay, shortly before she passed- truly a tribute to the love and sustainability of a life-long friend.

A Memorial Service will be held for Kay on Saturday, November 22nd, from 2:00-4:00 pm, at the Brooklawn Funeral Home, in Rocky Hill, CT. In lieu of flowers¸ a small, outdoor plant would honor Kay’s love of living things and when set in the earth, would serve as a heartfelt reminder to her family of how a beautiful spirit lives on.