Published by Legacy on Feb. 10, 2026.
YOUNGSTOWN
1930-2026
Antoinette "Clara" Ferrara
Antoinette "Clara" Ferrara, 95, passed away peacefully at Hospice of the Valley Hospice House in
Poland, OH on February 7th surrounded by the love of her family. Clara was born March 18, 1930 in Youngstown to the late John Beatriz Rose and Patricia Fusco. She was only 8yrs old when her father passed away. Her mother met and married her second husband, Constantino Carreira Gonzalez and he adopted her and her brother, the late Anthony "Tony" Carrera. She was a graduate of Chaney High School (1949) where she was a proud member of the majorette drill team. She married the love of her life, John DiMichaelangelo on June 23, 1951 and had 3 daughters and 1 son. John passed away unexpectedly on Dec 12, 1975. She married her second husband, Allen Ferrara on November 4, 1987 and he passed away on November 6, 2017.
Throughout her life she found pleasure in the simple, meaningful things in life...especially baking. Her kitchen was often filled with the aroma of her homemade pasta é fagioli (pasta fazool), minestra and baked goods...biscotti and kolachi. Her homemade creations reflected her care, creativity and love. She also had a love for fashion and flair. She treated every day like an occasion, putting a lot of thought into picking out her outfits. On special occasions you could spot her a mile away with her carefully curated "fancy" outfits and perfectly manicured nails to match. Her naturally curly, silver-gray hair was styled and set with hair spray so it never moved...she loved her hair spray!
Clara was a devoted and loving mother of four children, Diane (Steve) Carlomagno, Pam DiMichaelangelo, Marlene (Kenny) Fagnano, Dr. Laury (Annette) DiMichaelangelo proud grandmother of nine grandchildren Jackie (Matt) King, Michael (Chrissy) VanValien, Atty. Nicholas (Kortney Canter) Fagnano, Angelo (Shelly) Fagnano, Dr. GianCarlo "Gianni" DiMichaelangelo, Santino "Sonny" DiMichaelangelo and Armando "Mondo" DiMichaelangelo and cherished great-grandmother of seven, Giana VanValien, Gavin VanValien, Gemma VanValien, Jocelyn "Josie" King, Leo Fagnano, Vincent "Vinny" Fagnano and Clementine "Clemmy" Fagnano. She is also survived by her beloved nieces and nephews and truly appreciated spending precious time with them. Preceded in death by her parents, John Beatriz-Rose (father) and Patricia Fusco (mother) and Constantino Carreira Gonzalez (father), loving husbands John DiMichaelangelo and Allen Ferrara and grandchildren, Atty. Frank Fagnano and Milena DiMichaelangelo and son-in-law Ken Fagnano and brother, Anthony "Tony" Carrera. Family was the center of her life, and nothing brought her more joy than celebrating the milestones, successes, and happiness of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was never shy about sharing her pride in them with anyone who would listen.
Warm, generous, and deeply caring, Clara touched the lives of many beyond her immediate family. Her kindness, spirit, and unwavering love will be deeply missed by family members near and far, as well as friends whose lives she enriched over the years.
She leaves behind a legacy of love, devotion, and pride in family that will be carried forward by all who knew and loved her.
Funeral services will be Saturday February 14, 2026 10:00am - 12:00 pm at Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home, 3100 Canfield Rd,
Youngstown, OH 44511.
Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home handled all of the arrangements for the family.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Antonette Ferrara, please visit our floral store.
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