Nancy Ann "Cibelli" Amato

Nancy Ann Amato entered eternal rest on February 25, 2026, reunited with her parents and embraced by the Lord. She was born on March 15, 1946, in Brooklyn, New York, to Antoinette and Frank Cibelli.

Nancy met Stephen Amato when she was just 16. They married in 1964, beginning a love story that would span more than six decades. Stephen was the love of her life, and from the beginning, Nancy was devoted to their relationship, holding tightly to the life they built together. Together they created not only a successful business, but a home centered on family, love and food.

Nancy graduated from Wilfred Academy in New York City and built a fulfilling career in cosmetology. Early in her career, Nancy competed in several Hairdressers Guild competitions in New York City, earning the prestigious "City and Guilds" qualification, a recognized standard of excellence in professional hair styling. Nancy was truly gifted at her craft. One of her competition entries featured an intricate basket-weave hat crafted entirely from her model's hair, a testament to her creativity and precision.

After twenty years in Brooklyn, Nancy and Stephen moved their family to Ithaca, New York, where they owned and operated Hair Graphics Salon for more than forty years. Nancy took tremendous pride in styling the hair and makeup of family members and friends for weddings and life celebrations, believing such meaningful moments should reflect each person at their very best. Her persistence and eye for detail ensured that everyone who sat in her chair left feeling beautiful.

Beyond her professional success, Nancy's family was the center of her world. Holidays were not simply dates on a calendar - they were events. From the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, to Thanksgiving dinners for twenty-five (with every individual request honored), to Monte Carlos on New Year's Eve, Nancy created food-filled traditions that became lasting memories. She loved baking beautifully decorated cakes and preparing creative meals in the kitchen she proudly called her own. Guests were often welcomed with freshly pounded chicken cutlets, tomatoes on English muffins, grand slams, pizza rustica, or cannoli. Nearly every member of the family carries a cherished memory tied to one of Nancy's dishes.

Family gatherings, especially when relatives visited from "the city," brought her immense joy. Her children's friends were quickly treated like family, and Nancy often said, "A house of love has rubber walls." For decades, the Cayuga Lake house served as the heart of many of those gatherings. Some of the most treasured memories are of Nancy floating peacefully in the lake, surrounded by the laughter and smiles of her grandchildren. It was, without question, one of her favorite places on earth.

Nancy's legacy is her family - the children, grandchildren, great-grandchild, nieces, nephews, and cousins were the center of her world. She spent her life working to hold them close, despite distance or the passage of time. Her life was a testament to the belief that family is everything. Her love was fierce and unwavering, rooted in her conviction that family must stay together.

Nancy believed deeply in the Lord's presence in every season of life. In times of celebration and in moments of struggle, she leaned on her faith. As Scripture reminds us, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted." She now is embraced in the peace she sought and trusted in.

Nancy is survived by her beloved husband and best friend, Stephen; her children and their spouses, Robert Amato (Lisa), Michael Amato (Bonnie), and Karen Rachetta (Paul); and her cherished grandchildren Meaghen Catlin (Aaron), Gabrielle Amato, Nicholas Amato, Heath Allen, Joseph Rachetta (Samantha), Stephen Rachetta, and Tatum Amato (Matthew); and first great-grandchild, Eli (Rob and Cherie's grandchild). She is also survived by her siblings Steven Cibelli (Jenny) and Marianne Muhlenforth; her sister-in-law Francis Ingallinera. She had strong bonds to her cousins; Nicholas Deperno (Kathy), Michelle Coppetto (Frank), Fred Coppetto (Susan) and her many beloved nieces and nephews: Frank Scala (Matt), Susan Parente (Billy), Carole Kunze (Steve), Brian Cibelli (Gabri), Daniel Cibelli (Brittany), and Marc Cibelli (Miranda). She also leaves behind beloved great-nieces and great-nephews: Taylor, Lexi, Sophia, Emilia, Anna, Charlotte, and Margot. Nancy was preceded in death by her infant sister, Susan Cibelli and her brother-in-law, Gerald Ingallinera.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Catherine of Siena in Ithaca, NY on Saturday, April 25th at 10 A.M. A gathering will follow in the church hall at St. Catherine to celebrate Nancy's life.

If you care to send flowers, purple was her favorite color. Donations in her honor, can be made to Wilmot Center Institute, UR Medicine or to St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Ithaca.