Rina Corrato

Rina Corrato of Warminster, PA, formerly of Glenolden, PA, North Wildwood, NJ, and Englewood, FL, went home to be with the Lord and her loving husband on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at the age of 100. She was the beloved wife of Mike for 69 years who predeceased her at 103 years; the loving mother of Barbara Dattilo, (Siro), Michael, and Robert (Donna); the cherished "MomMom" to five grandchildren Anthony Dattilo (Sharon), Rina Duggan (Danny), Giovanna Comfort (Andre), and Robert and Olivia Corrato; and "Grand Mom Mom" to 7 great grandchildren, Anthony, Nicholas, Isabella, Giuliana, Maria, Daniel, and Benjamin.
One of 2 children born to Armando and Giulia Gemignani in Florence, Italy in 1924, Rina trained to be a teacher, but her true vocational love was as a professional opera singer. Unfortunately, her singing career was cut short by Mussolini and WWII. Suffering the loss of her family's restaurant and marble quarry businesses to nationalization and then the Nazis, Rina and her family banded together with their community and survived the Nazi assault on their homeland. As fate would have it, despite the horrors of war, Rina was introduced to Mike, a first generation Italian American GI who fell instantly in love with her. After the liberation of Europe, Mike left Italy for the Pacific Theater with a promise that he would write her every day and soon return. Not hearing a word from Mike for 6 months, Rina soon lost hope of ever seeing him again. Then, one day in October 1945, Rina received a bag of letters from Mike who had diligently written her every day they were apart!
Against the advice of her parents, at the end of WWII, Rina left Italy for the US to marry the love of her life, Mike Corrato and together pursue the post-war promise of the "American Dream!" From Philadelphia, to New Jersey, to Florida, and back to Pennsylvania, Rina and her husband lived that "American Dream," devoting their lives to raising their three children, instilling in them the qualities of honesty, kindness, integrity, and hard work, and creating a legacy of friends and family that spans five generations! As Rina would often say in recent years as she looked over her family, "Look what we've created!" Rina's spirit will indeed live on in the eyes of her family and friends for many generations to come!
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Rina's Life Celebration on Tuesday, November 26th at 9:00 AM at Nativity of Our Lord Church, 605 West Street Road, Warminster, PA, followed by her Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM. Interment will take place at Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum, 2398 Old Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill, NJ where Rina will join her loving parents and husband. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Rina Corrato may be made online to Horizons at Episcopal Academy at www.horizonsea.org or mailed to 1785 Bishop White Drive, Newtown Square, PA 19073. Donations in Rina's honor may also be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital online at www.stjude.org or by mail at 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105