Gaeta Calarco Parente's Obituary
Obituary for Gaeta Calarco Parente
GAETANA CALARCO PARENTE was born on April 17, 1940, in Manhattan, New York. She was the first daughter of Vincenza Marrara Calarco and Charles Carmelo Calarco, who was born in Podargoni, Reggio Calabria, Italy. They emigrated from Italy after the 1908 earthquake that destroyed their town. She was the first Calarco (or Marrara) female to graduate from college, having obtained a B.S. in Education, an M.S. in Administration, and a P.D. in Administration and Supervision from Fordham University in NYC. Born into poverty, she worked her way through college and retired from the NYC Board of Education in 1995. She taught elementary education, middle school education, and junior high school education. Her last several years were spent as a resource room teacher for children with learning disabilities. Before and during her teaching career, she taught subjects from elementary to high school levels in Catholic schools.
Gaeta served for several years on the Board of Directors of the Westchester Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (WACLD), including representing them on broadcast TV. She was a member of the local Boy Scouts Board of Review and was in charge of at least five of their Merit Badges. At the age of 13, she was Treasurer of the Legion of Mary at her parish, where she served for several years. She also taught CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) at her parishes. She was instrumental in a landmark New York State case that gave children in Catholic schools the right to handicapped services via public school funding, as well as transportation to and from these services. She had years of advocacy experience for two of her children, as well as many others, through WACLD.
As a hobby, Gaeta made and donated over 3,000 Rosaries to people on three continents. Another hobby was art—using colored pencils, she drew the Stations of the Cross, the Mysteries of the Rosary, and several miracles of Jesus.
Gaeta attempted (on three separate occasions) to become a Sister, a nun (Cloistered Sister), and then a Sister again, but was plagued by health issues. She never professed vows but spent approximately 3.5 years in the Religious Life. Afterward, she married Ronald R. Parente in 1968. In May 2018, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Gaeta had six children: Denise Tompkins, Victor Blake, Susan Schwartz, and from her husband Ronald’s deceased wife, Mary Parente (maiden name Listwan), she had Richard (deceased), Therese, and Ronald. She has nine grandchildren: Rich, Nicole, Dakota Laidman-Murray, Caitlin Blake, Kerry Blake, Kelsey Blake, Amber Tompkins, Kristen Blake, and Ashley Tompkins. She has one great-grandchild, Lydia Murray, through her husband’s oldest daughter, Therese’s daughter, Dakota.
All three children from Gaeta and Ron have earned their Master’s Degree. Two of these three college children had learning disabilities.
Gaeta is pre-deceased by her husband, Ronald Parente; her stepson, Richard Parente; and her older brother, Dr. N. Joseph Calarco, from Troy, Michigan. Her younger sister, Mary LaFave, lives in Plano, Texas.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Rt. 17 35318 Church Road, Frankford, DE 19945, where friends may visit beginning at 10:30 AM. Burial will follow on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 West Stevens Ave., Hawthorne, NY
Gaeta’s last requests in written words are: “Please pray for me, I will pray for you, and watch over you from my new home in heaven. I love you all.”
In lieu of flowers, you may have Catholic Masses said, donate to EWTN (Eternal Word TV Network), or Boys and Girls Town.
Please sign the tribute wall located on this page.
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