Norina DeIuliis DePasquale

Norina (DeIuliis) DePasquale passed away on Thursday, August 25th at her home, surrounded by her
Family. Mom was born February 12, 1933 in Gamberale, Italy. Daughter of Carmelo and Angela DeIuliis,
sister to Armando (Erma) and Elio (Emilia). Mother to Mark (Charlene) DePasquale, Carl (Susan)
DePasquale, Angela (Scott) Witter. Anna (Mike) Shetabi, Julia (Raymond) Rotunno, and Mario (Gina)
DePasquale. Grandmother to Kara, Marc, Dana, Grace, Ava, Joseph, Mario, Enzo, Teresa, Maria, Luke
and Peter. Great grandmother to Rooney, Reagan, Maryam, Ilyas, Lucy Rose and Gabriel. Aunt to many
nieces and nephews who she loved, both in the United States and in Italy.
The occupation of Gamberale during World War II forced a young girl and her family to counter the
brutality of life and war with the love of her family and her faith in God. She managed to reclaim those
lost years by attending schools in Lanciano and Chieti, Italy, away from her family, eventually managing
to graduate from college with a degree in Education. Afterwards, mom returned to her hometown of
Gamberale to teach, often having her own cousins and relatives as students
In the summer of 1956, Fred DePasquale, a handsome young Civil Engineer serving as a Lieutenant in the
United States Army Corp of Engineers returned to his home town of Gamberale to visit his parents.
There he met his princess bride, our mom. They married in Naples January 5, 1957. After their
honeymoon in Venice, our dad returned to the US while our mom traveled back to the mountains of
Gamberale, on the back of a donkey no less due to a blizzard having closed all of the roads to any
vehicles.
Coming to America, and starting a new life in Pittsburgh was a lonely and difficult transition for our
mom, let alone starting a family and becoming a part of the DePasquale family, who she loved. In the
end, the teacher that she became in Gamberale was the teacher she would be throughout her entire
life. The lessons she taught were by example (or a wooden spoon); the love of her husband, her belief
in education and church and most of all, integrity and responsibility. Our father and mother led us
through one life moment after another, all in a determined effort to make our lives mean something.
They succeeded, and we can never thank mom and dad enough for all that they taught and provided to
us. God Bless you Mom, and we hope you find peace and happiness in heaven with Dad, and with so
many of those who have passed before you, who you dearly missed over the years. I hope God has a
really big kitchen in heaven. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

There will be no visitation. Funeral Tuesday August 30, 2022, Mass of Christian Burial, St. Paul Cathedral 10:00AM. (Everyone please gather at church) Interment will be private. Arrangements by John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. (freyvogelfuneralhome.com)

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