Sarah Telesco

Sarah was a remarkable woman. As a young girl, her passion was dancing. She took dance and acrobatic lessons at Cora Tapson's Dance Studio, was in the Junior Professional class, and was thrilled to be the student demonstrator in class.

As a teen, Sarah worked at her parents' restaurant, the Cozy Nook, and at her aunt's hosiery shop. After graduating from high school, she worked at Seneca Blueprint as a telephone operator and stenographer before marrying Dominic "Dom" Telesco in 1952 and having her first child in 1954. Though the people at Seneca Blueprint loved her, and she loved them, she gave up her position in order to raise her family. Her goal was to be a devoted wife and mother, and she accomplished that in spades.

Sarah was a wonderful mother to her three children, Bob, Paula, and Kenny. She loved them unconditionally and would do anything for them. When they were very young, she regularly read to them, and took them to the library, helping them learn to read at an early age, which then paid dividends throughout their school careers. As they got a little older, she wanted to give them every opportunity to find their passion and develop into well-rounded individuals. She exposed them to art lessons, music lessons, dance lessons, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, swimming lessons and ice skating. Ultimately, all three children became involved in music, two in dance, and one in theater.

In addition to dancing, one of Sarah's talents was writing, even though she never pursued it. When her children were young, she used to write poems for them, for birthday cards, Christmas cards, etc., and particularly when it was time for an Easter egg hunt. Her poems would include clues where to find the next egg. She really had a way with rhymes, and her children cherish those memories.

Sarah was ahead of the curve when it came to health and nutrition, being an early advocate of healthy eating habits. When she and her family would go to her parents' house for Sunday dinner, the only pop her children were allowed to drink was orange or grape Crush, mixed in some milk. Those drinks were actually very good! And to this day, her children are very grateful to her for instilling healthy eating habits in them.

Among her many talents, Sarah was a wonderful cook and baker who could make a "simple little peasant meal" (like pasta broccoli) taste far loftier. One of her specialties was eggplant parmigiana - she was always asked to bring it to family picnics and gatherings. Another of her specialties was rhubarb muffins (made with her homegrown rhubarb), every bit as popular as her eggplant. She was always tapped to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and not surprisingly, she made wonderful Christmas cookies.

Additionally, Sarah was a great gardener - wherever she lived, the house, the garage, the driveway, and the yard were surrounded by and bedecked with beautiful flowers and vegetables. She would spend most of her time in the summer out in her yard, tending to her gardens, unless she was on the boat with Dom. And she cooked and baked with, and canned some of those vegetables - one family favorite was her delicious dilly beans, which she was always asked to bring to holiday parties.

Sarah also learned to knit and crochet, turning out hats and mittens and scarves for everyone, as well as beautiful Afghan blankets, including her masterpiece, a beautiful and intricate Afghan with different hued pink flowers with petals and green leaves on an off-white background. Everyone who saw it loved it and was so impressed, and Sarah was very proud of her handiwork. And her family was very proud of her. This Afghan comforted her right up to the very end.

As her children got older, Sarah rejoined the work force, working in Utilization Review at Erie County Medical Center. Then, after Sarah and Dom retired, the family took some memorable trips together, including a Caribbean cruise and a trip to Italy.

Sarah was also a community volunteer. When her children were young, she worked for years in the cold (!) outdoor voting booths on Bryant Street for every election. Years later, she and Dom volunteered to deliver Meals on Wheels.

Sarah always wanted to help people when she could. After watching an episode of the TV show Unsolved Mysteries, she felt so bad for families who had been separated and were struggling to find each other, so she and Dom were inspired to create the Center for Reuniting Families, a nonprofit search service that helped dozens of people nationwide locate their lost relatives. And this was in the days before internet searches were readily available! Sarah and "gumshoe" Dom were later featured on an episode of that TV show.

Sarah was a sweetheart, always kind and pleasant to everyone, and everyone loved her - not only her family, friends, relatives, and acquaintances, but also all the nurses, aides, and residents at the nursing home where she spent her final years - she was always waving and blowing kisses to everyone.

In spite of her dementia in later life, Sarah never lost the ability to be loving and lovable. We have lost a beautiful soul, but we and the world have been blessed to have had her in our lives for 94 years. We love you, mom. We will miss your hugs and kisses and that cute raise of your eyebrows. But you will live on forever in our hearts and minds - and that is what immortality really is.

Relatives and friends may visit the LOMBARDO FUNERAL HOME (Northtowns Chapel) 885 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst on Tuesday (12/2) from 3:00 - 7:00 PM and Wednesday (12/3) from 3:00 - 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph University Church, 3269 Main St., Buffalo on Thursday morning (12/3) at 11:00 o'clock. (please assemble at church) interment Forest Lawn cemetery.