Jennie DiFiore

Jennie DiFiore, age 89 of Smithtown, NY, died peacefully on Thursday August 20, 2026 at Good Shepherd Hospice in Port Jefferson, NY, following recent hospitalizations at Good Samaritan in West Islip and St. Catherine of Siena in Smithtown, for a recurring chronic illness. She is survived by her son, Robert DiFiore Jr., grandchildren Kristi, Victoria, Julia and Bobby III, and great-granddaughter Bella; her daughter Lisa and husband Gary Ridolph, and grandchildren Gina and Gary; sister Lillian, niece Susan and husband Mark, and grandniece Laura and husband Larry. Jennie was pre-deceased by her granddaughter Jennifer, her daughter-in-law JoAnn,, her niece Laura, and most recently by the love of her life, husband Robert DiFiore Sr. Jennie also had the great fortune of having of the love of many dozens of cousins, both living and passed, on her side of the family as well as on husband Bob’s.

Jennie was born in the Bronx in 1937 to Valentina Restaino and John Tedesco. Her sister Lillian was born two years later in 1939. John was not up to the task of being reliable husband and father, and soon after Valentina was a single mother of two, but she, on the other hand, was quite up to the task, a talented seamstress who somehow made ends meet and raised her two girls in Morris Park where Val’s parents, Antonio and Giuseppina Restaino owned and operated a bakery/grocery store. After Jennie graduated High School in 1955, she worked in an office for a time, and then met Bob through a mutual friend, Joanie. Following a brief courtship with a bit of intrigue (now family lore), they got engaged and married in October 1958. Bob had just finished up with the Navy Sea-Bees, with who he had joined after High School, took the civil-service test for Firefighter, and went on into the NYC Fire Academy. Son Bob Jr. was born on 1960, followed by daughter Lisa (10 weeks premature) in 1962, right before he was appointed to Firefighter. In 1965, they moved from the Bronx to a High-Ranch in North Babylon, where they stayed a couple of years before finally moving to Smithtown in 1973. Bob was promoted to Fire Marshal in 1979 and retired in 1984. He continued on working his side hustle home improvement business for several more years. All the while, Jennie managed the home and kids.

Daughter Lisa married first to husband Gary in 1983. They converted the 12×24 foot family room extension into a small cozy apartment and lived there with Bob and Jen for 9 years. Granddaughter Gina was born in 1989 and was shoe-horned into a yet more crowded apartment. Before leaving for their own house, they converted the apartment into a very nice master-suite for Bob and Jen to move into. Bob Jr. had daughter Jennifer in 1984, who was often at the house. Lisa and Gary had their son Gary in 1994, same year Bob’s daughter Kristi was born. Bob married JoAnn in 1995 and had daughters Victoria in 1998 and Julia in 2000, and son Bobby in 2002. Bob’s first daughter Jennifer had her only daughter Isabella (Bob and Jen’s only great-granddaughter) in 2006.

Bob and Jen enjoyed their retirement / grandparent life for another almost 20 years before he was diagnosed with bladder (and lung) cancer, only to beat that but then only to find out it had snuck into his brain. Bob passed away in January ’25 and Jennie had a very tough time there after, missing him greatly, and really slowing down herself in the past year and a half.

Jennie had a loving heart with love that she shared with everyone in her life, especially children. More recently, after her stroke, she developed a wicked sense of humor that would often leave others speechless. She always gave great advice and was very insightful. Jennie loved Snoopy, British Murder Mysteries and comedies, and she adored Little House on the Prairie. One of her favorite things to do was to get a burger and fries from Wendy’s, or an egg sandwich from the “bagel bank.”
Jennie was very courageous, facing all health challenges head on from when she was a child. Her tenacity was her claim to fame as she never ever gave up and never ever gave in. As an example, following a serious brain bleed 4 years ago, she was no longer able to operate her iPhone. Through her own determination, she relearned how to text, to make phone calls and other functions once again without any help. Up until the end, she was extremely motivated to remain as independent as possible, leaving an extremely proud family.

Lastly, Bobby, Lisa and Gary want to give special recognition and eternal thanks to Bob and Jennie’s live-in care-giver, Kate. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty – she was originally hired to take care of Jennie, only for Bob to get diagnosed soon thereafter, and took wonderful care of both of them.