Maria Antoinette Bertone

Maria Antoinette Cavallaro Bertone was born on November 9, 1947 in Manhattan to Carmella
Leotta Cavallaro and Leonard Cavallaro. She was a caring daughter, sister, and cousin; a loving
wife; a devoted mother and grandmother; an outgoing and generous neighbor; and a loyal friend.
In each of these roles, she created a lifetime of memories and joy. She is survived by her
husband, Bernard Bertone, of 54 years; her children, Andrea and James Bertone; her sister,
Frances Kamel; and her grandchildren, Xavier Jackson and Julian Bertone.
If you knew Maria, you knew three simple things about her.
She loved her husband and her children.
She loved her grandchildren.
And she loved decorating her house and her yard.
Maria lived an auspicious, fulfilling, and happy life. She poured her love into her home, her
family, and her community. She gave us countless gifts of joy, laughter, beauty, and memories.
And she leaves us with a legacy of love that will continue to guide us and comfort us in the years
to come.
The activities and accomplishments of her children and her grandchildren gave Maria immense
pleasure. If she could physically be at a play, a concert, a graduation, or a baseball game, she was
there in the front row with her camcorder (back in the 80s and 90s) or with her cell phone
camera, more recently. Maria had a gift for capturing memories. She loved to take pictures, print
them, and create memory books for every birthday and Christmas season.
Maria’s creativity knew no limits. Her home on Burgundy Lane was her sanctuary and her
canvas, and she made sure that it was always decorated beautifully with the most up to date
styles. She delighted in transforming the house for every season—especially Christmas. She
cared for the yard and made sure that it always had the most colorful flowers, and that the grass
was green and lush. She loved planning parties to see her friends and family, and also to show off
her latest home renovation.
While normally she loved to stay home and enjoy her house, she did have many adventures. She
loved to go to Vermont and Massachusetts every Fall with her husband. She took trips to Europe
and Mexico with her daughter – she especially loved Paris. She took trips to Sicily, Italy, France,
and Canada with her daughter, grandson, Xavier, and her husband.
Maria was an educator not just by profession but by nature. When the world shifted during
Covid, she turned her kitchen into a second-grade classroom and joyfully took care of her
grandson, Julian. She loved helping him learn, and together they made education interesting and
fun. She would sit for hours with Julian making videos, becoming her alter-ego “Marvelous
Maria” to Julian’s “Lucky Bertone.”
When she was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, the first thing she said to the doctor was
that she wanted to survive it. She did not turn down any treatment, and she never complained.
She went through so much in the last couple of months, and was so brave, fighting until the end.

When Rick Smith, the man who did many of the renovations in her house, heard that she was
very sick, he said that God must have plans for Maria to decorate heaven.
Together, we celebrate Maria’s life and love.
Marvelous Maria indeed.