Frances Viola

Frances Viola, 91, of East Pharsalia, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Chenango Memorial Hospital with family by her side.

Born on September 6, 1927, in Lyndhurst, NJ, Frances was the daughter of Gaspare and Maria (Verde) Scarpinato, and one of their five children. She grew up and attended school in Lyndhurst. On June 18, 1950, she married the love of her life, Vincent “Jim” Viola. Frances and Jim would enjoy 67 wonderful years of marriage prior to Jim’s death on March 25, 2018. The two would live many years in Middletown, NY, where they each worked. Frances worked in a dress factory as a seamstress. In Middletown, they would also raise their two children.

In 1982, taking a leap of faith, Jim and Frances, along with their children, bought the Norwich Implement John Deere and Kubota equipment business and relocated to Norwich at that time. For the next several years, and until her retirement, Frances worked as a bookkeeper for the family-owned company.

Frances was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She always put the interests of her family before her own. She would help others during their times of troubles by putting life into perspective for them, all while extending comfort and compassion. She never had an unkind word to say about anyone. Frances also made certain that during any family gatherings, there was plenty of food to eat, and was an amazing cook herself. She was also known for regularly offering prayers for her loved-ones.

Frances loved to travel with her husband. Together they would travel to many places throughout the U.S. and overseas. She also loved music, and especially to dance with her husband or any other family member who would join her. She was a voracious reader of books, and would use her sewing skilled to make dresses for those in her family. Frances attended the Church of St. Bartholomew.

Frances is survived by her beloved children, Anthony Viola, of East Pharsalia, and Jennette Ruckdeschel and her husband, Richard, of Preston; granddaughter Lynette Van Valkenburg and her husband, Joshua, of Norwich; great-granddaughters Mariah Caezza and Haley Van Valkenburg; sister-in-law Virginia LaBruzzo, of Richfield Springs; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by siblings Jackie, Jenny, Joseph, and Josephine.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 28, 2018, at the Church of St. Bartholomew, where the Rev. Ralph A. Bove, pastor, will officiate. Friends are invited to call at the Wilson Funeral Home on Thursday, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation for the compassionate care provided by Jim’s and Frances’ caretakers, including Edie, Dawn, Becky, Christine, Kimberly, Tereasa, Sandra, Karri, and Cindy.

Contributions in Frances’ memory may be made to the Pharsalia Fire Company, P.O. Box 41, East Pharsalia, NY, 13758, or to a charity of one’s choice.