Bernadette B. Privitera

Bernadette Privitera, 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 1, 2011, surrounded by her loving family. Bernadette grew up in St. Paul, MN and loved hunting and fishing as a young woman in the north woods of Minnesota with her beloved dogs. She graduated with honors from St. Catherine's University of St. Paul with a Bachelors Degree in Library Sciences. Soon thereafter she was appointed head reference librarian at Notre Dame University. There, she met and fell in love with Carmelo A. Privitera, her cherished husband of 62 years.

Bernie was a devout Catholic who was active in the Ecumenical Movement of the 1960s when she became a Eucharistic Minister. During her forty years in Buffalo, where she raised six children, she was a sustaining Garden Club member and an active parishioner at the Newman Center at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Bernadette volunteered countless hours to libraries and community and church fundraisers throughout her life, full of energy, laughter and zeal. She brought her kind spirit to the independent living retirement community at Avila in 2006 where she made many new friends. Bernadette always had a book and a crossword puzzle with her and she loved teaching children research and writing skills. She was a tender and passionate wife, mother and grandmother who devoted her life to her family. Bernie's engaging and supportive presence will be missed by all who knew her.

Bernadette is survived by her husband, Carmelo A. Privitera, five of her six children, Dr. Christine (Nicholas Liberante) Privitera of Ashland, Virginia; John (Louise Tarantino) Privitera of Glenmont, New York; Jo Marie (Rick Brown) Privitera of Atlanta, Georgia; Celeste (Michael) Freeman of Niskayuna, New York and Frank (Anna) Privitera of Rotterdam, New York, as well as 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Bernadette had been predeceased by her youngest daughter, Therese Marie, of Buffalo.

Bernadette Privitera's wake will be Tuesday, July 5 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the New Comer Cannon Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Road, Colonie, New York. Funeral services will be Wednesday, July 6 at 9:15am at the funeral home, then to Christ the King Church, 20 Sumpter Avenue, Albany, where a Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. The parish of Christ the King will gather on Tuesday at 4:30 pm at the funeral home for a service of prayer and remembrance. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Bernadette's favorite charity, the Native American Mission, Children's International Lifeline, 194 Sunset Drive, Clay City, KY 40312.