Rachel Notarantonio
September 12, 1936 ~ August 5, 2021
Rachel Notarantonio, a loving mother, grandmother, great- grandmother and servant of God, passed away peacefully Thursday August 5, 2021, at the UPMC Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. She was 84.
Rachel was born in Corbellino, Italy, on September 12, 1936, the only child born to Angelo and Erminia DeMichele Fiocca.
At the age of ten, she traveled to the United States of America in 1947 on a warship with her mother. The sea was so bad that word traveled to the town that the boat sank, but thankfully that was not to be.
They joined her father, who earlier came to the United States to work in the coal mines in Cokeburg, Pa. Her father fought in World War I with the Italian Army, and he fought in World War II with the United States Army.
Rachel graduated from Ellsworth High School, in Cokeburg, Pa, where she played trumpet in her high school’s marching band. After high school, she attended beauty school and became a beautician. Her father built her a beauty shop in the basement of their family home where she ran her own business.
While attending a wedding, she saw a young man named Dominic Notarantonio, who she once had a crush on when they both lived in Italy. They danced the night away, later dated and married.
When Rachel and Dominic married, they moved to Weirton, where he worked at Weirton Steel. In their 62 years of marriage, Dominic and Rachel were blessed with four children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandson.
Dominic, a veteran of the Korean War, worked 32 years in the mill and was a talented handyman. Rachel took care of their home, her children, her parents and later helped raise 2 granddaughters. She will always be remembered for her hospitality and service to the sick, lonely, widows and widowers. Their home had a revolving door of friends and family breaking bread at the kitchen table. However, no one ever left her home without a plate of home-cooked food.
Rachel nourished her faith at Saint Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church, where she was a Christian Mother and a member of the Share Group.
In addition to her parents, Rachel was preceded in death by her husband, Dominic A. Notarantonio, on July 27, 2019.
She will be remembered with love and admiration by her three sons, Dominic, Anthony (Donna) and Joe Notarantonio; her daughter, Angela Howells; her grandchildren, Sarah and Elizabeth Howells, Amanda (Matt) Ntiros, and Allison and Anthony Notarantonio; and her great-grandson, Luke Ntiros.
Visitation will be 4-8 PM Tuesday at the Greco-Hertnick Funeral Home 3219 Main Street Weirton, WV.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM on Wednesday at Saint Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic Church 229 California Avenue Weirton, WV
Entombment will follow at Saint Paul’s Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Saint Joseph the Worker Church.
Share tributes at www.grecohertnick.com
We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ Greco Hertnick Funeral Home
Prayers for her beautiful family! Definitely was an angel on earth!
Servant of God she was…we are so incredibly sorry for your loss. We adored Rachel and her beautiful hugs. Praying so hard for all of you. 💔💔
My deepest sympathy
Prayers & Condolences
Heaven truly gained an angel. 🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻❤️
Rachel was such a dear woman! A true Christian inspiration and blessing to so many of us. Sandy and I are very sad to hear of her passing. I am sure that the angels were with her as she went to meet her savior! She was blessed to hear the words, “ my good and faithful servant.” Rest In Peace.
My deepest sympathy. She was one special lady.
So sorry to hear about Rachel’s passing, May she rest in peace 🙏
So sorry!!
R.I.P.
To the woman who made me fall in love with gnocchi and stuffed artichoke! Heaven gained an angel and those left can feel blessed to have known her, loved her, be loved by her and of course eaten her food! Sending love and prayers to her precious family! Thanks Rachel for loving my mom and being her friend and for every single meal you cooked us! We all love you!
My deepest sympathy and prayers 🙏
PRAYERS FOR HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS ❤️🙏🌻
We love you all and are here for you. You will remain in our thoughts and prayers. How very blessed I was to have Comma as my godmother.
Angie, Sarah, Lizzy, Joe, Dom, Anthony and family, we are so so sorry to hear of the loss of your wonderful mom and Nonna. She was such a sweet wonderful lady who will be truly missed by all her family and friends. May she RIP and be welcomed with open arms by our Lord. Prayers 🙏🏻 To all of you. Mariann & Rege Weimerskirch ✝️
Your Mom and Nonna. Her house. Her presence..were part of my childhood. Teta would say “run to Rachel’s for me and grab some…tomatoes, peppers, garlic etc.” So I’d cut through the yard that connected their streets and come to the porch to be greeted by her smile, her “hi honey, how you doing?,” the smell of her kitchen, and the insistence that I accept some Italian cookie. When all of my aunts and cousins came home, there would suddenly be a full cookie sheet pizza, a pan of breaded chicken, a pot of rigatoni and meatballs. She showed her best friend Teta (and us by extension that she loved us) by helping her feed her family. She cooked for my graduation party… my wedding. Always there, loving us. She was the example of what neighbors should be for each other. When we went through hard years with several terminally ill family members she cooked and she made Dominic available to drive to doctor’s appointments and chemo. She meal planned and grocery planned by splitting food with Teta. They did life together and were family and so were we. I believe prayer to be a conversation with God that anyone can have. But like any conversation, the more often and deeply you talk, the stronger the bond and relationship are. As we all approached big things- school and job applications, life decisions, pregnancies and more, we’d call Teta and ask her to pray. If Teta was worried or wishing with us, she’d often add, “Rachel is praying too.” This was a relief because I don’t know anyone that had more quality chats with Jesus. If Rachel was praying for me/us, I know God heard her. It always gave me peace. My heart is with your family. She was one in a million and you were her pride – her legacy. I’m so sorry for your loss and ours. May her memory be a blessing to all who loved her so. With love – Nicole Sergent
Our deepest sympathies for the whole family. Heaven gained another angel!
Thank you for sharing your warm hugs to my children. Even though we’re not blood related but you made us feel like we’re part of your family! You will be greatly missed! The Cottrill’s
With deepest sympathy,
Love from your neighbors, The Rouzer family, The Porter family, The Smith family
Rachel taught my mom to make manicotti and polenta. My mom taught her to make hummus and Malfoof. They taught me by modeling the art of developing lifelong friendships, appreciation for their new home in the USA where through hard work and frugal living they accomplished the American dream, and the importance of cherishing our roots and celebrating and sharing with others the traditions that make us unique. Rachel was more than a best friend to my mom. She took the place of a sister and cousins thousands of miles away. I am grateful to Rachel for her gifts of friendship, faith, and family. Dominic, Angela, Anthony and Joe—may you smile often as you celebrate the your mama’s life and the incredible legacy she has left us. We are with you in spirit.
Dear Joe and family: I was saddened to see the obituary for your mother. What a loss for you all. Please know that I will be praying for you all as hou grieve your loss. Your mother was a very lovely and loving woman. God certainly has enfolded his arms around her. Love and prayers, Stan Tuchalski (Kissimmee, FL)
🙏🏻❤️ So Sorry for Your Loss ❤️ Our Thoughts and Prayers are With You and Your Family During This Difficult Time ❤️🙏🏻
To Angela and family, So very sorry to hear of your mother’s passing. She was a lovely lady. Our thoughts and prayers for all of you. Sincerely, Toni ( Orlando ) Gurskey and husband Michael
Dom and family, I’m so sorry for your loss. May God bless all of you at this time.
I remember growing up in Weirton and visiting Aunt Rachel and Uncle Domenic. We always knew when visited there we there would be great pastries and cookies. She was also a great cook and remember going to eat dinner in the Living room that was set up like a dining room, because they always had a lot of fiends and relatives visiting and needed a place for a large dining room table. I will always remember her as the sweetest, nicest, caring, and God loving person on earth. She was a great mom to her kids and she was a loving wife to Uncle Dom. She was dedicated to God and her Church. God has welcomed her with open arms. Jamie and I will always remember her and have nothing but good things to say about her. We will miss her, just like so many others will. Maurice and Jamie Fiocca
With deepest sympathy,
I am sorry for your loss. I know how much she was loved. I know that her spirit will live on with all of you. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Dear Angela,Sarah and Elizabeth, I’m sorry to read about your mom’s passing and I do hope she didn’t suffer. I did her hair for years and when she would come she ALWAYS spoke very highly of you all. She was proud of all her children but especially of you,Angela, for the strength and resilience you had trying to raise your girls on your own. My mouth would water when she would tell me what she was cooking that day for any upcoming dinner. She was never afraid to praise God for her blessings and was a great testament to her faith. I thank God for having known her,Cathy Arango
I remember Rachel’s welcoming smile and generous heart when I taught in Weirton at St. Joe’s. Sister Josephine Pate
My paternal grandfather and Rachel’s father, Angelo, were friends and co-workers in the former Bethlehem Steel coal mine in Cokeburg, PA, when WWII started. After the war, they both prepared for the arrival of their families, who had been separated from before the start of the war and living in Italy. They shared opposite sides of a “company house” duplex, in preparation of their family’s arrival. When the families arrived, my grandfather’s side was ready, but Angelo’s was not. So, my family took Rachel’s family in, until their side was ready. Ironically, approximately 40 years later, I had the opportunity to intern at Weirton Steel as an engineer and Rachel returned the favor by allowing me to live with her family for the summer. What a great lady and family! I will forever be indebted to her and her family for their hospitality and generosity. Yes, the food was great! She is in a better place. Our loss is heaven’s gain.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Rachel was a source of constant love, warmth and care. She will continue to be an eternal sunshine for the countless people she touched.
Dear Notarantonio family, My sympathy and prayers are with all of you. God bless you all. I only talked with her a few times but my mother and brother always talked about what a wonderful women she was. Mary Jo LaRosa Zambon
Dear Notarantonio family, What a gem she was. I have such fond memories of your sweet mom growing up, of both of your parents! My mother (Josephine Paul) absolutely adored her. Please accept our sympathy and prayers, Jeanne & Phil Huffner
Dear Dom and Angela, I just saw this. I’m so sorry for your loss. Your mom was such a wonderful person.