Carmela Durbano

Carmela Durbano

July 24, 1912 ~ April 29, 2014

A beautiful centenarian who the world will miss passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 just three months shy of her 102nd birthday. Carmela “Carm” Deacetis Durbano was born in Devils Slide, Utah on July 24, 1912 to Frank and Jenny Mary Datro Deacetis. She married Victor Durbano in St. Joseph Catholic Church on February 6, 1932. Carm was the mother of three sons, Ernest Francis “Ernie,” Victor Anthony “Vic” and David Louis “Dave.”

The beautiful woman, with prematurely snow-white hair, was always stylish with a perfectly coiffed hairdo. She never missed her weekly hair appointments and always looked gorgeous whether she was going dancing or enjoying a baseball game on television from the comfort of her recliner. Her family, however, will remember her culinary skills. She could turn a dull bowl of noodles into an Italian feast with garlic, olive oil, basil and fresh tomatoes. And no one can forget the hours she spent making pizzelles at Christmastime. As a gift to her children and grandchildren on one of her birthdays, she created a cookbook with recipes, photographs and mini-histories.

Carm didn’t have the easiest childhood, but in ladylike fashion, there was never any blame to go around and she pushed forward into a wonderful marriage and motherhood. Vic Sr. and Carm lived in Roy, Utah where they raised potatoes, onions, watermelons and other vegetables on 6000 South. Between spending time in the fields and cooking for her husband, sons and their grandfathers, she also worked at Sears, Ogden Arsenal, Rich’s Shoes and Paisano’s Italian Restaurant.

Carm loved to laugh and she loved to dance. The Durbanos has a network of Italian friends, the “Gang” she called them, who spent Saturday evenings dining, dancing and laughing. Even when she was hit in the head with a softball, which blackened both eyes, she found humor in the tale. In her younger years, she bowled in ladies and mixed leagues, played golf, and she didn’t give up playing pinnacle until recently. When she and the other players’ hands became too arthritic to shuffle, they just moved the cards around face down on the table to rearrange them, and Carm was always the scorekeeper. For over 60 years, she and a group of very close women friends got together for “Club.” After her husband, Vic, passed away on February 13, 1973, Carm was fortunate enough to find companionship with Lag Briseno for over 30 years.

In her later years, Carm continued to find pleasure in cooking for her grandchildren and they found the same pleasure in dining on Grandma’s pasta. She had a gift that everyone still tries to emulate. Besides cooking for her family, two loves of her life were her dogs, Regina and Sophia, and Carm was easily entertained with a hundred bucks and a slot machine.

Carm is survived by Vic Durbano (Joyce), Ernie’s widow, Bonnie Durbano Burtenshaw, and Dave Durbano (Linda); 16 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and 33 great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, husband, Vic, and her oldest son, Ernie.

A Mass with be conducted by Father Cummins on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 2 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 514 24^th St.  Friends may join in the celebration of Carmela’s life with the family on Friday, May 2, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd.  She will be laid to rest at Lindquist’s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch, 1718 Combe Rd., Ogden, following the Church service.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Vicki, Carli and Dianne at Mountain Ridge Assisted Living for the respect and courtesy they extended to Carm during her stay at their facility. The family also would like to thank Nicole, Brooke and Lillie from Hospice of Utah for helping Carm maintain dignity in the final days of her life.

In lieu of flowers, Carm requested that friends donate to a charity of their choice.