- By Lansing Funeral Home
- Obituaries
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She is survived by her daughter Rosemary Pomponio and grandson Jesse, of Belmont, MA; by her daughter Elizabeth (Betty Ann) Hillbrand and son-in-law John, of Springdale, AR, and granddaughters Rose, Anna, Selena and Elana Hillbrand; by her son, Arthur Pomponio and daughter-in-law Diane, of Fairport, granddaughter Christy Giancursio and her husband, Jim, of Macedon, and grandson Mark Pomponio, of Fairport; and by her daughter Dorothy Pomponio and son-in-law Joel Rabinowitz, of Groton, NY. Betty was predeceased by her husband, Arthur, by her sister, Mary Miller, and by her brother, Eugene Thomas. Sadly, Betty did not live to see the birth of her first great-grandchild, due in May.
Betty was born on May 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, PA, the daughter of Eugene and Mary Raggio Thomas. As a young girl she began assisting her parents in their candy store. In 1944 she met her future husband, Arthur Pomponio, when he was stationed in Philadelphia prior to his naval service aboard the USS New Jersey. The couple was married in May, 1946, and lived in Philadelphia for the first three years of their marriage, where they worked in the family candy business. After relocating to Arthur’s home town of Fairport, Betty and Arthur operated a candy store, “Pomponio’s Homemade Candies,” for many years at the corner of Fairport and Baird Roads, and later in Palmyra, where they moved in 1977. After her husband died in 1988, Betty continued to sell homemade candy for several years. Betty greatly enjoyed the candy business and the friendships she had with her customers. In 2004, Betty moved to Ithaca, where she lived at the McGraw House residence for older adults.
Betty was a faithful parishioner of St. Anne’s R.C. Church in Palmyra, and in Ithaca she continued to attend church services regularly until shortly before her death. A devoted and loving mother, Betty was visited and cared for by her children during the final weeks of her life.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by the Reverend Robert Gaudio at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 28, 2006, at St. Anne’s Church in Palmyra, with burial to follow at St. Anne’s Cemetery. A reception will be held immediately following the graveside service. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. Anne’s R.C. Church, 136 Church Street, Palmyra, NY 14522.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of The Lansing Funeral Home, Inc.,32 Auburn Road, Lansing, NY 533.8600