Mary Rose (Carai) Bartolotta

Mary Rose (Carai) Bartolotta, 90, of Lopatcong Township, NJ, formerly of Phillipsburg, NJ, died April 4, 2024.

Born January 22, 1934 in Pottsville, PA, Mary was a daughter of the late Dominick and Sarah (Costanzo) Carai.  Mary was proud of her father’s heritage from Nuoro, Sardinia, and her mother’s heritage from Palermo, Sicily.

Mary was a member of St. Philip and St. James Roman Catholic Church, Phillipsburg, N.J.  

Mary and her husband of sixty-three years, the late Salvatore (“Tootie”) N. Bartolotta owned and operated the Bella Luna Restaurant, Wilson Borough, PA, and later, the Bartolotta’s Schaefer House, South Main and Stockton Streets, Phillipsburg, NJ.  Mary and Tootie were honored to be selected as “Best In the Lehigh Valley” for Italian restaurants twice by the Valley Monthly Magazine in the 1970’s. They were also selected to cook for the cast of “The Dain Curse” in 1978, which included actors James Coburn and Hector Elizondo.

Mary graduated from Easton High School (Easton, PA) in 1952.  She worked at Easton National Bank after high school.  She held various employment positions in addition to her “waitressing, bartending, decorating and bookkeeping” for their restaurants and her favorite job being a homemaker.

Mary and Tootie lived a full life – “crossing country” on Route 66 three times in the 50’s to visit family in California, enjoying Disneyland and trips to Disney World, Las Vegas, Aruba, and the Jersey Shore.  Through the years, she loved making memories and living “next door” to family on Mercer Street (in Phillipsburg, NJ) and on Lehigh Street (in Easton, PA).

Mary is survived by her daughter, Sarah Dragotta and her husband, Samuel, of Doylestown, PA, and her oldest sister, Joan Piccione of Lopatcong Township, NJ, and her three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren:  Nicholas Dragotta and his wife Yuan and their sons, Enzo Fei and Luca Tian;  Philip Dragotta and his wife Rachel and their daughters, Amelia Yael, Talia Noa, and Cecilia Shai;  and Rosanne Rauenzahn and her husband Daniel and their two daughters, Torrey Rose and Lorelai Rose.  She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, “family friends” and her best girlfriend Janet Mantoni.

In addition to Mary's husband, her son, Salvatore C. Bartolotta died earlier (1989).  Her greatest heartache was losing her son Salvatore.  Since her husband “Tootie” passed away (2018), she would often say “God has my two Salvatores.”  She is also predeceased by her two younger sisters, Sara Marinelli and Grace Sparano.

Mary was surrounded by her daughter Sarah, her sister Joan and many loving caregivers on the day she passed.  Mary will be sadly missed, especially by all who appreciated her sassy personality!
 

Visitation will be 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in the Noto-Wynkoop Funeral Home, 289 S. Main St, Phillipsburg. www.noto-wynkoop.com. Services will begin 9:15 a.m., Thursday, April 11, 2024, in the Noto-Wynkoop Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 10:00 a.m., in St. Philip and St. James Church, 426 S. Main St, Phillipsburg. Burial will be in St. Philip and St. James Cemetery, Greenwich Township, NJ, following Mass.

To listen to a playlist of a few songs Mary enjoyed, click here to play on Spotify.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Rose (Carai) Bartolotta, please visit our floral store.