Maria D'Orazio, 96

DAGSBORO - Maria D'Orazio, age 96, of Dagsboro, died on Friday, May 8, 2009, at the Atlantic Shores Nursing Home in Millsboro. She was born June 24, 1912, in Cansano, in the Abruzzi region of Italy. She married John D'Orazio in 1931 and emigrated to the United States in 1936 where they lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. for several years. They purchased land in Blenheim, N.Y.; built a home and farmed the land for the next 25 years. In 1965 they moved to the town of Summit, N.Y. Her beloved husband, John, died in 1966, shortly after their move to Summit. She worked at Eden Park Nursing Home in Cobleskill, N.Y., until moving to Dagsboro, DE in 1973. For the next 29 years she worked at Stockley Center in Georgetown, as a Foster Grandparent for the severely handicapped. She received numerous awards for her work and dedication to the clients she served. She finally retired from the Foster Grandparent program at the age of 91. She returned to Italy several times to visit her homeland and relatives. Her final trip abroad was to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Land. A devote Catholic, she was devoted to her religion and to her family. She was predeceased by two sisters in Australia and a brother in Italy. She is survived by her two sons, Nino D'Orazio of Dagsboro, and John D'Orazio of Schenectady, N.Y.; four grandchildren, Lynn Blatzheim of Laytonsville, Md., Deborah Summerlin of Haymarket, Va., Richard D'Orazio of Ocean View, and Joseph D'Orazio of Lakewood Ranch, Fla.; and nine great-grandchildren. A period of visitation will be 9-10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at the Frankford Chapel of Melson Funeral Services, 43 Thatcher St., Frankford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, at St. Ann's Catholic Church, Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach. A graveside service will be held in Summit, N.Y., where she will be buried next to her beloved husband, John on Thursday, May 14, at 10 a.m.