Beatrice Margaret "Bea" Cartolano

CARTOLANO, Beatrice Margaret “Bea”, age 91, of Kettering, passed away on Friday, October 2, 2020 at Otterbein of Springboro.

Bea was born on May 22, 1929 in Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia Canada. She was the eldest child born to Antonio and Cleonice DiVito, immigrants from the Abruzzo Region of Italy. It was there, in Nova Scotia, that Bea’s lifelong passion for music was also born. She started piano lessons at a very early age and began helping the organist at Immaculate Conception Church, by pumping the bellows on the old-fashioned pipe organ. Eventually, she began to play the organ on her own during mass. Bea never missed an opportunity to entertain and even played at a hotel in Halifax one time. When Bea was not playing music or in school, she would spend many hours serving ice cream in the family’s grocery store and soda bar. She also enjoyed the family trips picking blueberries and fresh lobster roasts on the beach, along with her beloved Zia and Zio (aunt and uncle).

In 1947, the family moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario where they opened a tourist home and a sandwich and souvenir shop before building the Riverview Motel, on River Road, less than 1mile from the Falls. Bea began a career working for the Arthur C. Young Insurance agency while continuing to study music. She joined the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Ann’s Church and played the piano for all of their musicals and sing-alongs. She also entered local music competitions and did very well.

In June of 1955, she married Domenic Cartolano from Pittsburgh, PA and they moved to Dayton, OH where Bea became a proud citizen of the United States. Bea and Dom both shared a passion for music and were season ticket holders to the Dayton Philharmonic and the Dayton Opera. They joined St. Charles Borromeo Church in Kettering, OH when it was built in 1962 and Bea played the organ there until she retired in 1999. After retiring, she continued playing as a substitute organist for a variety of area Catholic churches for several years and played for countless masses, funerals, weddings and school performances. Bea never lost her passion to study music and was proud of the opportunity that she had to study Organ Pedagogy with Dr. Richard Benedum at the University of Dayton.

Bea was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother, Tony DiVito; and brothers-in-law, Patrick DiCiocco and Joseph Prest. She will be dearly missed by her family; sons, Laurence (Robin) Cartolano and Joseph (Diane) Cartolano; daughter, Joan (Michael) Croyle; 9 grandchildren: Nick (Shana), Jessica, Corey and Arielle Lucius; Mario (Rachel), Anthony and Elaina Cartolano, Isabella (Abel) Eastwood and Josie Cartolano; 5 great-grandchildren: Levi, Luke, Logan and Landon Lucius and Ansel Eastwood; sisters, Lydia DiCiocco and Philomena Prest; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held at ROUTSONG FUNERAL HOME: 2100 E. STROOP RD. KETTERING, OH 45429 on Wednesday, October 7 from 4pm – 7pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 4500 Ackerman Blvd. Kettering, Ohio 45429 on Thursday at 10:30 am.

The burial is for immediate family only at David’s Cemetery: 4600 Mad River Rd. Kettering, Ohio 45429.

Services will be live streamed via Routsong’s YouTube Channel. To share your condolences with the family please visit www.routsong.com.