Last week, we said goodbye to Donna Solimando — a woman who knew how to make an entrance and when the time came, knew how to make an exit, too.
She was born Donna Russo in the Bronx, a first-generation Italian American raised in the warm embrace of family and tradition. Her mother had left the small village of Calvanico, Italy, for a better life in America, and Donna carried that legacy alongside her two brothers and sister. She was beloved by her doting parents, growing up in a home filled with the aroma of Sunday sauce.
As a young girl, she moved with her family to Emerson, New Jersey, where fate — and Emerson High School — introduced her to the love of her life, Butch Solimando. He was a local boy, full of charm, heading off to serve his country in the U.S. Army. When he returned, he found Donna in downtown Emerson, and that was it. He was smitten. She, with her raven hair, fierce spirit, and undeniable presence, was the kind of woman who left a man no choice but to follow.
For the next several decades, their life was filled with laughter, friends, and family. They worked hard, running Solimando Construction, and eventually settled in the small hamlet of Chester, New York, where they raised three beautiful children. Donna had a gift for painting and an eye for beauty — not just on canvas but in life. She turned heads when she walked into a room, and Butch, never far from her side, beamed with pride. She was passionate, feisty, and fiercely loyal. Had she not married an army vet, she might have been a full-fledged hippie, swept up in the civil rights movement and the cultural revolution of the ’60s. She took those core values of empowerment and instilled them in her daughters — with an unmatched ability to be observant and push her loved ones to be the best versions of themselves.
In her later years, with her makeup game as sharp as ever, Donna, along with Butch, took their sense of adventure on the road. They split their time remodeling a home in Milford, Pa., spending time with friends on the beach in Naples, Fl., and doting on their grandchildren in Orange County, Calif. A lady to the manner born, she never lost her confidence or her ability to see straight through a person with those piercing eyes. Donna loved mahjong, gardening, and her book clubs. Gift-giving was her true love language — each present carefully chosen, full of thought and meaning. She was a devoted wife and mother, loving mother-in-law, and an incredible grandmother. More than anything, she was an example of true strength — especially in the way she cared for Butch in his later years.
She and Butch were married for a lifetime, and if you believe in such things — and we do — then you know he was waiting for her. Exactly one year after his celebration of life, Butch rolled up in his heavenly turquoise ’57 Chevy, flashing that brilliant smile. And just like that, Donna slid in beside him, rested her head on his shoulder, and they drove off into the ages. Donna is survived by her sister Debra; her children Dana, Joe, and Gina; and her beloved grandchildren Hailey, Jude, and Joey.
Service: March 22 at 10 a.m. at St Columba R.C. Church, 27 High Street, Chester, NY.
The family has entrusted Donna’s care to the Flynn Family and Flynn Funeral & Cremation Memorial Centers staff.