Elizabeth “Bette” “Bette Boop” (Gaetano) Sardo, age 87, went to be with our Lord on August 1, 2021, at Griffin Hospital. She was the beloved wife of the late Ferdinand E. “Babe” Sardo Sr.
Bette was born in Derby on May 17, 1934, daughter of the late John and Olga Morbidelli Gaetano. She was a resident of Ansonia for most of her life where she raised her two children. Bette attended St. Mary’s Grammar School in Derby and Derby High School where she was a cheerleader. Bette was employed as a clerk in the Derby Superior Court for fifteen years, until her retirement.
Betty was a communicant of Holy Rosary Church where she was a member of the women’s Bocce League and helped each year at the annual Italian Festival where you would find her handing out her homemade Rosary beads to all the kids that stopped by to see her. She attended Mass each Saturday evening and volunteered on the Altar Guild to clean the church during the week. She was also a member of the Ansonia Senior Center where she would meet with her girlfriends to play cards or participate in the daily planned activity.
She loved all of her family and friends, especially her sisters, and it meant everything to spend time with them. For many years Bette hosted her annual Thanksgiving Day dinner where the more people that were invited, the better she enjoyed. Whenever she showed up to a party or an event, “Aunt Bette” had her famous “Ginnette” cookies that were always a special request and made with much love.
She was always on the go whether going for a walk, shopping, going to the beach, trips to the casino, cooking or baking. Sunday mornings were reserved for making homemade macaroni, meatballs and sauce, while listening to the Italian House Party on the radio dancing and singing in the kitchen. Bette was an avid fan of UCONN women’s basketball. She also enjoyed going to class reunions and meeting up with her friends and fellow classmates.
She never forgot a birthday and you could almost guarantee a phone call from her singing happy birthday in Italian. She would enjoy taking little trips to visit her daughter and son-in-law and always brought a goodie bag of homemade food and treats, even spoiling her grand-dog, Lola. Bette was the best mother a child could ever ask for and will be forever missed. Her life was lived to the fullest and she enjoyed every moment on this earth.
She leaves to cherish her memory, a son, Freddy Sardo, a daughter, Laura Fornito and her husband James of Waterbury, sisters, Marguerite Candelli of Seymour and Lena Cammarata of Derby, sister-in-law, Lucille Sardo and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by sisters, Dolores Bailey and Gloria Palmieri.
A private visitation will be held followed by interment alongside her husband in Mount Saint Peter Cemetery in Derby. A Memorial Mass will be scheduled and announced in the future. The SPINELLI-RICCIUTI/BEDNAR-OSIECKI FUNERAL HOME, 62 Beaver Street in Ansonia has been privileged with the arrangements. To sign Bette’s guestbook or share a memory, please visit http://www.spinelliricciutifh.com.
