Pauline Blandino

On December 2, 2021, Pauline R. Blandino finished her work on this earth after 101 years. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Sam J. Blandino, her sister Carmeline Demme and her brother Charles Torretta. She is survived by her three children Elaine Fry (Fred Fry, deceased), Danna Knichel (William Knichel) and Larry Blandino; her grandchildren Lori Davis, Adam Fry (Lori Imsland), Jennifer Krzystofiak (Eric Krzystofiak), Lawrence Fry (Sarah Richards), and Tony Knichel. Her great-grandchildren include Parker Krzystofiak, Ivan Imsland, and Rowan Mroz.

Throughout the trajectory of her life, Pauline was an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend. If people were happy, Pauline was happy, too. She and her husband Sam loved and cherished each other for more than 50 years, until he passed in 1999 of Parkinson’s disease. Pauline’s children believed that Mother’s Day had been created specifically for her.

Pauline was a devout Catholic and took pride in her Italian heritage. For many years, she was very active in her church. She found strength in prayer. She loved Jesus. She was a member of the Catholic Ladies’ Sodality Club, and also a member of the Italian Club.

During the World War II years, Pauline worked seven days a week to help manufacture military bullets at the McQuay-Norris war plant in St. Louis, Missouri. Throughout her life, she proudly recalled that whenever the National Anthem was played, each of the plant workers would spring to their feet and put their hands over their grateful hearts.

Pauline served as a leader of the Campfire Girls. She guided the youngsters to acquire important lessons of life. Along the way, she helped the girls create wonderful crafts and projects. She especially enjoyed organizing and guiding many exciting field trips for her Campfire Girls.

Through the Oasis Intergenerational Reading program, Pauline had great success as an elementary school tutor. She tutored well into her 90’s, and each of her assigned kiddos opened up to her charm and encouragement. Truly, she was an exemplary youth leader.

Throughout Pauline’s life, she enjoyed creating delicious meals and baking dozens and dozens of Italian cookies. Indeed, she never met a “stomach” she didn’t want to delight! Pauline made a mean red pasta sauce that would reduce grown men to tears of joy! She gladly used her cooking skills for any occasion. Parties, family reunions, and holidays. Pauline even made Italian cookies for her children’s weddings, as well as her nieces’ and nephews’ weddings.

Pauline never really met a “stranger” and was always quick with a warm smile and a joke. A people person, she lived a very long and happy life and witnessed many profound changes. Amazingly, the year that she was born, the 19^th Amendment had just given women the right to vote, and Americans were just starting to own cars and radios.

Sweet Pauline’s favorite expression was a three-part Italian blessing: “Buona Vita (good life), Buona Salute (good health), and Buona Fortuna (good luck).” Pauline hit the trifecta! Her life was the very embodiment of the term a “celebration of life.”