Diane M. Maritato

Diane M. Maritato was a happy, vibrant and energetic woman whose passions ranged from family and career to entertaining and community engagement. She was a visionary leader and, combined with a dreamer mentality, she brought freshness and innovation to her profession and volunteer organizations. She chose to see the best in everyone and everything which, along with her grace, talent and charm, made Diane an inspiration to family and friends alike.

Diane was born the daughter of Herman and Irene (Bencriscutto) Porcaro in Racine, Wisconsin on October 22, 1937. The nation was beginning to recover from long years of economic depression, and her father supported the family working at Western Publishing while her mother remained at home to care for Diane and her siblings Joseph, David, Nita and Dino.

Diane was a vivacious child and teenager. Naturally athletic, she soon proved that she was the fastest runner in the neighborhood, beating everyone in foot races, including the boys. In high school, she was on the cheerleading squad at St Catherine's High School. Her senior year was especially fun, because she met the love of her life—Frank Maritato—while cheering at a basketball game.

Frank and Diane had a great future ahead of them when she graduated in 1955 and the two married on September 27, 1958 at Old Sacred Heart Catholic Church. They lived in Abilene, Texas during his service with the US Air Force, and their first two children—Lisa and Mitchell—were born there. The family later moved to Memphis, Tennessee for Frank’s two-year V.A. residency and returned to Racine when he began his dental practice in 1964. In 1965, the family was blessed with twins, Nancy and Frank. Diane was a happy and busy mother working from home doing lab work for Frank’s dental practice until she became a realtor in 1985.

Family life was lively and full of laughter. Diane was an excellent cook and superior event planner. Every summer, the family vacationed with her brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Judy, and their children, Paul, Pete, Perry and Pam. Staying in hotels, Diane and Judy prepared amazing meals while the children, especially the boys, "explored" the hotel, the elevators and the grounds. With the heavenly smells arising from the room and rambunctious kids making their presence known, everyone in the hotel knew the Maritatos and Porcaros were “in the house.”

Diane hosted numerous holiday parties for both the Porcaro and Maritato families, with up to 50 guests for dinner. To kick off the Christmas season, Diane invited colleagues from Frank’s dental clinic. It was the event of the year that everyone looked forward to, and years later, guests still talked about how much they enjoyed that party and how wonderful the food was. No doubt Diane was frequently pressed for recipes, and when asked how much of a certain ingredient to add, her best cooking tip was: "Enough but not too much."

Then there were the tailgate parties. Once or twice a year, when the Green Bay Packers played at Milwaukee County Stadium, Diane prepared feasts that made other fans jealous and were notable by the celebrities who attended. She entertained such greats as Tony Canadeo, former Packer running back and member of the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and Wisconsin’s former US Senator, Bill Proxmire.

Being the consummate host, Diane was prepared at any hour of the day. One night at about 2:00 AM, Frank's brother, Mario and two nephews, Mike and JT, decided to drive their car onto the front lawn and knock on the door. Instead of turning them away, Diane invited them in and asked if they were hungry. She made a delicious frittata that everyone enjoyed. However, when Mario started to fall asleep after breakfast, Diane whacked him on the back of the head and said, "Since you woke me up, now you are going to stay awake."

In addition to cooking and entertaining, Diane liked to golf, read and play Bridge. Her sports interests were close to home, and besides the Packers, Diane rooted for the Milwaukee Braves. The very first major league baseball game she attended was the 7th game of the World Series between the Braves and the New York Yankees. On a more regular basis, Diane liked to golf enough to join the Racine Country Club, where she was once voted woman golfer of the year.

Diane also made her mark in her 29-year career as a realtor. In her first year, she was named Rookie of the Year and top producer. She later became president and director of the Racine Board of Realtors and a director of the Wisconsin Realtors Association. She was the chairwoman of the annual Home Expo, and one year she spearheaded the rolling billboard promotion of Racine. As a member of the Operation Facelift committee, she was responsible for awarding matching funds to downtown businesses to renovate their façades. She was a member of the Vittoria Colonna Lodge, an organization of women who celebrate their Italian heritage and promote philanthropic activities, and she served as president in 2010 and 2011. Whatever she did at work or in the community, Diane gave of her best.

Above all, Diane extended herself to her family as a sister, wife, mother and grandmother. She truly enjoyed inviting her son Mitch and wife Debbie and grandchildren Meagan and Emily to the Roma Lodge for dinner and a game or two of bocce. Diane was a ringer and whatever team she was on was usually victorious. With her daughter Nancy and her grandchildren Gianna and Zoë, Diane went to a water park in the Wisconsin Dells every year. Even at the age of 70 and beyond, she was able to carry an inner tube up more than six flights of stairs in order to go down a mega-waterslide with her grandchildren. What a thrill for them all.

Diane M. Maritato, age 77, passed away Friday, November 21, 2014 at the Hospice House in Racine surrounded by her loving family. “She was deeply loved and will always be in our thoughts and forever in our hearts.”

Surviving are her husband of 56 years, Dr. Frank; children, Lisa (Patrick) Peterson of Ashburn, VA; Mitch (Debbie) Maritato of Germantown, WI; Nancy Custard of Ashburn, VA; Frank (Karen) Maritato of Glen Allen, VA; four grandchildren, Meagan and Emily Maritato, Gianna and Zoë Custard; brothers and sister; Joseph (Judy) Porcaro, David (MaryAnn) Porcaro, Nita (Tom) Bain, Dino (Sophia) Porcaro; brothers-in-law, Louis (Mary) Maritato, Mario (Lois) Maritato nieces, nephews other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents she also was preceded in death by her grandson, Marcus Maritato.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, November 26, 2014, 11:00 A.M. at the church of her membership, St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 6400 Spring St. with Rev. Allen Bratkowski officiating. Relatives and friends may meet with the family for visitation at the funeral home on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. (Vittoria Colonna Service at6:00 P.M.) and Wednesday at the church from 10:00 A.M. until time of Mass.

A very special thank you to the staff and volunteers of Hospice Alliance Home Hospice and the Hospice House of Racine for their loving and compassionate care.

Maresh-Meredith and Acklam Funeral Home, 803 Main St RACINE, WI, (262) 634-7888. Please send condolences to www.meredithfuneralhome.com