Josephine DiSunno, Nonagenarian

Josephine DiSunno, who died at Southampton Hospital at the age of 95 on Tuesday, will be remembered, her family said, for her generosity, indomitable spirit, and devotion to family, church, and community.

She was born in Sag Harbor to John and Mary Falkowski on Jan. 25, 1920, the youngest of four children. When she was still a young child, her father died at the age of 30, leaving her mother to manage through the Great Depression. From those early years, her family said she learned “to be frugal and stay strong.”

Attending St. Andrew’s Catholic School in Sag Harbor, she had to leave in 12th grade to help support the family. She became a devout Catholic, practicing her faith into her 90s and receiving communion at home when she became too frail to attend church.

On June 4, 1939, she married Amato (Mike) DiSunno, and they moved into a house on Bunker Hill Road in Amagansett, which was, in effect, a DiSunno family compound. The house had no indoor plumbing. Eventually, when they had the resources, they made  improvements themselves, adding plumbing, and they were the first on the block to have a hot water heater, a double-roller wringer washing machine, and a hot water shower. Their home was later moved to O’Brien Court in Amagansett, where it is owned by a granddaughter.

In 1952, Mr. DiSunno took the money they had carefully saved to make a down payment on a bulldozer and start an excavation business, known over the years as Mike DiSunno and Son. Mrs. DiSunno worked as a bookkeeper and helped deliver sand and run other errands for the business. From the age of 12, their sons began working in the business after school and on weekends. Mr. DiSunno eventually became a popular East Hampton Town highway superintendent. He died in 1985.

The couple had four children, Carmine and John DiSunno of Amagansett and Suzanne DiSunno Brown of Atlanta, who survive, and Constance DiSunno O’Brien, who does not. Seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren survive as well. As her children were growing up, Mrs. DiSunno was a Cub Scouts den mother and a Brownie leader. She became a charter member of the Amagansett Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary in 1955, where her husband served as chief and later as a commissioner, and she remained a member for 60 years.

A member of the South Fork Country Club for decades, where she enjoyed golf, Mrs. DiSunno also was a champion bowler and a member of what was known as “The 300 Club” for bowlers. She traveled frequently, which was made possible by discounted fares since one of her daughters worked for Delta Airlines. The couple had enjoyed visiting Europe, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and Bermuda, among other destinations. For many years, they spent winters in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Viewing hours are today from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Amagansett, with a Mass of Christian burial tomorrow morning at 10. Mrs. DiSunno will be buried at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in East Hampton. Memorial contributions have been suggested to the Amagansett Fire Department and Ambulance, 439 Main Street, P.O. Box 911, Amagansett 11930-0911.