Domenico Iadanza, 90, died peacefully on December 8th. Domenico lived life to the fullest and enjoyed a memorable family trip to Italy just two months earlier. He is reunited in eternal life with his beloved sweetheart, Libby, who passed away in February 2023.

Born in Pietrelcina, Italy, Domenico came to America in 1952 at age 18 to begin a new life with his young bride, Libby. The couple lived in Jamaica, NY while Domenico worked in construction as a carpenter and then as a skilled mason. In 1966 they built a home and moved to Franklin Square, NY, and in 1973 Domenico and his brother-in-law opened D&F Italian Deli in Astoria, NY which still operates today under ownership of his dear friend, Gaetano Zeppetelli.

Domenico loved photography and we will have countless hours of sorting through all the memories he preserved on film and video. He was also a builder and a tinkerer, always crafting a birdhouse, or a decorative item for Libby to paint. Domenico was an amateur rosarian and was especially proud of his fig trees. 

But what Domenico will be most remembered for is his love of a delicious meal and his own skills in the kitchen that were honed after years working at D&F.  Domenico’s hands were leathered from years of masonry, then from making mozzarella and fresh sausage. He was always willing to share how a family recipe should be prepared, and he was a master at the grill. Coming from the Naples area, he especially enjoyed seafood, whether it was a plate of tiny, fried fish he caught himself off the South Shore of Long Island, or a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce and calamari or clams. 

Domenico is survived by his son Terence (Susan) and daughter Rita (LJ), grandchildren Michael, Joseph, Angela, John and Sarah, his siblings Carmelina, Antonetta and Joseph and his beloved nieces and nephews. Domenico will also be remembered fondly by his new friends at the Residence at St. Peter’s in River Edge, NJ where he thrived in the last year of his life.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on January 11, 2025 at St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church,  33 New Hyde Park Road, Franklin Square, NY at 10:30 AM with private interment at a later date. The family will receive family and friends at Domenico’s home in Franklin Square, NY after Mass. In lieu of flowers, donations in Domenico’s honor may be made to The Residence at St. Peter’s in River Edge, NJ or The Padre Pio Foundation of America.