Life Story: Catherine Petrosini, 96; Brooklyn Native

Catherine Petrosini, 96, born Catherine Uhlenbusch to Arthur and Lillian Uhlenbusch (now deceased) died on April 23, 2017. She was married to Orlando Petrosini (now deceased) for more than 50 years, setting an example for her entire family to follow.

Catherine was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She had three sons who she always joked was just like the TV show “My Three Sons.” She treated each one of her sons equally. In fact when one of them had to have his tonsils removed, so did all three.

Her family will always remember her as being one of the most kind, generous people they’ve ever met. She truly was one of a kind.

Some of her favorite activities included — in her younger days — rolling down hills with her grandchildren, playing softball in the yard, and wearing smocks like they were going out of style, because, frankly they were.

Catherine also loved holidays and looked forward to the annual Petrosini Christmas game of “Left, Right, Center” — yes, a gambling game on Christmas. Every year she brought stacks of dollar bills and every year she hoped she would lose to her grandchildren so she could watch them win.

She always wanted to give of herself. She would trek from Brooklyn to New Jersey weekly to make her famous Eggplant and Chicken Parmesan and spend time with each of her sons and their children. And, right after dinner she would clean up and settle in for her next shift as a personal back scratcher to her grandchildren. Catherine and her husband Orlando loved trips to Pennsylvania to visit her friends Bill and Kay.

She was always well put together and as we all know getting her hair done was not only something she loved but something she deemed mandatory.

And for a woman who hated salads, calling greens “rabbit food” and did not like water, she lived to 96 on meat, potatoes, and love.

No one in Catherine’s family has ever heard her curse. Her choice phrases were “Fiddlesticks” and “Son of a Gun.”
Whatever Catherine was doing, she was always thinking about her family and her family knew it.

She is survived by three children, Bill Petrosini and his wife Jeannie, Jim Petrosini and his wife Karyn , and Tom Petrosini and his wife Eileen, her grandchildren, Dominae Petrosini and her husband Eric Maginniss, Jana Petrosini and her husband Julian Czubakowski, Justin Petrosini and his wife Michlyn, Nicole Petrosini and her significant other Ryan Petersen, and Michael Petrosini and his significant other Krystle Norelli.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, as Catherine always loved children.

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