Ramona Sbarra, a lifelong resident of Port Crane, peacefully passed away October 10, 2021, after a brief stay at Lourdes Hospital. She was 90.
She was predeceased by her parents, Harrison and Edith Jenks; her husband of 69 years, Robert (Bob) Sbarra; her eldest son and his wife, Nicholas and Patricia Sbarra; and 11 siblings, Clarence (Penny) Jenks, Lena (John) Russell, Blanche (Harold) Brigham, Gladys (Roy) Carman, Lelia (Ted) Wright, Ruth (Lumen) Craver, Madeline (Curtis) Gage, Thelma Zacharias-Ploskonka, Vera (Harry) Rockwell, Burnard (Betty) Jenks, Eugene (Doris) Jenks.
She is survived by her beloved identical twin sister, Leona (Lay & George) Casterlin; her sister-in-law and long-time neighbor, Doris Jenks; her children, Janet (Mike) Webb, Donald (Marie) Sbarra, Theresa (Dennis) Sherwood, Scott Sbarra, Patty (Rick) Masaryk; 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Known to most everyone as “Ray,” she began waiting tables at age 16 for various restaurants in the Binghamton area and continued to do so for roughly 50 years, the last 30 or so at the Red Robin Diner in Johnson City. When not working, her life revolved around her children and their growing families. In her later years, she had a special relationship with her grandson Ricky (Masaryk), whose loquacious personality and unique perspectives filled and brightened many of her days.
Seldom without a smile on her face, mom’s innate wit, caring nature and sense of humor, which she retained to the end, enabled her to comfortably carry a conversation with anyone. While a frequent critic of her own cooking, those attending one of her Thanksgiving or Christmas Day meals would tell you she was the best cook ever…lumpy gravy and all. Her joy in living was often expressed through song – hymns, mostly – and her strong, clear voice could frequently be heard ringing throughout the neighborhood as she hung laundry or performed some other outdoor chore. She loved wavy beaches, hot roast beef sandwiches and those chocolate-covered marshmallow pinwheel cookies. In retirement, she became a voracious reader of novels, mostly those dealing with the trials and tribulations of the early settlers. They were religious novels, she said, but not so preachy but what anyone could enjoy them. She liked to tell the story about her first waitressing job as a green 16-year-old, and how on the first day the owner and his wife decided to take the afternoon off and left her in charge on her own. It was sink-or-swim time…and swim she did.
Born into a struggling country farm family of 13 children shortly following the Great Depression, mom could have been forgiven had her memories and stories been tinged with disappointment, hardship and longing, but such was never the case. The stories and experiences she shared were filled with laughter and uplifting testaments to getting by, being grateful for what you have, and never taking things for granted, commonsense advice that has proven invaluable and precious to her family. Her home served as our communications center, as she kept everyone up to date on the latest happenings involving family, friends and neighbors. She was, in effect, the glue that held us all together.
The family would like to express its gratitude for the excellent care she received over the years from the staff at Lourdes Hospital, and for the compassionate, professional services recently provided by Hopler & Eschbach Funeral Home.
A graveside service for family is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, October 16, 2021, at the Port Crane Cemetery.
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