- Date Of Birth: June 30, 1958
- Date Of Death: May 7, 2022
- State: Pennsylvania
Elizabeth “Liz” Louise (O’Neill) DeSantis, 63, of Walnutport, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her loving family on Saturday May 7, 2022 after a two-and-a-half year battle with lung cancer. She was the loving wife of Michael DeSantis with whom she shared over 23 years of loving marriage. Born in the Bronx NY, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Dorothea (Basini) O’Neill. Liz spent the majority of her life in New York and was a 1976 graduate of Mater Christi High School in Queens. She relocated to the Lehigh Valley after marrying Michael in 1998. After the birth of Tori, Liz served as the President of the DSPN (Down Syndrome Parent Network), a support group she started for parents of children born with Down syndrome. She was also heavily involved with the Eastern PA Down Syndrome Center Buddy Walk for many years and a local Autism organization for a short time. Through the years, Liz held many different jobs, most recently as an activities aide at Mosser Nursing Home and as a home health aide with Extended Family Care of Allentown until her illness made her unable to work. Liz was an avid I Love Lucy and classic rock fan and enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grand babies who she adored more than life itself.
Survivors: In addition to her loving husband Michael, she will be remembered by her daughters Kristen (Jimmy) Devlin of Mays Landing NJ, Monica (Dan) Jedrejczyk of Alburtis PA and Tori DeSantis of Walnutport PA ; sister Margaret (Rick) Liverano of Centereach NY, maternal uncle/Godfather Thomas Basini of Ardsley NY, sisters-in-law Denise O’Neill of Raleigh NC, Nancy Bushspice of Bethlehem PA, Elaine (Rick) Saddic of Ellicott City MD, and brother-in-law Joe DeSantis of Bethlehem PA; her beautiful granddaughters Kennedy, Kyleigh, and Isobel; and countless nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her youngest sister Joann Nicole O’Neill (1983) and younger brother Charles “Gerry” O’Neill (2021).
The Eastern PA Down Syndrome Center
6900 Hamilton Blvd, P.O. Box 60
Trexlertown, PA 18087
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=LDB5D8UNRDSFG
Autism Society Lehigh Valley
P.O. Box 3523
Allentown, PA 18106
