by Tom Gallagher
Florence D'Urso of Pelham Manor, one of the most important benefactors of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York who was also responsible for restoring many works of art at the Vatican, died Tuesday at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx. She was 79.
She was the widow of Camillo D'Urso, who founded the Key Food supermarket chain and was presumed drowned after he disappeared during a 1986 fishing trip off Florida.
Over several decades, Florence D'Urso supported numerous Catholic causes and schools in New York and elsewhere. She was a prominent figure at the front of many Catholic events, often the only woman among bishops and priests.
In recent years, she became ill and continued her work in a wheelchair.
"Florence D'Urso was a valued and trusted friend to me, and to my predecessors, as well as a great supporter of the Archdiocese of New York, the Holy See, and many other Catholic causes," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York.
Read more on the life of this extraordinary woman.
