Pasquale Santaniello

Pasquale Santaniello passed away Saturday afternoon in his Stevensville home surrounded by his wife, children and two nieces who were on hand to be with him during his final days. Pasquale was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer this March. He was seventy-six years old. Pasquale was born and raised in Italy, where he was in the Military Police and met his future wife, Marianna. He came to the United States in 1961 to be with her, and they were married shortly there after at St. Liborius Church in Steger, Illinois. It did not take long for young Pasquale to adapt to life in America. In 1967 he and Marianna opened Santaniello’s Restaurant in Stevensville. With his dedication to hard work came the success and reputation that Santaniello’s still has today. He was committed to always putting the customer first. Even as he neared death, Pasquale was a regular in his restaurant’s dining rooms, chatting with the customers who knew him on a first-name basis. He was adored by his staff as well; in his final days, current and former employees could be seen in and around the Santaniello home paying their respects. Pasquale also brought his love of soccer to the region, serving as a high school referee through his 70th birthday. He coached and played soccer for several years and was an avid follower of Italian teams, glued to his Italian television channel when they aired Italian games. He was also a gardener, the best dancer on any dance floor, and loved his 1978 Chevrolet Corvette. But beyond the business and his many interests was a man who passionately devoted himself to taking care of his family. He was always happiest around his wonderful bride Marianna, who could always count on her “sweetheart husband” to take care of their home and children. Pasquale is also survived by his three daughters, Santina (Scott) Grumbir, Nadia (Scott) Bucholtz, and Rosanna (Brian) Murphy; one son, Raffaele (Kerri) Santaniello; ten grandchildren, Justin and Andrea Grumbir; Zachary, Austin and Bianca Bucholtz; Niko and Natalia Santaniello; and Ethan, Anya and Elija Murphy; and two nieces, Santina Moore and Raffaela Hosbein. He was preceded in death by his mother, Amelia Santa; his father, Raffaele Santaniello; and his brother, Ferdinando Santaniello. Pasquale loved his children, who knew he was the one to go to when times were tough. He not only gave life-changing advice, but could always cheer someone up with his jokes. His grandchildren will always remember all the times he would play with them in his yard and the stories he would tell them of his own youth in Italy. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5:00- 8:00 PM at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd. A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 AM Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church; officiated by Rev. Msgr. Michael Osborn; with burial to follow at Hickory Bluff Cemetery. Friends wishing to send a message may do so at the guest book at www.starks-menchinger.com. In lieu of flowers, we are in the process of creating the Pasquale Santaniello Soccer Scholarship at Berrien Community Foundation to be given yearly to a deserving high school senior who will be playing Collegiate Soccer.