Lucy Munafo died peacefully at Windemere, with her family at her side, on the morning of Oct. 19. She lived a long and colorful life for almost 99 years.

She was born Lucia Carmelia Ragonese to her Sicilian parents on the feast day of Santa Lucia on Dec. 13, 1925 in Syracuse, N.Y. She grew up in Astoria, Queens.

She met her future husband at a convent on Staten Island. Salvatore Munafo, at the time an Italian POW on Governor’s Island, returned to Italy after the war. In 1946, Lucy traveled alone on an ocean liner to Naples, Italy, where they married. They resided in Italy for a year, and moved back to Astoria where their son Paul was born a few years later. In 1967, they relocated to Hollywood, Fla. They were married for 50 years before Sal’s death in 1997.

Lucy was a fiercely proud and dedicated mother — she once flew to Bombay to find her son among the hippie community in that teeming city when he didn’t return home from a trip overseas. Imagine his surprise to see his mother and father standing on the porch of the small hotel where he was residing.

She moved to Woodside Village in Oak Bluffs in 2005 to be near her family on Martha’s Vineyard. She led an active life, babysitting for her great-granddaughters, making new friends and cooking Italian meals in her apartment. She enjoyed going to the weekly community suppers at IEH and to lunches at the Anchors. She volunteered at Windemere. She loved attending every one of her son’s singing performances at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse. She was a devout Catholic and attended Mass every week.

In her 80th year, Paul and his wife MJ took Lucy on a memorable trip back to Italy and Sicily. They visited all their Sicilian relatives and toured the countryside, including a visit to the shrine of Saint Padre Pio.

For the past few years, she was lovingly cared for at Windemere. Prior to her residence there, she participated in activities at the MV Center for Living and received home care from many, many wonderful caregivers including Sandie Corr-Dolby, Remonia Doctor, Lisa Brouillette and the late Lena Vanderhoop. The family is so grateful to everyone who made Lucy’s life better, and for all the services she received from Elder Services and VNA of Cape Cod & the Islands.

She was predeceased by her parents Caterina Barbagallo Ragonese and Frank Ragonese; her husband Salvatore Munafo, her infant daughter Norma Munafo, her brothers Mario Ragonese and Carlo Ragonese and her dearest friend, Josephine Pepe.

She is survived by her son Paul Munafo and daughter-in-law MJ Bruder Munafo; her granddaughters Jenik Munafo Khelalfa (and her husband Hocine) of Vineyard Haven; and Koran Munafo of Hilo, Hawaii; her great grandchildren Braden, Levi, Osei, (Hawaii) Malika and Leela (Vineyard Haven); and her beloved niece Grace Arnold of Venice, Calif.

and several other nieces and nephews both in the United States and in Sicily. Services were private and she was laid to rest with Sal in Hollywood, Fla. If you wish to contribute in Lucy’s memory, consider MV Center for Living, Box 1729, Vineyard Haven, MA or any of the Island’s organizations supporting our elders.