Obituary of Esther M. Pollaro

Esther M. Pollaro, 83, of 2439 Elam St., died at 8:00 p.m. Saturday (June 30, 2012) in WCA Hospital. She was born in Buffalo, NY on March 15, 1929, the daughter of the late Edward Wolfe and Dorothy Bitely, and adopted and raised by her late grandparents, Henry and Ona Bitely. Esther attended Jamestown schools and had been employed by National Worsted Mills, The Cake Shop and Geno's Five Point Restaurant. She was a member of St. James Catholic Church. Esther's coffee pot was always on and she enjoyed visiting with family and friends, especially her neighbors Rod and Penny. She will be remembered as a loving mother who was always pleasant and possessed a wonderful sense of humor. Surviving is a daughter, Mary L. Pollaro and son, Bernard J. Pollaro of Jamestown, and Sue Gabriel whom Esther considered a daughter and had lived with her for over 40 years. Also surviving is a brother, Richard Bitely of Florida; several nieces and nephews including Phyllis Cole and her dog, Missy; Esther's dogs Nipper, Lucky, Jasmine, Carly and Keiker; and her goddaughter, Julie Ann (Pollaro) Spaulding of Jamestown. In addition to her parents and grandparents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James S. Pollaro, whom she married November 17, 1946 and who died May 24, 2010; two sisters, Phyllis Smith and Lucille Houcks; and a brother, William J. Bitely. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Friday in St. James Catholic Church. The Rev. Darrell G. Duffy will be celebrant. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the Lind Funeral Home, where a Christian Wake Service will be held at 7:30 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Chautauqua County Humane Society, 2825 Strunk Road, Jamestown, NY 14701; or to the American Cancer Society, Memorials Center, 6725 Lyons St., E. Syracuse, NY 13057.