Elizabeth “Liz” Louise (O’Neill) DeSantis

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).

Services: A Funeral Service will be held at 7 P.M. on Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden Street Bethlehem, PA 18018 where the family will receive relatives and friends from 5 P.M. until time of the service. The service will be live-streamed and may be viewed on Liz’s obituary page on the funeral home website. Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family. A memory tribute may be placed at www.cantelmifuneralhome.com.

Contributions: In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name to:

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

https://www.asalehighvalley.org/donations.html

LymeLight Foundation

1229 Burlingame Ave., Suite 205

Burlingame, CA 94010

https://lymelightfoundation.org/donate/

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