Eliseo DeSantis' Obituary
Eliseo DeSantis, age 70, of Lorain, passed away on Saturday, July 10, 2021, at Mercy New Life Hospice Center of St. Joseph, Lorain.
He was born on March 16, 1951 in Montemonaco, Ascoli Piceno, Italy. He spent his formative years in Italy and never forgot his beloved grandfather, Francesco. In 1967, he moved to Amherst with his parents, Lucia and Luciano, and his sister, Bianca Lia. He attended Marion L. Steele High School and graduated in 1969. He continued his education in Business and Real Estate at Lorain County Community College.
For a time, Eliseo was employed at Ford Motor Company, but also worked alongside his cousin, Pete DeSantis at Frito Lay. He became a jack of all trades and loved sharing his knowledge with other people. He was an accomplished investor, venture capitalist, landlord and real estate owner. He even owned a beauty salon. He used his expertise in construction to do electrical work, plumbing, drywall, and tile projects.
Eliseo had a keen business acumen, but one venture clearly shined apart from the rest: his beloved pizza shops. He opened Eliseo’s Pizza in 1976 with his wife, Fran. Then, in 1989, he took sole ownership of Yala’s Pizzeria. His iconic pizza shops are beacons of the spirit of the “International City” of Lorain. The pizza shops have held titles and won awards for “Best Pizza” since 1989.
He is a member of the Catholic Church of St. Peter in Lorain, and was also a lifelong devotee and donor to the mission of St. Anthony in Italy. Eliseo enjoyed mentoring the youth, even initiating a youth scholarship for the Lorain County Community College of Nursing. He took pride in being able to donate his properties to spouses of fallen veterans.
Eliseo was an avid sports fanatic, especially for Italian soccer, and would be most excited about the recent win for the Azzurri! He liked to play cards with family and friends, and enjoyed marveling at the sunsets on Lake Erie with wife by his side. He enjoyed experimenting with food and new recipes in the kitchen and always looked forward to taking on new construction projects.
He will be dearly missed by his wife of 43 years, Francesca (nee Ernandes) DeSantis, daughter, Lucia (Jon) Heddleson, of Elyria, son, Francesco (Christopher) DeSantis, of Avon, granddaughter, Isabella Lucia Heddleson, and sister, Bianca Lia (Bernardo) Giannetti, of Strongsville. He was preceded in death by his parents, Luciano and Lucia (nee Barelli) DeSantis.
The family will receive friends for visitation on Wednesday, July 14th, from 3 – 7 pm, in the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst. Prayers will be on Thursday, at 10:15 am, in the Funeral Center. His Mass of Christian Burial will follow, at 11:00 am, at The Catholic Church of St. Peter, 3655 Oberlin Avenue, Lorain, Ohio 44053. The Rev. Fr. Craig Hovanec, Pastor, will officiate. Entombment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Avon. To send an online condolence, please go to www.dovinreberjones.com.
The family would appreciate donations and contributions to the mission of Saint Anthony of Padua:
The Basilica of St. Anthony
Piazza del Santo, 11
Padova, PD, Italia 35123
https://www.santantonio.org/en/basilica
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Chicago
11533 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60628
https://saintanthonyscatholicchurch.business.site/
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