A Valentines Day story: How an accordion helped build a house of love
“It’s been an exciting life... a long life but it’s still pretty good since we are together,” said Sam DiSabatino.
Sam met his future wife through the instructor of his accordion class. “I was taking accordion lessons from Lucy’s brother Sam. Six months into the class, he introduced me to Lucy. That was 1949, and we started dating soon after,” Sam recalled.
Sam was a full-time musician who played Frank Sinatra covers. He released an album with his band in 1972. Lucy was a nurse in the 1940s; she had worked in multiple hospitals including The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The two married in 1950.
Shortly after the wedding, Sam, along with his father and cousin, began building a house for him and his bride. The DiSabatinos settled into their home at Spring City in 1954 and have lived there ever since. In that very house, the DiSabatino family flourished and grew over the years. Sam and Lucy have three surviving daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. The family has many fond memories spending holidays together at Sam and Lucy’s home.
“The girls grew up in this house and went to a catholic school nearby. I remember the girls and I would have ‘Daddy’s Date Night,’” said Sam. “On Christmas Eve, when everyone would come home, Lucy would do the cooking – making the traditional Italian meal ‘The Feast of Seven Fishes’ and spaghetti for all of us. Then we would attend the midnight mass after dinner.”
Ten years ago, Lucy had an operation to help with her rheumatoid arthritis, but pain started soon after the surgery. At the beginning, Lucy could get around using a walker, but when the pain got worse, Lucy needed a wheelchair for daily mobility.
Sam eventually took over cooking and chores around the house from Lucy. Even when they reached the point of needing a caregiver for personal care support, the DiSabatinos never once thought about moving out of their longtime home. “It’s our home and there is no other,” said Sam.
When Steve Gettins from Right at Home visited Sam and Lucy, he took an immediate liking to the couple. “Sam contacted us to provide support for Lucy. I met them at their house for an initial assessment. Sam and Lucy were joking with each other and laughing together the entire interview,” said Steve. “They were pure fun. They made everyone in the room laugh, and we all felt completely welcome in their home.”
“Sam also let us know that he would only accept the absolute best care for his wife. Her care was more important than any respite he may gain from an evening caregiver. In the end, the break seems welcome as it allows Sam to be more of a husband to Lucy than her caregiver,” added Ashley Creedon, Care Coordinator for Right at Home.
The nightshift caregivers now help Lucy with her evening routine to prepare for bed. As the routine is complete, Lucy always waits for her daughter to call and serenade her to sleep.
The DiSabatinos are celebrating their 65th anniversary this June. When asked about their secrets to a long marriage, Sam said, “there is a lot of give and take and a lot of patience, because sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”
Lucy had some sage advice of her own, “You have to smile every day. Even when it’s tough, just keep smiling.”
