Amelia "Millie" (Crish) Palombaro

Austintown - Amelia “Millie” (Crish) Palombaro, 94, passed away surrounded by her family including her husband of 71 years David “Butch” Palombaro. Born on February 23, 1931, in Youngstown to Angelo and Angelina Martone Crish, Millie lived a life defined by family and togetherness.

Millie was a lifelong resident of Salt Springs Road, where she grew up on her family’s farm. After marrying in 1954, the couple settled into the home across the street from her parent’s farm next to her siblings and cousins.

A proud graduate of Chaney High School, Millie was a member of the school’s first cheerleading squad, setting the tone early for her lifelong love of sports. She was an enthusiastic supporter of every game her children, grandchildren, and nephews played, never missing an opportunity to cheer them on from the sidelines and teach them a thing or two.

For many years, Millie and Butch enjoyed weekends canning fresh vegetables from their garden and sharing the experiences with their children and grandchildren. Her green thumb also yielded beautiful flower gardens.

Her door was always open, and family was the heart of everything she did. Millie spent many years working in the kitchen at her brother Sam’s restaurant, Sam’s Wedge Inn, alongside her daughters, nieces, nephews, and Sam cultivating her famous Friday menu staple pasta e fagioli.

Millie found joy in activities such as golfing in various women’s leagues across the valley with her sister Nancy and bowling in the St. Anthony league. She loved her bingo nights and card games with her siblings and cousins.

She was known for throwing unforgettable holiday parties, especially on Christmas Eve and Easter, and her home was a place where celebrations stretched into the early morning hours. She never knew a stranger, and no one ever left her home hungry. Friends and family returned again and again for her contagious laughter and her famously irresistible apple pie.

She will be missed by her husband, Butch. Together, Millie and Butch lovingly raised their five children David, Angela, Gina (Daniel) Fernback, Francine (Mickey) Stryffeler, and Jeffrey and her granddaughter, Rachael (Dan) Bonacker. She leaves behind a large and loving family of grandchildren, Zachary (Michaela) Stryffeler, Anthony (Tiffani) Stryffeler, Abigail (Rob) Wallace, Michael Stryffeler, Taylor Palombaro Allison (Grant) Stoner, Danny (Gabi) Fernback, and Monique (Tyler) Gerber, and great-grandchildren, Amelia, Sophia, Antonio, Samuel, Violet, Shawn, Penelope, Madeline, Jack, Oliver, Charlotte, Patrick, and Theodore, each of whom brought her immense joy. Millie is also survived by her sister and bingo buddy, Madelyn “Honey” Krotky, and her brother- and sisters-in-law, Dolly (Dave) Leskovec and Margie Palen.

Millie was preceded in death by her parents and by her beloved brothers and sisters Nancy Olsavsky, Ursula Onesko, Philomena Babik, Frances Tomaskovic, Mary Maimone, Anita Mancino, Blanche Dobrindt, Joseph, Sam, Tony, and Frank Crish.

Family and friends may call on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. at Rossi Santucci Funeral Home, 4221 Market Street in Boardman. There will be a prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11: 00 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 1125 Turin Avenue in Youngstown.  Interment will take place at Resurrection Cemetery in Austintown. 

Millie lived her life with generosity, a fun spirit, and an open door. Her laughter, her food, her stories, and her love for her family will continue to carry on through the generations she touched. She definitely leaves behind a legacy of warmth and togetherness.

The family would like to thank Patriot Hospice and caretaker Candy Peyatt for their care of Millie. 

Arrangements are being handled by Rossi Santucci Funeral Home, 4221 Market Street in Boardman. 

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