BY ALBERT AMATEAU | Maria Cardone, a lifelong resident of Carmine St. in the Village, died June 13 at the age of 69. She had a heart condition and was homebound for the past few years, said her friend and former neighbor Justina Burton.
The only child of Hubert and Adeline Cardone, Maria went to Our Lady of Pompeii School around the corner from where she lived, and then to Cathedral High School for Girls, located at the time on Lexington Ave. and 50th St. across from the Waldorf Astoria. She graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame College in Staten Island.
“Maria raised a Lakeland terrier that won titles all the way up to the Westminster Dog Show in 1976,” Burton said.
“She wasn’t looking for a show dog; she wanted a pet that would be good in an apartment,” Burton said. Maria found that a Lakeland terrier would fit the bill — on the small side, independent but friendly and a dog that doesn’t shed if regularly groomed.
The breeder told Maria that if the female puppy she bought turned out to be show quality when matured, she would like to breed her but it’s hard to predict how a puppy will develop. The dog’s registry name was Kilfel Whycroft Sunflower but Maria named her Robin.
“Robin did grow up to be a beauty and sweet-tempered as well,” Burton recalled.
Maria trained Robin for the show-dog circuit, winning several prizes and qualifying for the Westminster show. The title that Robin won in 1976 was “Best in Breed of the Opposite Sex,” said Burton. A male Lakeland won “Best in Breed” that year and Westminster always awards a Best to a dog in the same breed of the opposite sex, she explained. After Westminster, Robin was bred and had at least one litter, said Burton.
Maria, who never married, took care of her parents until they died several years ago. She worked in the Disability Department of the Social Security Administration, retiring after 42 years.
“She loved the Village, where she had many friends,” Burton said.
An aunt, Jessie Seitz, of Arizona, survives, as do several cousins. Perazzo Funeral Home, on Bleecker St., was in charge of arrangements. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery, Queens.
A memorial Mass will be held a 10 a.m. Sat., July 21, at St. Joseph’s Church, Sixth Ave. at Washington Place.
