Paola Rustici Sarullo

Paola Rustici Sarullo, 65, of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina passed away peacefully with her beloved husband at her side, Sunday morning, after a long battle with cancer. She was born on December 28, 1951, in Moshi, Tanzania, and is the daughter of Grazia Pupin Rustici and the late Gian-Carlo Rustici of Paris, France. She was the beloved wife of Franklin Angelo Sarullo for 31 years and a loving mother of John-Franklin Sarullo. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church at 11:30am on Monday, September 11, 2017 with a private committal service. The visitation will be at the home of Patsy Gross and Ted York. Paola received a Dottore Degree in Linguistics and Literature from the Catholic University of Milan in modern languages. She furthered her education at the University of South Carolina, where she received a PH.D., in Linguistics. She was a gifted linguist, who spoke French, Italian, English, Swahili, and German. After graduating from USC, she taught French and Italian at the USC International School of Business in the MIBS program. She later developed an innovative program at Columbia College which integrated both Italian culture and language for art students. Paola was a warm and gracious wife and mother. She enjoyed gardening, birdwatching, making beautiful glass jewelry art, and cordials; she was also an accomplished cook. She liked nothing better than preparing delicious meals and entertaining family and friends, always putting them first. As an active partner in her husband's successful restaurant, she provided leadership and organization. Plus, her delicious desserts were always loved and appreciated by the patrons of Sarullo's! She is survived by her husband, Franklin Angelo Sarullo; son, John-Franklin "Lino" Sarullo of Mammoth Lakes, CA; her mother, Grazia Rustici of Paris, France; her sisters, Alessandra (Silvio) Guerra of Paris, France; and Barbara (Alessio) Romano' of Erba, Italy; her brother, Antonio Rustici of Paris, France; nieces, Elenora Guerra of Milan, Italy; Chiara Romano' of Rome, Italy; and nephew, Matteo (Claire) Guerra of Paris, France. The family would like to thank the following groups for their kind and thoughtful care: SCOA of Columbia, Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center in Boone, NC; the Medi-Home Group of Ashe County, NC; and Nurse Thea Ball and staff from the Caldwell Hospice of Burnsville, NC. Memorial may be made to John Wayne Cancer Center Foundation, 210 62nd Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663 or St. Vincent DePaul Society/St. Joseph Conference, 3600 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205 and or visit website for further information at www.stjosephcolumbia.org.