Antonetta Schumacher

Antonetta (Calzolaio) Schumacher, age 102, of Wilmington, Delaware, formerly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, died peacefully on Monday, November 6, 2023 at her residence in the Lorelton in Wilmington, Delaware.

Always independent and adventurous, Antonetta enlisted in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943. As part of her Army service, she was trained as a photographer and photo lab technician. She attained the rank of sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1945. She received the American Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, WAAC Service ribbon and the World War II Victory Medal.

Antonetta parlayed the skills she learned in the Army into a long career as a photo technician. As the family photographer, she loved retouching and improving important photos in her home darkroom. Many family photos don’t have her in them, because she was always the one behind the camera.

After she retired, Antonetta took art classes and decorated her walls with paintings of her favorite subjects: flowers and covered bridges. She also loved gardening as well as baking and decorating cakes for special family events.

Antonetta was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Robert J. Schumacher. She is lovingly remembered by her daughter, Loretta Carlson, and her son-in-law, Russ, of Bear, Delaware; her grandson, Dan Carlson, of Bear; and her granddaughter, Jessica Mott, and her husband, Chris, and her great-granddaughter, Keira, all of Newark, Delaware.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, November 13, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Church, 10 Old Church Road, Greenville, Delaware. A visitation will be held prior to Mass at church from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Interment will be Private in Holy Cross Cemetery in Darby, Pennsylvania.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Military Women’s Memorial at https://womensmemorial.org/donate.