Dominick Santagata

Veteran Sergeant Dominick Daniel Santagata, born on August 23, 1924, of Woodhaven Queens,
NY, passed away peacefully at age 100, on December 24th, 2024, surrounded by family in his home. A
beloved father, life-partner, and grandfather, “Pop,” will be remembered for his kindness and
courageousness, especially while fighting for our country.
As a young child, he moved to Stamford, CT with his family. He attended and graduated
Stamford high school, being involved in the school band as an avid saxophone player.
At the age of 17, he was enlisted in the U.S. Army where he became a Combat Engineer in the
5th Infantry Division. He fought in five major campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland,
Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), and Central Europe.
During his time in the war, he completed 26 river crossings. His final major river crossing was
the Rhine River. Santagata experienced the raw horrors of war and true battleship, but they had a job to
do and they completed that job at a great cost. After returning home, Santagata received an honorable
discharge to honor his heroic actions.
Later on in life, he worked in construction of commercial buildings throughout New York and
Connecticut. He then went on to get married and live a life with his two beautiful children. Furthermore,
Santagata went on to join the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge organization and he enjoyed traveling
throughout the United States to the reunions. On May 8th, 2012, he was awarded the “Chevalier” of the
Legion of Honor, presented by the Ambassador of France.
Santagata is survived by his daughter, Joanne Schwartzenberg, and his grandchildren, Jason
Schwartzenberg, Bonnie Schwartzenberg, Christina Mastropietro, Danielle Santagata, Lauren Santagata,
Renee Santagata, and Samantha Santagata. He is also survived by his eight great-grandchildren. Santagata
is predeceased by his seven siblings, his wife Helen Santagata, his son Daniel Santagata, and his life
partner Adrienne Hopkins.
Family and friends are invited to gather at Cognetta Funeral Home in Stamford, CT, located at
104 Myrtle Ave, on January 7th, 2025 from 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm. The funeral service will be held on

January 8th at 10:30 at the Church of St. Cecilia, located at 1184 Newfield Ave, in Stamford, CT.
Interment services will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, at 25 Camp Ave in Darien, CT. In lieu of flowers,
please kindly make a donation to the Battle of the Bulge Association.