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The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

IOSUE, MADELINE A. DESANTIS - The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

IOSUE, MADELINE A. DESANTIS (10 Sep. 1926 - 14 Feb. 1999) became president of the C. DeSantis Paint Manufacturing Co. after joining the family company as a secretary in 1946. Iosue was born in Cleveland to Augusta (Cimoroni) and Columbo DeSantis, who founded the C. DeSantis Paint Manufacturing Co. Iosue graduated from Shaker Heights High School. While her father expected her to handle office work at the company, she was fascinated with the production aspect of the business. When her father would leave the building, she ventured onto the shop floor to learn how to mix paint. By the 1960s, Iosue was mixing and shading custom paints. She was known to have an unusual ability to match colors. Following the death of her father in 1970, Iosue's mother was officially named president of the firm, while Iosue and her sister Virginia DeSantis actually ran the business. Iosue managed the plant operations and her sister ran the office. After her mother died in 1989, Iosue assumed the presidency.

Iosue's deep love for animals spilled over into another one of her creative sides, writing. She wrote a book, Spooky Speaks, about her favorite poodle, Spooky. The story is presented as a first-person account told by the dog.

On September 8, 1956, she married Pat (Pasquale) Iosue. While the two never had any children, they had many dogs and cats. Madeline A. DeSantis Iosue passed away in her home in Beechwood, OH. She is buried in All Souls Cemetary.

Last Modified: 16 May 2001 03:31:16 PM

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