Denise Marie DiNoto

TROY - Disability advocate Denise Marie DiNoto, 51, died on June 7, 2025, following an extended illness.

Denise grew up in Bainbridge, NY. Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, she lived her life committed to removing attitudinal barriers and stereotypes that negatively impact people with disabilities. “Feisty and non-compliant” is how she described herself.

At age 16, she was a Rotary Youth Exchange student, one of the first students with a disability to participate in the program. She spent a year in Tasmania, Australia, and returned to visit her Tasmanian families and friends three times as an adult.

Denise attended The College of Saint Rose from 1991-1995, receiving a B.S. and M.S. in Education, Communication Sciences and Disorders.

In 2001 she competed in Ms. Wheelchair America -- not a beauty pageant, but a leadership program for women to serve as advocates for those with disabilities. In preparation, she wrote and performed her own song, “My Life’s Too Good to Be a Country Song,” which encapsulated her positive outlook on life. She was named first runner up and performed the song at the Olender Awards at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Broadcaster Paul Harvey, taken by her performance, cited it in “The Rest of the Story” segment of his radio program. She subsequently launched and ran the Ms. Wheelchair New York State program and chaired the
organization’s 2005 national conference in Albany.

She devoted most of her professional career to health advocacy and consumer directed services, and she worked tirelessly to promote opportunities for individuals to select, train and manage their caregivers. When describing the daily task of scheduling her many dedicated homecare aides, she would declare, “I’m the CEO of me.”

She served as a communications and outreach specialist with Consumer Directed Choices, and as a program manager for Health Research, Inc. Most recently she was executive director of the New York State Independent Living Council.

Denise was dedicated to her community and supported many organizations. She was a former president of The College of Saint Rose Alumni Association and, most recently, served on the Saint Rose Board of Trustees. She was a member of the Colonie-Guilderland Rotary Club and served in 2022-23 as Governor of Rotary District 7190, which covers a nine-county region in Upstate New York.

She met with many elected officials and policy makers about consumer directed services and promoted efforts to improve the lives of those living with disabilities. She implored people to see beyond her chair by describing herself as being “too sexy for a nursing home!”

She wrote and performed twice at the Troy YWCA “BraVa!” event, a fundraiser supporting new bras for women in need, and one of her essays is published in “BraVa! Stories That Celebrate Something Close to our Hearts.”
Denise lived her life with conviction. There was no challenge too great for her. She had a great smile, loved music, live theater, penguins, books, Jeopardy!, red lipstick, crocheting, baking, family, and being around friends and people who “got it.”

She was a presenter at conferences, and her writing can be found at www.deescribesblog.wordpress.com.

Denise was predeceased by her parents, Caroline and Sebastian DiNoto; sister Mary Jane; and brother-in-law Richard (Zip) Hughes. She is survived by her sisters Susan (Daniel) George, Donna (Doug) Holdrege, Sandra (Joe Parella) DiNoto, Caroline (Paul) Laing; chosen sister, Stephanie (Duane) Canfield, life-long friend Allison (Darling) Foster; nieces and nephews Chris George, Erin (George) Drummond, Cassandra (George) West, Sara (Hughes) Tribou, Joe Hughes, Karen (Hughes) Emmons, Jenny (Holdrege) Sagnella, Randy Holdrege, Daniel Gally, Joshua Gally; and dozens of great nieces/nephews and cousins.

The family thanks Albany Med doctors Matthew Murnane, M.D., Gillian Wolff, M.D. and Scott Beegle, M.D. and is forever grateful for her many special caregivers, including Peggy, Lora, Esther, Marissa, Brook, and especially Tina Umstead Parker and Sally Bunk for their dedication, friendship and overwhelming support.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 20, at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church, 900 Madison Ave., Albany. Calling hours at the church will be 9:30-11:00 a.m. with the service beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Donations in Denise’s memory can be directed to the Rotary Foundation.

Denise never forgot the advice of hometown Rotarian Kenneth Benson, DVM, who championed her first trip to Australia as a teen. “Say yes. Do it all. You never know when you’ll get another chance.”

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