Nancy Barbato Sinatra, 101; famed singer’s first wife

Nancy Barbato Sinatra, the first wife of singer Frank Sinatra and the mother of his three children, and who remained a comforting source of stability – and home-cooked meals – for the tempestuous entertainer for decades, died July 13 at age 101.

Her daughter Nancy Sinatra announced the death on social media but did not provide details about the place or cause of death.

Like her husband, Sinatra grew up in a working-class Italian American family in New Jersey and had a strong, unshakable sense of honor. Even before their marriage in 1939, she was fending off Frank Sinatra’s female admirers, but she proved loyal in spite of the many temptations in which he indulged.

(Two mug shots of Sinatra that became famous years later were taken after he was arrested in 1938 for adultery with a married woman – a crime at the time.)

Sinatra worked as a secretary and sewed her husband’s silk bow ties as he struggled to launch his singing career. She was skilled at cooking the Italian dishes he liked and saved money by skipping meat in her tomato sauce.

During World War II, Frank Sinatra became a singing sensation and was besieged by young female fans called “bobby soxers” wherever he went. Mrs. Sinatra, who was sometimes called “Big Nancy” or “Nancy Sr.” after the birth of her daughter Nancy in 1940, stayed largely in the background.