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Services
Friends may visit with the family on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 3-7 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass will be offered.
Interment will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Margaret Parisi (nee Pepe) age 102 of Wayne, formerly of Haledon, passed Monday, March 21, 2016.
The year was 1913 and the US Post Office began parcel post deliveries, the federal income tax was ratified at 1%, the 1st prize was inserted into a Cracker Jack box, stainless steel was invented, the 1st modern elastic brassiere was invented, the 1st drive-up gasoline station opened, the 1st crossword puzzle was published, and Margaret Pepe was born. Her mother gave birth to her in the family home in Paterson. The family lived in apartments throughout the City of Paterson and when Margaret married Angelo Parisi they moved to 232 Haledon Avenue in Prospect Park. After their daughter Mary Ann was born Margaret and Angelo returned to Paterson to live in a three family home at 137 Alabama Avenue. They lived on the third floor, Mary Ann’s grandparents, Filomena and Frank Pepe lived on the middle floor, and Aunt Theresa lived on the first floor. Eventually Margaret and Angelo bought a home at 30 Coolidge Place in Haledon and this would be the family home for over fifty-five years. Margaret moved to Wayne to live with her daughter Mary Ann in 2011.
Margaret grew up during the depression years and had to leave grammar school to find work and help support the family. She found work sewing in the Paterson textile mills and for a while hers was the only income supporting the family.
Margaret met a young man named Angelo Parisi at work. She was a seamstress and he was a pocket-maker at the Jersey Coat Factory in Paterson. Angelo, a very sharp dresser, was smitten at first sight. He would pester the shop foreman for Margaret’s home address and eventually his persistence paid off. Now that he had her home address he would write her letters until she agreed to go on a date. For several of their first dates Angelo would bring Margaret a pack of cigarettes, a box of chocolates, and a pack of gum. When Margaret found out he had no money she told him to stop bringing those things. They dated often going to the movies or out for ice cream sundaes and eventually fell in love. They married at Saint Anthonys RC Church in Paterson on September 14, 1941 and honeymooned in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Washington, DC. At the time they married they were earning $11.00 per week between the two of them. They both worked in the sewing trade for many years until their daughter Mary Ann had her first daughter, Jessica. Once Jessica was born Angelo left work and they dedicated themselves to caring for Jessica as Mary Ann had to work. Five years later Margaret and Angelo welcomed their second grandchild Rachel.
Having never gotten her driver’s license Margaret was beholden to Angelo to get most everywhere. Whether it was sitting for their grandchildren, clothes shopping, and even food shopping they were always together. Margaret was famous for saying “you know what I forgot?” and Angelo would be right back in the car going for that forgotten thing. Margaret was an awesome gourmet cook and the special ingredient known as love she cooked into her lasagna, manicotti, and the best eggplant parmesan in the whole world will be greatly missed. Margaret cooked every day well into her 90’s. She was fastidious about housekeeping and did the dishes and folded laundry even at 102. If anyone tried to do those dishes or fold that laundry she would get very upset.
Margaret was the loving wife of the late Angelo Parisi (2007); devoted mother of Mary Ann Deputato and her husband John of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Jessica McGrady and her husband Daniel of Wayne, and Rachel Deputato of Hoboken; and proud great-grandmother of Lucy McGrady.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 152, Memphis, TN 38148-0142, www.stjude.org, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, or the Lupus Foundation would be appreciated.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 3-7 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass will be offered.
Interment will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Services
Friends may visit with the family on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 3-7 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne where a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass will be offered.
Interment will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Margaret Parisi (nee Pepe) age 102 of Wayne, formerly of Haledon, passed Monday, March 21, 2016.
The year was 1913 and the US Post Office began parcel post deliveries, the federal income tax was ratified at 1%, the 1st prize was inserted into a Cracker Jack box, stainless steel was invented, the 1st modern elastic brassiere was invented, the 1st drive-up gasoline station opened, the 1st crossword puzzle was published, and Margaret Pepe was born. Her mother gave birth to her in the family home in Paterson. The family lived in apartments throughout the City of Paterson and when Margaret married Angelo Parisi they moved to 232 Haledon Avenue in Prospect Park. After their daughter Mary Ann was born Margaret and Angelo returned to Paterson to live in a three family home at 137 Alabama Avenue. They lived on the third floor, Mary Ann’s grandparents, Filomena and Frank Pepe lived on the middle floor, and Aunt Theresa lived on the first floor. Eventually Margaret and Angelo bought a home at 30 Coolidge Place in Haledon and this would be the family home for over fifty-five years. Margaret moved to Wayne to live with her daughter Mary Ann in 2011.
Margaret grew up during the depression years and had to leave grammar school to find work and help support the family. She found work sewing in the Paterson textile mills and for a while hers was the only income supporting the family.
Margaret met a young man named Angelo Parisi at work. She was a seamstress and he was a pocket-maker at the Jersey Coat Factory in Paterson. Angelo, a very sharp dresser, was smitten at first sight. He would pester the shop foreman for Margaret’s home address and eventually his persistence paid off. Now that he had her home address he would write her letters until she agreed to go on a date. For several of their first dates Angelo would bring Margaret a pack of cigarettes, a box of chocolates, and a pack of gum. When Margaret found out he had no money she told him to stop bringing those things. They dated often going to the movies or out for ice cream sundaes and eventually fell in love. They married at Saint Anthonys RC Church in Paterson on September 14, 1941 and honeymooned in Virginia Beach, Virginia and Washington, DC. At the time they married they were earning $11.00 per week between the two of them. They both worked in the sewing trade for many years until their daughter Mary Ann had her first daughter, Jessica. Once Jessica was born Angelo left work and they dedicated themselves to caring for Jessica as Mary Ann had to work. Five years later Margaret and Angelo welcomed their second grandchild Rachel.
Having never gotten her driver’s license Margaret was beholden to Angelo to get most everywhere. Whether it was sitting for their grandchildren, clothes shopping, and even food shopping they were always together. Margaret was famous for saying “you know what I forgot?” and Angelo would be right back in the car going for that forgotten thing. Margaret was an awesome gourmet cook and the special ingredient known as love she cooked into her lasagna, manicotti, and the best eggplant parmesan in the whole world will be greatly missed. Margaret cooked every day well into her 90’s. She was fastidious about housekeeping and did the dishes and folded laundry even at 102. If anyone tried to do those dishes or fold that laundry she would get very upset.
Margaret was the loving wife of the late Angelo Parisi (2007); devoted mother of Mary Ann Deputato and her husband John of Wayne; cherished grandmother of Jessica McGrady and her husband Daniel of Wayne, and Rachel Deputato of Hoboken; and proud great-grandmother of Lucy McGrady.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 152, Memphis, TN 38148-0142, www.stjude.org, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, or the Lupus Foundation would be appreciated.
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