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February 19, 2009
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, Monday, February 23, 2009 from 10 AM to 12 noon.
A Funeral Services will be held on Monday at 12 noon, immediately following the visiting hours.
Burial will be at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa.
Mary DellaRocca (nee Macchiarelli) age 99 of Wayne, died on Thursday February 19, 2009 at the Hospice of Wayne. Her passing was peaceful with her family gathered at the bedside. She was just four months short of her one-hundredth birthday.
Mary was born in Paterson, NJ and lived there for over seventy years before moving to Wayne. She grew up in the neighborhood of 23rd Street and 4th Avenue at a time when the City was a manufacturing mecca. Mary worked at one of the many dye mills in Paterson, helping to support her family through the Great Depression.
She married Andrew DellaRocca and they raised their four children in Paterson before he passed away in 1969. Mary then moved to the Sisco Village in Wayne, to be closer to her family, where she has lived ever since.
She was a very independent, “tough” woman; living on her own up until just one week ago, and doing it very well. She was an excellent cook and especially enjoyed cleaning. Her daughter Lenore recently visited Mary only to find her standing on her kitchen counter top cleaning the tops of her cabinets. Her apartment was absolutely spotless, with everything in its place. Her cabinets were perfectly organized, as were her dresser drawers and closets. Her cooking was fantastic “traditional Italian”, most likely handed down from her parents who emigrated to the U.S. from Cazerta, Italy. Mary would cook big meals and often hosted the holiday dinners. Her son-in-law Jack recalls the first time he was invited to dinner at their home; the antipasto was so huge he thought it was the main course. He soon found out that the meal was only getting started and the food just kept on coming. He had never seen anything like it.
Mary also enjoyed dancing and during the most recent Super Bowl Half-Time Show, at 99 years old, she was dancing to Bruce Springsteen with her family. She has left them all with many inspirational and fond memories to cherish for years to come.
Mary was predeceased by two of her children; Ralph DellaRocca in 2004 and Carmella Ford in 2005.
She is survived by two children; Lenore Schrek and her husband Jack of Manchester, NJ, and Theresa Deodato of North Carolina, and ten grandchildren; John Ford and his wife Carmen of Wayne, Susan Wilkinson and her husband Steven of North Carolina, Danny Ford and his wife Carla of Wayne, Kevin Ford of Wayne, William Ford of California, Patrick Ford of Arizona, Christine Ford of Connecticut, Dr. David Schrek and his wife Peggy of Summit, NJ, Brad Schrek and his wife Marcy of Totowa, Joseph Deodato, Laura Deodato of California, and Marisol Cole and her husband Barry of Wayne, as well as many great-grandchildren and loving friends.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, Monday, February 23, 2009 from 10 AM to 12 noon.
A Funeral Services will be held on Monday at 12 noon, immediately following the visiting hours.
Burial will be at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa.
February 19, 2009
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, Monday, February 23, 2009 from 10 AM to 12 noon.
A Funeral Services will be held on Monday at 12 noon, immediately following the visiting hours.
Burial will be at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Totowa.
Mary DellaRocca (nee Macchiarelli) age 99 of Wayne, died on Thursday February 19, 2009 at the Hospice of Wayne. Her passing was peaceful with her family gathered at the bedside. She was just four months short of her one-hundredth birthday.
Mary was born in Paterson, NJ and lived there for over seventy years before moving to Wayne. She grew up in the neighborhood of 23rd Street and 4th Avenue at a time when the City was a manufacturing mecca. Mary worked at one of the many dye mills in Paterson, helping to support her family through the Great Depression.
She married Andrew DellaRocca and they raised their four children in Paterson before he passed away in 1969. Mary then moved to the Sisco Village in Wayne, to be closer to her family, where she has lived ever since.
She was a very independent, “tough” woman; living on her own up until just one week ago, and doing it very well. She was an excellent cook and especially enjoyed cleaning. Her daughter Lenore recently visited Mary only to find her standing on her kitchen counter top cleaning the tops of her cabinets. Her apartment was absolutely spotless, with everything in its place. Her cabinets were perfectly organized, as were her dresser drawers and closets. Her cooking was fantastic “traditional Italian”, most likely handed down from her parents who emigrated to the U.S. from Cazerta, Italy. Mary would cook big meals and often hosted the holiday dinners. Her son-in-law Jack recalls the first time he was invited to dinner at their home; the antipasto was so huge he thought it was the main course. He soon found out that the meal was only getting started and the food just kept on coming. He had never seen anything like it.
Mary also enjoyed dancing and during the most recent Super Bowl Half-Time Show, at 99 years old, she was dancing to Bruce Springsteen with her family. She has left them all with many inspirational and fond memories to cherish for years to come.
Mary was predeceased by two of her children; Ralph DellaRocca in 2004 and Carmella Ford in 2005.
She is survived by two children; Lenore Schrek and her husband Jack of Manchester, NJ, and Theresa Deodato of North Carolina, and ten grandchildren; John Ford and his wife Carmen of Wayne, Susan Wilkinson and her husband Steven of North Carolina, Danny Ford and his wife Carla of Wayne, Kevin Ford of Wayne, William Ford of California, Patrick Ford of Arizona, Christine Ford of Connecticut, Dr. David Schrek and his wife Peggy of Summit, NJ, Brad Schrek and his wife Marcy of Totowa, Joseph Deodato, Laura Deodato of California, and Marisol Cole and her husband Barry of Wayne, as well as many great-grandchildren and loving friends.
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