Complete Story
04/22/2019
Obituary for Mary Rossi
Co-owner of the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel and Aunt of Chelsey N. Santucci, Funeral Director and Owner of Rossi & Santucci Funeral Home
Warren – Mary D. (DiLoreto) Rossi, 79, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, April 17, 2019 after a courageous nine- and half-year battle with cancer.
Mary will always be remembered and loved for the way she has touched all our lives. She was a woman of great strength, courage and fortitude, always dressing with the most impeccable styles and had a smile that could brighten any room.
Mary was born March 16, 1940, in Warren Ohio, the daughter of the late Alfred and Clorinda (Corradi) DiLoreto and was a lifelong area resident.
Mary was a 1958 graduate of Warren St. Mary’s High School where she was a cheerleader and the 1957 Football Homecoming Queen. Also, throughout attending high school, Mary volunteered as a candy striper at Trumbull Memorial Hospital. She then continued her education at Kent State University where she was a member Delta Zeta Sorority earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Deaf and Elementary Education in 1961.
Besides being a proud homemaker and a true matriarch for her family, Mary touched and influenced many children’s lives over her 31 years as an educator. She began her career teaching deaf students at Frances Willard Elementary School in Warren, followed by her second year in Swissville, Pennsylvania, at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf while her husband attended mortuary school. Upon his graduation they returned to Warren, where she taught deaf students for another 9 years at Frances Willard Elementary School and the Trumbull County Hearing Society. Following the ten years, the deaf classes moved into the Champion School System, at which time Mary remained in the Warren City School System. Mary retired in 1990 from various Elementary Schools where she taught her final twenty years with her final assignment at Secrest Elementary School. Mary was honored in the 1969 edition of Who’s Who of Outstanding Woman in America for recognition of her outstanding accomplishments and service to her community and profession.
Mary was a member of the North East Ohio Retired Teachers Association, the Ohio Education Association, the Warren Education Association, the National Education Association, the Trumbull County Hearing Society and its Advisory Board, the Warren and Niles Chapter of the Ohio Association of Parents of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, was a member and Past President of Trumbull County Woman’s Panhellenic Association, the Trumbull County Business and Professional Woman’s Club, the St. Joseph Hospital Auxiliary and was the supervisor of the Candy Stripers, the Warren Jaycee-ettes, the Mahoning Valley Machine Knitters Guild where she held the position of past president along with numerous golf leagues and her favorite one was the Chip -N-Putt Golf League. Mary was a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, where she was a greeter and past President of the Woman’s Guild. She was a Charter Member of the Tri-Co. Summer Enrichment Program for Handicapped Children where she was a huge supporter and very instrumental in getting funding from the State of Ohio. Mary also would go to all the local restaurants having them donate lunches for the kids for the 6-week program.
In 1974 Mary was named Warren “Mother of the Year” by the Trumbull County Business and Professional Woman’s Club.
Mary was an outstanding cook and all that had the privilege to taste any of her wonderful Italian dishes, knows how much they will be missed. Her most cherished moments were spent with her grandchildren whom she loved and adored with all her heart. Mary was proud to be their “Nonna” and looked forward to going to Columbus, where she would take them to museums, fairs and ride all rides with them.
Mary had many passions throughout her life. She loved to stay busy and be on the go and you could always find her doing one of her many enjoyments: playing tennis golfing, water skiing, snow skiing, dancing especially the electric slide, swimming and working out, playing cards, especially bridge with her club girls, horseback riding with friends in the Metro Parks in Cleveland and traveling all over the world to various countries.
Mary was a very talented seamstress and knitter on her computerized knitting machine. She would design and make her own clothing under the label of Nicki DiLoreto. She looked forward to entering her clothing in the Canfield Fair yearly, in which she always won numerous awards and ribbons, earning 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, places.
Mary was the co-owner and Secretary of the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel with her husband Peter Jr. from 1964 until the present. Mary obtained her funeral directors license in August of 1973 and served many families in the Warren community along with being the beautician for the funeral home. She was a member of Ohio Funeral Directors Association, Tri-County Funeral Directors Association, and the National Funeral Directors Association.
Mary leaves behind to hold onto her precious memories, her high school sweetheart and husband of over 56 years, Peter P. Rossi Jr, whom she married August 18, 1962, her children Peter P. “PR3” Rossi III of Howland, Dr. Thomas (Jennifer) Rossi MD, of Hilliard, and Nannette N. “NiNi” Rossi at home, three grandchildren Brianna “Bri”, Kylie Marie and Nicolo “Nico” Rossi all of Hilliard, a sister-in-law Carol (Richard) Radich of Warren, two brothers-in-law Nick Santucci of Howland and Robert L. Luscher of Cortland and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.
Besides her parents, Mary is preceded in death by a brother; Nicholas DiLoreto, two sisters Rosaria “Rose” Santucci, and Marianina DiLoreto, an aunt and uncle who helped raise her Thomas and Maddalena DeMidicis, her father and mother-in-law Peter P. Sr. (Jennie) Rossi and two sisters-in-laws Cynthia Lockney, and Sandra Luscher
There will be a Mass of Christian Burial held on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, 3020 Reeves Rd. Warren, with the Very Rev. Msgr. John Zuraw as celebrant and Father Peter Haladej as co-celebrant.
Everyone is asked to please meet directly at Blessed Sacrament Church on Saturday morning.
Family and friends may pay their respects on Friday, April 26, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel, 1884 North Rd. NE, Warren.
Burial will be in All Souls Cemetery in Bazetta.
Family and friends may visit www.peterrossiandsonfh.com to view this obituary, sign the guestbook, and send condolences to Mary’s family. At this time of great loss, our family respectfully requests that you please do not send food or flowers. We understand the desire to 'reach out' and we do not mean to sound in any way unappreciative. We ask for your prayers and that you consider a gift be sent in her name to: the Summer Enrichment Program for the Handicapped Children, 2202 Niles Cortland, Ohio 44410 or Hattie Larlham, 9772 Diagonal Rd., Mantua, Ohio 44255 or Trumbull County Wolves Club C/O Scholarship Program, 1884 North rd. NE, Warren, Ohio 44483 or Blessed Sacrament Church, 3020 Reeves Rd. NE, Warren, Ohio 44483.
