Obituary of Mary Michaels

Mary Ianniello Michaels was an extraordinary woman, deeply loved by her six children, their spouses and 13 grandchildren. Mary was born on October 24, 1923 in New York City, the youngest child of Anna and Peter Greco, Italian immigrants from Sicily. She had five siblings: Roy, Pat, Joe, Josie, and Tony. At an early age, Mary was a talented artist and was selected to attend the High School of Music and Art in New York City. She was one of a small percentage of women to receive a College education after the war, earning a BA in chemistry from Hunter College in 1949, an achievement of which she was especially proud. She married Mario Ianniello on June 30, 1946, a World War II veteran who subsequently received his law degree. Mario died in 1962, when Mary was just 38 and pregnant with five children under the age of 12. She was a woman of tremendous resilience, serving as mother and father to Ami, Toni, Mario, Barbara, Lisa and Terry in the most difficult of circumstances. Undeterred by her hardships, she instilled in her children a commitment to education, a fierce independence and the confidence to make their marks in the world. Mary led a full and active life outside the home. She was a librarian at East Rockaway High School for over 20 years. Recently, she was an active participant in the Senior Center, where she served as Vice President, called bingo and developed many special friendships. She worked the polls for over 30 years in each election. Mary had a sharp mind and worked hard at keeping it so. She could complete the New York Times crossword puzzle in record time and maintained an ongoing list of the hundreds and hundreds of book that she had read. Mary was devoted to her 13 grandchildren. She taught them by example the importance of honesty, integrity and immense work ethic. She was there to support them no matter what endeavor they pursued: plays, concerts, volleyball matches, basketball games, graduations and much more. She used her talents to make the most beautiful Halloween costumes, from unicorns to sharks. Her prodigious couture design skills extended to wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, quilts and countless party dresses. Ultimately, Mary taught us the importance of family and to focus on what truly matters in life. She was our inspiration, and our rock. We are so lucky that she left beautiful parts of herself in all of us. We will miss her always.