Obituary of Mary (Marie) Saccoccio

July 5, 2022

We mourn the loss while we celebrate the life of Mary “Marie” Saccoccio who died peacefully at her home in the West Village on July 5, 2022 from complications of pulmonary disease.  Marie was born and raised in the East Harlem section of Manhattan.  Her father, Joseph Astuto, was an electrician and her mother, Anna, a homemaker.  She had two younger brothers: Joseph and John.  She attended Washington Irving High School in Manhattan and went on to work as an administrative assistant at New York University Medical Center.  She married her neighborhood sweetheart, Gaetano Saccoccio, and they had two sons: Louis Saccoccio, currently CEO of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association in Washington D.C., and Joseph Saccoccio, MD, currently SVP of Medical Services at The New York Foundling in Manhattan.

The family relocated from East Harlem to the north Bronx during which time Marie worked as a receptionist at an optometry office.  Eventually, the family settled in New Rochelle, NY where they lived for 26 years.  While living in New Rochelle, Marie was an active member of the New Rochelle Catholic Women’s Club and was eventually elected president of the club.  The Catholic Women’s Club was known for its impactful philanthropic work in the local community.

Following the death of her beloved husband Gaetano in 2000, Marie moved down to Annapolis, MD to be near her son, Louis, his wife, Diane, and her grandchildren, Ronald, Scott, Mark and Kate.  While living in Annapolis, Marie became an active member of the Annapolis Senior Center and ultimately began to volunteer as a receptionist at the center.  During her years working at the center, Marie was often involved in fund-raising activities to benefit the seniors in the community.  She was passionate about her work at the center and was loved by her co-workers and center members.

Following a debilitating injury in February of 2017 that made it difficult for Marie to live independently, she moved back to New York City to be near her son Joseph.  The compassionate care provided by her home health aide, Melodina Ombina, enabled Marie to continue to live at her home in the West Village until her death.

Marie was an avid reader and would typically start and finish a book in a single day.  She loved to cook, and mastered the traditional Italian recipes that were passed down to her through the generations.  She derived great pleasure from planning holiday celebrations for her family and spared no expense in the execution of the plans.  Christmas was her favorite holiday; it was her mission every year to make sure that everyone got all of the gifts that were on their list to Santa.  She enjoyed watching old movies on TCM with her son Joe and delighted in telling him tales from the tabloids of each of the stars that she remembered from years past.

To state that Marie was devoted to her husband and her family doesn’t begin to describe just how much family meant to her – it meant everything.  She was always there when she was needed by her children and grandchildren, no questions asked, and would do anything to promote their success and happiness. She took great pride in the accomplishments of her sons without acknowledging the fact that she was indeed the catalyst for their success. A part of her may have passed away but the essence of who she was will live on and her light will continue to shine in her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She loved her family deeply and she was deeply loved in return.  She will be missed.

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