Maria (D’Angelo) Muraca, aged 72 years, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 20, 2016 at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Maria was born in Bisenti, Teramo, Italy on March 26, 1944. She immigrated to Canada in 1957 with her mother and three brothers, joining her father who had made a home for his family. Since then she has been a lifetime resident of Thunder Bay. In October 1962, she married Pietro and started a life together that lasted 50 years.
Family was everything to Maria. Aunts were like mothers to her, uncles like dads, cousins like brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews like her own children. Maria treated non-family members like family, with so many people referring to her as ‘Ma’ or ‘Nonna’ or ‘like a sister’. She had the biggest heart, always thinking of others before herself right up to the end, and always with a smile even when she was in so much pain. A beautiful person. A strong woman. A classy lady.
A member of St. Anthony’s CWL, she lived strong in faith, and took on all challenges with a positive attitude. You could not leave her house with an empty stomach. Within minutes of arriving, a never-ending feast was presented in front of you. She loved her garden, enjoyed a casino, and singing and dancing to Lady Gaga.
Maria will be greatly missed by her daughters: Carmelina (Michael) Del Nin and Lisa (David) Maltese; grandchildren: Matthew Del Nin, and Olivia and Gabriel Maltese; brothers: Dino (Mary), Pasquale (Lucia) and Giulio (Lucia) D’Angelo; sisters-in-law: Maria Liparota, Nina (Sam) Ruberto and Victoria (Francesco Cristaudo) Muraca in Italy; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and other extended family.
She is predeceased by her husband: Pietro Muraca, parents: Antonio and Grazia D’Angelo, parents-in-law: Giovanni Muraca and Carmelina Bernardi, brother-in-law: Vincenzo Liparota, and other family members who are embracing her with love in heaven right now.
Funeral mass for the late Maria Muraca will be held in St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 10:00 am presided by Rev. Luigi Filippini. The funeral procession will be leaving Harbourview Funeral Centre at 9:30 am. Entombment in Our Lady of Charity Mausoleum. A reception for family and friends will follow at the DaVinci Centre.
Visitation for family and friends will be held at Harbourview Funeral Centre on Wednesday evening from 6 - 8 pm with Prayers beginning at 7 pm.
If friends so desire, donations can be made in Maria’s memory to the Northern Cancer Fund at the TBRHSC, St. Andrew’s Dew Drop Inn, or St. Anthony's Roman Catholic Church.
Fly free like a birdie Maria. Ciao, ciao.
