Mary Ann (Cirilano) Zappala

Mary Ann Zappala passed away on April 10th, just two weeks shy of her 92nd birthday. She never strayed
far from her West Park roots, choosing to keep her extended family within shouting distance. She liked to
regale her somewhat skeptical grandchildren with tails of her simple upbringing like playing on the ice
truck or helping out in her father’s hardware store. She was fiercely loyal to her Alma Mater, Duquesne
University, where she earned dual Master’s degrees, first in education and later in Counseling. Starting a
family early robbed many of the local youth of her teaching process but she more than made up for it in
spades later in life offering colorful and less than neutral marital advice at her church. Quick-witted and
nominally impatient, she indulged in a few simple pleasures such as lunch at Tick Tock (Kaufman’s
Department Store), saying the “s” word under her breath, singing along with Whitney Houston (badly),
and raising the worst menagerie of eccentric dogs imaginable. A bit of a recluse, she nonetheless looked
forward each year to hosting over forty of her friends and family for Christmas Eve dinner of the seven
fishes. While preparation unnecessarily started the day after Thanksgiving and the requisite number of
fish dishes occasionally fell a few short, it remains a favorite holiday memory for all that dined at her
table. She loved her boys, her grandchildren, and great-grandchild and took pride in their respect
and accomplishments. In her declining years, dementia robbed her of her cherished independence, a social
filter, and her short-term memory so in order to remain part of the conversation she just resorted to
making stuff up and kept us laughing until the very end. She will be sorely missed.
A mass will be held in her honor on Friday, April 26th at 10:00 am, Saint Malachy Church, 343 Forest
Grove Road, Coraopolis. A private interment will follow.

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