DiGiovanni, Maria "Aunt Mary",102, died peacefully on Thursday, February 9, 2017.Maria was born on September 22, 1914 in Brooklyn, NY, the firstborn child of Sicilian immigrants, Gaetana Mirrione and Epifanio Di Giovanni. Her father died in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Her first job was as a seamstress doing piecework alongside her mother and younger brother, Matthew. Barely 5' tall with auburn hair, she was always a fashion plate. When she was a teenager her family moved to Elmont, Long Island. She never married. She was the proud godmother to many children. She worked for Airborne Instrumental Laboratory, Deer Park, Long Island for 20 years. She cared for her stepfather, Joseph Anatra until his death, then retired and moved to Margate, FL to be near her brother. After her brother's death in 2003, she came to Louisville to live near her nephew and niece. Full of spunk and personality, she made friends easily. She loved Dean Martin and Lawrence Welk, watching his show always gave her a lift. She loved to dance and shimmied into her late 90s. She got to know many of the employees at the Highlands Kroger, where she shopped with her nephew every Friday.Survivors include her nephew, Fred DiGiovanni and his wife Sally; several cousins, godchildren and many friends and admirers. The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers of The Presbyterian Homes of Louisville. A memorial gathering will be held 2-5 p.m. at her nephew's home on Sunday, March 12, 2017. Please contact Fred DiGiovanni for details. Interment will be in St. John Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens, NY.Expressions of sympathy may be made to The Presbyterian Homes Westminster, 2116 Buechel Bank Road, Louisville, KY, 40218.
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