Mary Colombrita Capece (79) of Cranford, NJ passed away on March 18, 2021, in Sarasota, Florida. She was an extraordinary wife, mother, grandmother, friend, chemist, and business woman who was devoted to her family.
Mary was born in Orange, NJ to Lena Anello Colombrita and Maurice Colombrita. She lived in Irvington and Parsippany and attended high school at Mt. St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell, NJ. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from St. Joseph’s College in Maryland in 1963 and received a fellowship to St. John’s University for graduate school. She worked as a chemist at Allied Chemical in Madison, NJ.
On August 15, 1964, Mary married her true love, Prosper J. Capece (Sonny) whom she was married to for 57 years. They resided in Mountainside before calling Cranford their home for 45 years. After enjoying many winters in Florida, they made beautiful Sarasota their permanent home.
In 1969, Mary and Sonny founded ABC Rental in Chatham, a business that now spans multiple generations. Mary found a perfect balance as a successful business woman while prioritizing her time as a volunteer and PTA president at her children’s school. Her love for young children extended even beyond her own, as she was an active supporter of St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Mary loved to travel and she collected teapots from the many places around the world where she and Sonny visited. Cooking was her passion and she collected cookbooks that she would read like novels. Her cooking was second to none. Some of her most cherished times were spent in the kitchen with her children and grandchildren, sharing and enjoying her favorite recipes. She also loved to spend time outdoors in her garden. Mary was the family seamstress and could be counted on for anything from a simple hem to making Halloween costumes. She treasured the time spent with her grandchildren working on arts and crafts projects.
Most of all, Mary had a loving heart. Anyone fortunate enough to have met her would agree that her energy was contagious and she brightened every room she walked into with her intelligence and wit. She was a devoted friend whose smile and kind personality were powerful enough to make even strangers feel welcome.
She is survived by her husband Prosper J. Capece, her four children and eleven grandchildren: Gerald Capece (Kimberly) of Cranford, NJ and their three children Brianna, Nicholas and Anthony; Nancy Capece (John) of Sarasota, FL and their three children Nina, Jon-Luc and Lee Volpe; Mary Capece-Janish (Robert) of Cranford, NJ and their two children Ava and Robert; and Laura Venables (Michael) and their three children Grace, Holly and Charlotte.
Funeral services will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Mountainside on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 11:00am, followed by Fairview Cemetery in Westfield at 12:15pm.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Summit Speech School in Mary’s name, an organization very close to her heart. Your donation can be mailed to 705 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974 or
http://www.summitspeech.org/donations.html
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