Mary Rosalie Canestrari

“Mary, Mom, Gram”. Mary Rosalie Canestrari, wife of the late Gisto “Lee” Canestrari, passed away on Thursday, February 21st at Hancock Hall in Danbury, CT at the age of 90. She was born in Danbury, CT on November 4, 1922, daughter of the late Matthew O’Brien and Josephine Leahy O’Brien. Mary graduated from Danbury High School in 1940 and soon met and married her beloved husband Lee. After WWII, she joined him as a career military wife, and traveled the US where they were stationed in several states and abroad in Naples, Italy. After retiring from the Air Force, they settled in Danbury, where she was a homemaker and a volunteer for St. Peter Parish.

Mary was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who always had a kind word and a smile for everyone. She loved music, dancing, traveling with her husband, reading, and movies with her best friend Helena. Mary loved and cherished her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched.

Mary is survived by her sons Brian O’Brien, David Canestrari and his wife Kathleen, Joseph Canestrari and his wife Robin, daughters Linda Gover and her husband Donald, Mary Ann Simonelli and her husband Robert; former daughter in laws, Mona Canestrari and Katie Hugg; 17 loving grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. She is predeceased by her sons Gary and Peter Canestrari. She is also predeceased by her brother Matthew and sister Marguerite O’Brien.

A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Monday, February 25th, at 10:30 am at St. Peter’s Church on 104 Main Street in Danbury, CT. Interment will be at St. Mary's Cemetery, Ridgefield at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive P.O. Box 5022, Wallingford, CT 06492 or the American Cancer Society, 372 Danbury Road Suite 159, Wilton, CT 06897.

The Green Funeral Home, 57 Main Street Danbury is in charge of arrangements.