Mary "Marie" Ariano

Marie, age 79, of Oxford, Connecticut, reunited with her beloved husband, Mario “Moe” Ariano, at the gates of heaven on Sunday, March 16, 2025. She was preceded in death by her husband, Mario "Moe" Ariano, her brother Johnny, and her parents Joseph and Carmela Burdo. She is survived by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her, including her children, Mark, Michelle, and Dawn, along with their spouses, Kathleen and Bob; her sister, Louise, and brother, Tony, and their spouses, Bob and Jan; her grandchildren, Krysta (Jay), Christopher (Caitlyn), Michael, Katelyn, and Lauren; her great-grandchildren, Arianna, Aiden, and Ariel; and her many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Marie leaves behind a legacy that cannot be replicated—one built on love, wisdom, and the profound lessons she taught simply by the way she lived.

Marie never needed a blackboard or chalk to teach. Lectures were never her style. Instead, we learned through her actions. She taught us that in life, you must overcome. Be it her multiple battles with cancer or the heartbreaking loss of her husband, Marie proved that obstacles set forth in your path by God were not meant to stop you—they were meant to be conquered. There is no if; there is only when. With grace and beauty, Marie walked the walk, showing us how to navigate through life’s darkest moments and emerge stronger, wiser, and ever more thankful for this life. She believed that every day was a gift not to be wasted, and beneath sorrow, she found strength.

Entering Marie’s classroom meant there was a cardinal rule to be followed: you were to never, ever leave her house hungry. From the moment you walked through her door, be it on Dande Street or Michael Circle, you were greeted with a warm smile, a kiss, and a place at her kitchen table. No matter if you had eaten a meal only hours, or minutes, before! Marie would see to it that you were one bite of lasagna away from rolling out her door come the end of the night. “Full” was the word of the day, every day.

Full was also the way that Marie lived her life. Whether she was packing Splendas in her purse (the Plaza Diner could always spare a few) or packing in children, cousins, or whoever dared to squeeze into her car for a family outing, there was never an empty moment, or an empty heart, when Marie was near. Living life to its fullest was the proper way to spend your time on this Earth, and because of this, Marie never took her life too seriously. If she wasn’t laughing with you, she was most certainly laughing at you (with love, of course).

Perhaps the greatest lesson of all was the one woven into the air of every family gathering, every Thanksgiving meal, and every prayer she spoke: la famiglia è tutto. Family is everything. She showed us that the bond that exists between family is God-given, and we must treasure and nurture it with our every breath. Marie taught us how to love fiercely, unapologetically, and unconditionally. This is the living legacy of a matriarch: of our Mommy, Nana, Zidzi, Aunt Marie.

A visitation for Marie will be held Friday, March 21, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Spadaccino and Leo P. Gallagher & Son Community Funeral Home, 315 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT 06468. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM at St Thomas the Apostle Parish, 733 Oxford Rd, Oxford, CT 06478. Burial will follow at St. John Cemetery, 500 Moose Hill Road, in Monroe.

May she rest in eternal peace, hand in hand with the love of her life, until we meet again.