Mary Ellen Petroni

Mary Ellen (Maria Elena) (nee Miller) Petroni, 75, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 13, 2022 in Palm Springs, California. She recently moved to Rancho Mirage, after being a resident of San Francisco for more than 50 years.

Maria Elena was born on May 10, 1946 in Klamath Falls, Oregon to Stanley and Gwendolyn (Lorenz) Miller.

She moved to San Francisco to attend Lone Mountain College, from which she graduated. It was in San Francisco that Maria Elena met and married her husband, Lorenzo Petroni, legendary owner of the North Beach Restaurant. She and Lorenzo enjoyed traveling to his native Italy for many years. They were married for 42 years before his passing in 2014.

Cooking and entertaining were a focus of Maria Elena’s life at her San Francisco home on Vallejo Street and the family’s Petroni Vineyards in the Mayacamas Mountains in Sonoma County. She was extremely warm and gracious in welcoming family and friends to her homes for holidays, pool parties, wine tastings and delicious meals. She made every one of her guests feel like they were a part of her family. They all enjoyed her hospitality, wit and sense of humor.

Maria Elena was a very compassionate person who was dedicated to her Catholic faith and especially enjoyed volunteering at St. Anthony’s Dining Room for 20 years. She often spoke of how she got much more from the experience than she gave.

Maria Elena was a loving pet owner whose dogs, Bella, Emma and Sapphire, brought her tremendous joy. A truly kind person, she felt fortunate to be able to pay for needed surgeries for pets of other people who were unable to afford their care.

Maria Elena was preceded in death by her parents, husband Lorenzo, and stepson Paul Petroni. She is survived by her sister, Joanne Gotshall, sons Leo and Marco, and stepson Peter. She also leaves behind her grandchildren Giovanni, Dima, Rocco, and Julietta.

Viewing will be at 12:30 p.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m. on March 23, 2022 at Saints Peter and Paul Church, 666 Filbert Street, San Francisco.

Donations in memory of Maria Elena may be made to St. Anthony’s Dining Room or Muttville.