Mrs. Pirraglia enjoyed a long career in education starting as a teacher in the 1950’s in Brooklyn. In 1976, she transferred to Staten Island, where she taught at P.S. 30 The Westerleigh School for many years. She played a pivotal role in making every child feel unique and special, with 3rd grade being her forte. After she retired from the public school system, she yearned for her craft and returned to teaching in a private school where she continued to work well into her eighty’s. She cherished the close bonds she had with colleagues, friends, and parents.
Mrs. Pirraglia and her husband, Dominic, a retired school principal and innovator in the field of special education, were married for 68 years. During her freshman year at Brooklyn College, Marie first noticed Dominic approaching her lunch table from across the campus cafeteria. He introduced himself to her as “Don”, a nickname that stuck for the rest of their life together. She knew right away that by graduation she would marry him. They enjoyed summer camp jobs, a second home in the Berkshires, and vacations in Florida and Italy.
Marie spent her later years in northern Nevada with her daughter, where she enjoyed sunny afternoons at Lake Tahoe and cozy evenings by the fireplace watching movies with cat on lap.
Mrs. Pirraglia is survived by her 3 sons, Richard, Peter, and Don Christopher; daughter, Maria; 7 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
A graveside service for Marie will be held at 12PM Thursday, February 2, 2023 in Moravian Cemetery, 2205 Richmond Road, Staten Island, NY 10306.
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