Mary Elizabeth DelRossi

Mary DelRossi, of 75 State Street, died at Maine Medical Center on August 10th after a brief illness. Mary, a longtime resident of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, moved to Portland in 2005 to be near her daughter, Dolores (Dolly) Foster and family. Mary was born in Jaffrey on September 22, 1917 to Maria Giuseppa Leone and Giustino Pomponio, who had immigrated from Penne, Italy, a mountainous region of the Abbruzzo Province. Mary was the first of the four Pomponio children to be born in the United States. Mary attended Jaffrey Grammar School, and graduated from Conant High School in 1936. Mary met the love of her life, Armand (Del) DelRossi while sitting on the steps of the Jaffrey Public Library during a band concert. Armand, of Medford MA, was serving a year in Jaffrey with the Civilian Conservation Corp. It was ‘love at first sight’ for Armand - the two were married on August 1, 1937. They moved for a brief time to Medford MA, but ultimately settled in Jaffrey, where they raised four children, and housed Mary’s widowed mother, who was known as ‘Nini’ Pomponio to her grandchildren, and many friends. Ultimately, Mary and Del purchased a home on Main Street, located diagonally across from the library, where they had first met. Armand worked as a turbine machinist at General Electric in Fitchburg, MA for nearly 40 years. During her career, Mary worked for The Office of the Superintendent of Schools, The American Guernsey Cattle club in Peterborough, Goodnow’s Department Store, and for 25 years at the Guidance Office of Conant High School, where she was a mentor and advocate to many a student. She retired at the age of 74. Mary’s most important career was the raising her four children and caring for her family, including her mother, Maria, (Nini) for 22 years. Mary and Del’s home on Main Street was a magnet for the entire clan, which included relatives from near and far, a multitude of friends, and a plethora of young friends who followed the four DelRossi children in and out of the house…..often hanging around long enough to enjoy ‘Nini’s’ spaghetti and meatballs. One could always find a pot of simmering pasta sauce on the stove, and a nearby chucks of Italian bread for ‘swiping a dip’ when no one was looking. Del took over the role of chief cook when Nini passed away. In 2001, shortly after the nation’s terrorist attack, Mary courageously took a trip to Italy to meet, for the very first time, her first, second and third cousins, in the town of Penne Italy, where her daughter had planned a massive family reunion to take Mary back to her roots and see firsthand many of the people and places Mary’s mother had spoken of over the many years. It was an emotional experience that added a new dimension to Mary’s life during her last 10 years. Like the rugged Gran Sasso Mountain Range that is is a backdrop to Penne, Mary could sense her people reflected the strength and courage of this terrain, along with the gift of grace and longevity. Mary was a devout Catholic and a longtime communicant of St. Patrick Church in Jaffrey. During her years of motherhood, she was an active volunteer at St. Patrick Church and School. Mary attended the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception during her eight years of living in Portland, Maine. Mary is predeceased by her beloved husband, Armand DelRossi, who died in 1985, and her siblings, Albert Pomponio, Lucy Leach, and Julie Connor. She is survived by her daughter and husband, Dolores (Dolly) and Craig Foster, of Portland, ME, Michael and Reena DelRossi , of Dumfries, VA, David and Elaina DelRossi of Dublin, NH, and Chris and AnnMarie DelRossi of Chelmsford, MA, her grandchildren, Sibyl Pitcock and husband, Scott; Sonya Landis and husband, Jeff; Monica Meade, and husband, Todd; Jesse DelRossi, Annie DelRossi; Craig Foster, Jr. and wife, Kathryn; David Foster, Marc Foster, and wife, Merideth, and Enrique Avalos; her great grandchildren, Lucy Pitcock, Adam Spicer, Henry Meade, Braedon Daniels, Brooke Daniels, Bridgette Landis, Cameron Foster, Katalyn Foster, Caleigh Foster and Miles Foster. Mary also leaves behind a myriad beloved nieces and nephews, along with relatives, friends and admires too numerous to mention. The family would like to thank Dr. Renee Fay-Leblanc of Maine Medical Partners and Dr Lauren Michalakes of Maine Medical Palliative and Supportive Care Clinic for their expertise and exceptionally kind and caring support of Mary. Burial will follow in the family lot at St. Patrick Cemetery in Jaffrey. Should friends desire, memorial donations may be made in Mary’s honor to: St. Jude Shrine, 512 West Sarasota St. Baltimore, MD 21201; www.stjudeshrine.org, or to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 donors@stjude.org Calling hours will be from 5:00-7:00pm on Monday, August 15th at Cournoyer Funeral Home, 33 River Street, Jaffrey, NH. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:00am on Tuesday, August 16th, at St. Patrick Church, 87 Main Street, Jaffrey. Msgr. Paul Stefanko of St. Bartholomew Church, Cape Elizabeth, ME will officiate, along with Fr. Wilfred Deschamps, Pastor of St. Patrick Church. http://thetributecenter.com/tributeplayer/default.aspx?webvideoID=3335 http://thetributecenter.com/tributeplayer/default.aspx?webcasteventid=716#/webcast