Mary Moncini
Mary Josephine Moncini, 99, passed away on May 10, 2025 at the Vincentian Home in Pittsburgh. She was formerly of Monessen. Born in Denbo Vesta 6, PA on November 11, 1925, she was the daughter of Giovanni Batista and Maria Onesta Antonucci, and had three older brothers, Lino, Mario and Emery Antonucci. Mary grew up in Hiller, PA and was a 1943 graduate of Brownsville High School. Mary was married to Arthur N. Moncini, Jr. for 52 years and had three children, Marinell Brettell (Richard), Raymond (Deborah) and Roslyn Munsch (William); four granddaughters, Angela Fanella (Christopher), Larissa Frauenheim (Darren), Maria Munsch (Sean Vins) and Regina Munsch. Mary had six great grandchildren, Sophia, Andrew, James and Ian Fanella and Charlotte and Maxwell Frauenheim.
She is predeceased by her parents, her brothers, her husband Art and her daughter-in-law, Maxine Moncini.
Mary was a loving and dedicated daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and nonna. She was a leader who was smart, funny, hardworking and had an unwavering moral compass.
As a child she lived through the Great Depression and was taught the value of faith, hard work and thrift. The daughter of Italian immigrants, she learned cooking and baking from her mother and had the talent to create food that was wonderful and economical. She learned business acumen from her dad, a retired coal miner who ran a local bar and restaurant. During World War II, all three brothers were drafted into military service, so Mary did her and their work at home. She was obliged to write each of them a daily letter and spent countless hours consoling her mother and Dad, an Alpine Soldier who fought in World War I. She epitomized the greatest generation.
Soon after the war she met Art Moncini, a great trumpet player who drove a coal truck and was a partner in his family’s beer distributor business. Art was also a first generation Italian American and, after an appropriate romance, they married in 1950 and moved to Monessen. In the next 8 years, Marinell, Ray and Roz were born. Mary was a loving and supportive mother but had important rules for her family. Catholicism and education were nonnegotiable, she expected her children to be good Catholics, students and citizens. Her work ethic was unwavering. She ran the household, worked at the beer distributor and administered Art’s trucking business. Anyone who did business with Mary had to be prepared for her many questions and challenges to deliver what she expected and what was fair.
Mary was a good citizen, a judge of elections for over 30 years, a founding member of the Monessen Italian Heritage Society, a member of the Catholic Business and Professional Women and played Five Hundred Bid with various card clubs.
Mary was very active in her churches, St Leonard and Epiphany of Our Lord, leading in many organizations, including Ladies’ Guild and was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America for 77 years. Mary loved her Roman Catholic faith, was dedicated to the Blessed Mother and said a daily rosary.
Mary had a beautiful smile and a great sense of humor, loved music, dancing, good movies and family-oriented TV shows. She was a voracious reader, consuming the daily newspapers from cover to cover and taking only a few days to absorb the contents of a good novel. Mary was a great cook and baker, her gnocchi, biscotti, pepperoni roles and bread were legendary. She was competitive, particularly about her creations and had good-hearted rivalries with many of her friends over the quality of their respective baking. A devout Pittsburgh sports fan, she was convinced that referees and umpires were always out to get her favorite teams.
Heaven has improved dramatically now that Mary is a resident. Special thanks to the staff at Vincentian Home, Hope Hospice and her at home caregivers.
Friends will be received on Friday May 16, 2025, from 2pm to 4pm and from 6pm to 8pm at Sperling Funeral Home, 700 Blazier Drive, Wexford PA 15090. A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday May 17 at 9:30 am at Epiphany of Our Lord Church, 44 Monessen Blvd., Monessen PA 15062. The internment will be at Grand View Cemetery Mausoleum, Monessen PA.
In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to Epiphany of our Lord Church, Monessen PA, at the link below.