Marie E. Lombardo

Marie E. Lombardo, 84, known as "Mimi," of Hunter's Ridge, Vernon Township, died Sunday, July 14, 2013 at Marquette Hospice House in Meadville. Marie was born in Pittsburgh, August 29, 1928, the first child of the late George and Clara Santillo. She married the love of her life, Amadeo Lombardo, in Pittsburgh, June 7, 1947, after he returned from naval service in the Pacific during WWII. Marie was a loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and a phenomenal cook whose meatballs were always fought over by her children and grandchildren, and her chocolate chip cookies were world famous as her son Michael distributed them to his colleagues at U.S. Embassies: Baghdad, Karachi, Kabul, Jakarta, Abidjan, Bujumbura, Djibouti, and others. Her grandchildren now use her recipes for chocolate chip cookies, meatballs, and other culinary delights. Marie and her husband raised 2 sons and a daughter first in Pittsburgh and then Rochester, NY. She and her husband also lived 15 years in Las Vegas, NV, after his retirement. They moved to the Meadville area in 2006. Her surviving family includes husband Amadeo, who cared for her during her decline from Alzheimer's Disease, son Tom Lombardo (Hope) of Atlanta, GA, daughter Amy Lombardo (Darel) of Cambridge Springs, son Michael Lombardo (Netty) of Arlington, VA, brother Don Santillo (Lois) of Murraysville, sisters Ann DeAngelis of Finleyville and Laverne Barrasso (Carmen) of Ware, MA, grandchildren Michelle Arbogast (Jeffrey) of Amherst, NH, Jeffrey Kuklinski (Lisa) of Sewickley, Robert Kuklinski of Erie, Alyssa Lombardo of Fort Collins, CO, Lucia Lombardo of Atlanta, GA, Sam Lombardo of Atlanta GA, Pinta Marie "Mimi" Lombardo of Arlington, VA, and great-grandchildren Gannon Arbogast of Amherst, NH, and Lydia Joy Kuklinski of Sewickley. Her sister Carmella Roy Kearsley of Marshfield, MA, preceded her in death by 12 days. She is also survived by 19 nieces and nephews. Marie passed her love of reading to all of her children and as a result indirectly to her grand-children. She loved to play cards and board games and taught her children and grandchildren the importance of winning and allowed them to experience losingregularlyone of life's most important lessons. Her children will remember her for her ability to provide food, clothing, shelter and a quality education in some difficult economic times. Her children will also remember her for her ability to laugh, yell at them for something and then a short time later hold them close and wipe away their tears. They will never forget that she hated bread crumbs in the butter and at breakfast each morning as toast is served they think of this, and her. Calling hour will be from 10 AM until time of the Memorial Service at 11 AM on Friday, July 26, with Pastor Marshall Lillie of the Marquette Hospice House, officiating, at Hatheway-Tedesco Funeral Home, 614 Baldwin St, Meadville, PA 16335. Donations in memory of Marie Lombardo to support the wonderful and supportive work of Marquette Hospice House, Hospice of Crawford County, 464 Pine St., Meadville, PA 16335.