- Date Of Birth: June 18, 1936
- Date Of Death: September 30, 2019
- State: North Carolina
Marie Louise Capparell, 83, formerly of Clark’s Summit, PA passed away September 30, 2019.
Marie was raised in Shamokin, PA as part of a tight-knit family of three girls: Emily, Jean and Marie. The sisters were raised by loving parents, Sam and Theresa Lucifer, who instilled in the girls traditional, small-town values, like loyalty to friends and family, honesty and plain-speaking and a commitment to the Catholic Church and their Italian heritage. Marie also had a strong core that guided her through decisions and helped her to persevere through life’s challenges.
Marie married her high school sweetheart, Frederick Capparell, in 1955. The young couple left Shamokin and followed opportunities to Columbus, Ohio, Englishtown, New Jersey and Clark’s Summit, Pennsylvania. Along that journey, Marie and Fred were blessed with their own family of girls: Lisa (Sherman), Dianne(Higginson), Kelli (Denn)and Stacey (Brannon).
Marie and Fred enjoyed travel and cultural events in New York City and both developed and enjoyed a cosmopolitan sense of style, fashion and sophistication. But Marie’s primary focus was always on her girls.
Marie raised her girls to share her values: an unbreakable commitment to family, an appreciation of culture and learning and a sense of style. The family spends summers together at a cherished lake house in Pennsylvania and shared holidays, especially Christmas with a long menu of Italian specialties, at Marie’s house in Clark’s Summit and later at one or another of the girls’ homes.
The family always had a dog, usually a French poodle, that Marie would treat almost as a fifth daughter. Marie kept a succession on small dogs that were as devoted to her (and that were maybe a bit spoiled) as she was to them.
Marie eventually became a doting “Nana” to eleven grandchildren: Samantha and Benjamin Sherman, Katelynn and Meghan Higginson, Lindsey, Corey and Owen Denn, Andrew, Parker Tyler and Nicholas Brannon. It is notable that all her grandchildren, despite their actual ethnicity, consider themselves to be primarily Italian, and that they share with each other and their beloved Nana, an appreciation of family, pasta and the holidays.
Marie spent her later years living in Charlotte, NC with her daughter Lisa and her family. Lisa and her family provided love and day-to-day support as Marie faced health challenges and the changes that arrive over time.
Through it all, Marie remained a central figure in family life throughout, as confidante, cheerleader, teacher, and, later, as the focus of the girls’ attention and concern: family first, as she had taught them.
At the very end of her struggle with various health issues, the girls joined Marie in her hospice room. Together they shared memories and laughs, and then, a few final words of love and appreciation from Marie to each of the girls, individually, and then a final goodbye.
Marie was laid to rest in Raleigh, NC following a private family ceremony.
