Mary Ann (Slattery) Mauceri
Mary Ann Mauceri, 56, of Cutchogue, N.Y., and formerly of Smoke Rise, N.J., passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 19, 2021, after a long battle with COVID-19.
She is survived by her sons, Christopher J. Mauceri and Matthew Mauceri, both of Cutchogue. She is also survived by her parents, John J. Slattery and Maureen F. Slattery of Cutchogue; as well as her brother, John J. Slattery Jr., of Cutchogue and his fiancée, Jacqueline Larsen; as well as her sister, Patty Ann Hamblen of St. Petersburg, Fla., Eric Hamblen (brother-in-law) and Elise Ann Hamblen (niece).
Born on July 5th of 1964 in Mineola, N.Y., Mary Ann grew up in Huntington, N.Y., and northern New Jersey and was a graduate of Kinnelon High School’s class of 1982. A candid yearbook photo commented on her strikingly clear baby blue eyes, borrowing from a Ben Hecht quote to note they were “as innocent as if they had entered their sockets a half-hour ago.” Through the years, they remained that way, and gazing into them was always a gift. Nothing ever tarnished her wide-eyed optimism, her innate love for the life she was blessed to be living.
Mary Ann went on to achieve a bachelor’s of business administration degree from St. Bonaventure University in 1986, remarkably graduating right alongside her classmates despite missing a semester due to a life-threatening illness her freshman year. That comeback required unbridled tenacity, another trait she would carry throughout her life.
A career in finance brought her to Maryland and eventually back to Long Island, a place that first captured her heart during memorable summers spent on Nassau Point and appreciating the North Fork’s treasures as a child. Mary Ann became an accomplished and long-tenured portfolio specialist with Morgan Stanley in Riverhead, N.Y. Blending competence with compassion, she took pride in providing stellar service and invaluable peace of mind to so many dear clients who she considered friends.
Friendship was another Mary Ann specialty. Emerson wrote, “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” It’s as if Mary Ann was his long-ago muse, because she embodied that belief. Her circle of friends was expansive and well-maintained, a product of being disarmingly present for people. She was always genuinely concerned with how life was unfolding for others. Loyalty really meant something to her. Mary Ann lived by the golden rule and was also an extremely devoted mother, daughter, sister and aunt. She inspired everybody.
But beyond all else, Mary Ann’s greatest legacy is her family. She was an amazing mother. As a single parent, she felt tremendously proud of the academic and athletic accomplishments of her two sons during their high school and college years. The personal sacrifices she made while raising and educating her beloved boys, ensuring they evolved so beautifully into young men, served only to magnify her sense of fulfillment. And the way she handled herself as she nurtured them, displaying unwavering dignity and grace, provided not only a priceless example of parental responsibility, but also a font of motherly love so deep that it can be drawn on forever.
Mary Ann never complained. Instead, she chose to focus on the love of her family, her friends, her country and her faith. Embracing these ordinary things gave her an extraordinary life. Hearing her talk about idyllic Cutchogue was enough to make anybody want to move there. From warm days spent barefoot along the sandy shores of Peconic Bay to fall afternoons admiring amber vineyards to countless hours enjoying the company of loved ones over a shared meal or movie, Mary Ann appreciated every bit of her life. She built a perfect home in a place she cherished.
Mary Ann’s blue eyes stayed bright to the end, but they’re closed now and our world has been dimmed. Still, in her memory we can always find light. And from her example, we know that’s what she would want us to do.
The family will receive visitors Thursday, July 1, from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck, N.Y. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday, July 2, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck, with Msgr. Joseph W. Staudt officiating. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.
The funeral Mass will be live-streamed. The link can be found at sacredheartolgc.org.
Memorial donations may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, 13770 Noel Road, Suite 801889, Dallas, TX 75380; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959; or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516.
This is a paid notice.
