Maria "Mary" LeMura (Cannavó)

Maria “Mary” LeMura (Cannavó), 97, passed away on April 23, 2025, sustained by the love of her family and secure in her faith. A devout congregant of Our Lady of Pompei Church, Maria spent most of her life on the Northside of Syracuse working in the home, caring for her children, and supporting her friends and neighbors, often with a wonderful combination of advice and Italian cooking—both given with equal parts affection and spice. Born in the Bronx in 1927, Maria lived a life that spanned continents and nations. She was both a child of the United States and a daughter of Italy; she was a witty, self-taught woman who raised a family committed to education; she grew up in the shadow of war, which taught her the values of compassion, generosity, and resilience. Maria Cannavó LeMura stood only 5 feet 4 inches tall, but she leaves behind a towering legacy. Maria’s parents, Giovanna (Pavone) Cannavó and Guiseppe Cannavó, arrived in the Bronx just two months before her birth. Her brother Salvatore Cannavó was born in Linguaglossa, Sicily, but she and her sisters, Angelina (Cannavó) Emmi and Concetta Cannavó, were born in the United States. While Maria was still a baby, the family returned to Italy where they worked in Linguaglossa running their own grocery store. During the hardships of World War II, as their small community suffered, the Cannavós provided food and safe harbor for all those in need. Maria’s parents modeled kindness, generosity, hope, and light. These values defined Maria, and they became the bedrock for the family she raised in the United States. In 1944, the final year of the war, Maria married Egidio Salvatore LeMura, a gifted local carpenter. In 1949, she returned to the Bronx along with her husband, their two oldest daughters, Carmelina (Lena) and Giovanna (Joanne). They eventually settled on the Northside of Syracuse. While they worked and raised a family, their home became a place of respite and support for many immigrants, some from Sicily, others from Russia and Turkey. Maria and Egidio recognized need rather than nationality or ethnicity; they opened their doors as wide as they opened their hearts. Following her husband’s passing in 1983, Maria worked part time at the Onondaga County Health Department until she retired in 2006. Not one to rest, however, Maria remained busy and engaged—the de facto mayor of the 700 block of North Townsend Street. In that neighborhood, she modeled an ethos familiar to most immigrants: you take care of the people who take care of you. When the grandchildren began to arrive, she happily became the preferred babysitter and storyteller—especially if those stories were about Italy. She was active in the Our Lady of Pompei Parent-Teacher Organization and the Society of Sant’Egidio, the patron saint of Linguaglossa. For 30 years she was a volunteer translator for Our Lady of Pompei, for St. Joseph’s Hospital, for the Onondaga County Department of Social Services, and at the Northside CYO, where she served as a translator for many Ethiopian refugees. As proud as she was of her Italian heritage, Maria was deeply proud to be a first-generation American. Each time she translated the questions, worries, and needs of some newly arrived refugee or immigrant, she created community. More importantly, she demonstrated what she believed to be the finest quality of America: its embrace of the tired, the poor, and those yearning to be free. Maria LeMura inspired so many people, none more so than her beloved children and their families, who honor her example each day. Maria is survived by her six children: Lena Kochian (Edward), Joanne O’Shea (Thomas), Armand, Joseph (Catherine), Linda LeMura-Tanner (Larry), and Lisa. Maria’s infectious, generous spirit continues to enrich the lives of her grandchildren: Kevin, Jeffrey, Thomas, Mary Ellen, Jennifer, Lauren, Jamie, Emily and Max; her great grandchildren: Madison, Aidan, Britton, Jacob, Colin, Samuel, Alexis, Jonas, Isabelle, Carine, Helena, Jack, Ethan, and Madeleine; and, representing the fifth generation of the family, her great-great grandson, Mayer. Calling hours will take place on Monday, April 28, 2025, from 9:30 – 11:30 A.M. at Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church, 301 Ash St., Syracuse. A funeral Mass in celebration of Maria’s life will follow at 12:00 P.M. (noon) in the church. She will be laid to rest privately in Assumption Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Maria and Egidio LeMura Endowed Scholarship at Le Moyne College for first-generation students. Please mail gifts in their memory to Le Moyne College, Office of Advancement, P.O. Box 527, Syracuse NY, 13214 or online at www.lemoyne.edu/give.

Maria "Mary" LeMura (Cannavó)

September 3, 1927 - April 23, 2025