Mary (Callaghan) Guanciale

January 30, 1952 - May 8, 2021

It is with great sadness that the family of Mary (Callaghan) Guanciale announces her passing on Saturday, May 8, 2021 after a brief illness. She was born in Utica, NY to Robert and Rosemary (Butler) Callaghan and resided in the Syracuse area from an early age. Mary graduated from St. Anthony's High School and attended Morrisville College. She worked for Onondaga County in the Civic Center where she met her future husband. They were soon married, started a family, which then became her most important job. She was a devoted and loving mother who felt fortunate to be able to be home with her children and enjoyed it immensely. After the children were of school age, she continued her career as an assistant teacher at BOCES in special education. She was a kind, understanding and encouraging support system to students. She created a welcoming school environment and impacted many lives beyond the classroom. Mary loved the simple things in life like nature in the springtime. She enjoyed cycling and hiking at Baltimore Woods and Beaver Lake. She loved feeding the birds and planting flowers, especially zinnias in her yard. Mary enjoyed visits to Southwick Beach, Ocean City, Maryland and the Adirondacks, especially Old Forge and Inlet. She was always reading; she loved coffee, a drink, or picnic by Skaneateles Lake. Besides her parents, she is preceded in death by her sister, Patricia Androkitis. Mary is survived by her husband of 41 years, Richard Guanciale, and three daughters, Annie, Jenny, and Kimberly. She is also survived by her siblings, Paul (Eileen) Callaghan, Anne (James) Wright, and Thomas (Jeanette) Callaghan, along with many nieces and nephews. There aren't enough words to describe what a special person Mary was. She was a wonderful friend and had a fantastic sense of humor. No matter what challenges life threw her way, she counted her blessings, kept a positive outlook on life, and was a fighter until the very end. Mary made the world a better place and will be dearly missed. Private funeral services entrusted to THOMAS J. PIRRO JR. FUNERAL HOME. To attend the service remotely, please visit Mary’s tribute page at tjpfuneralhome.com at 1:30 pm on Thursday, May 13, 2021. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Mary's memory to Baltimore Woods (https://baltimorewoods.org) or the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/new-york/syracuse).