Mary DeMarco Obituary

Another year goes by, you are not forgotten. I miss you. Please hug my mom & dad, both my granddaughters and my soulmate Ed. I will see you all one day.. in the meantime, I smile when I think of you, I miss you & love you dearly. <3

it's been over a decade. I miss you. love you so much. you were so instrumental in so many ways as I was growing up. give my dad & mom hugs from me. Also, my 2 granddaughters & my very loving soulmate. see you one day in Heaven my beautiful aunt Jo <3

I will never forget you, your love was genuine & you made a huge impact in my life and my kids. They always loved your quirkiness & your laughter. I will see you one day.. give my mom, dad & my beautiful granddaughter hugs for me

I must say that from all the notes in this book, you are truly a loved woman of GOD..give my daddy a hug & tell him I will see him again. Kiss my Nyjah too, I bet she is chasing butterflies & running around on the streets of gold. Thank you for walking my special brother in law John with you into heaven.. he didnt want to leave his wife & children, but when he passed the same time you did, I knew God was taking you both together. Love & miss you all so much. Words cant express how you touched my life and loved me. You always wanted me, of all people, to come live in the convent with you.. my dear sweet Aunt Jo. I will see you again & tell you again and again how much I appreciate and love you.
ALWAYS & FOREVER. your niece!!

What a wonderful woman. She will truly be missed. St. Gabriel's parishioners loved her and better yet, she loved them.
Linda Moran

Sister Jo became a part of our family from the moment she arrived at St. Gabriel School. My mother, whose seven children attended the school from 1944 to 1972, was one of the first persons named to the first school board and continued until many years later to be a sounding board for many of Sr. Jo's ideas for continued improvement of the school. In the mid 80's when she hired me as a teacher, Sr. Jo assured me that she had checked my records as a grade school student to be sure I had been a good enough student, before hiring me to teach. I feel sure that she is now saying a daily rosary in heaven with our mother, Mary Robin, Ann Feldman, and many other St.Gabrielites with whom she had a "family" relationship. She was a principal for the teachers, parents,community and most of all for the kids whom she loved as her own. We will miss her. So Sorry I can't be there for the services.

Denise Robin Nelligan

Great Aunt Jo,

I am very proud to the great nephew of such an amazing lady. I cherish the thought of you looking upon us from Heaven with my Grandparents and all our loved ones. My wife and I will always think fondly of your visit to Denver for our wedding and are so very thankful to have had that time with you. You were very loved and will be missed.

Love,
Jason and Jeannette Federico & Family

Dearest Aunt Jo
Jay and I and our children have been very privileged to have you in our lives. Your love was overflowing and you have been such an inspiration to us all. From the moment I met you I was in awe of all you had accomplished in your life; the peace, grace and beauty that you always carried within; the strength and tenacity you gently demonstrated when pursuing a goal; and your funny sense of humor and love of life. We love you and will always think of you in our daily lives and in our prayers.
Jay (nephew) and Donna Federico, Andrea, Natalie, Eric, Jason

Sister Mary Jo,will always have a special place in my heart.She was a wonderful person.She was the principal,at St.Gab`s when my son`s went there.Many yrs. later I would see her shopping at the jewel.She would always stop and say hello.She never forgot a face or name,nor will I forget her smiling face or name.She will be truly missed.So rest in peace, sister Jo

Aunt Jo,

I love you so very much, wish I can be there, but I know it's just your shell anyways you are in Heaven with our loved ones that have went on before us waiting with open arms so very excited to see you!! I just know you and Uncle John travelled together, holding hands as you were accepted into heaven's gates; that thought alone makes me feel much better. I love you, thanks for always accepting me for me and loving me and my kids and always making the time for me when you came to town. Thanks for all of the Christmas cards and thoughtful words. MY MY MY how I'm going to miss those big kisses <3 I LOVE YOU..... This is not a goodbye but a see you later!! Kiss my babygirl for me and tell Uncle John thanks for singing to her, I'm sure she loves his voice.

Love you aunt Jo. I will miss you.

Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.

Thank you Sister Jo for all you meant to my girls.

Sister Jo will never be forgotten. She never forgot any of us, her former students. My husband Gabe and I lost our son Gabe in October. We both graduated from St. Gabe's School in 1976. Our son was only a student at St. Gabriel School from K-2nd Grade. When he died, Sister Jo sent us a card with a check. She remembered him and us. The day I opened the card from her, I sat and thought about her. I remembered all the times we would run into her later in life. She always remembered us and always had nice things to say. She was very special to all who knew her. We will never forget that card she sent to us for our son Gabe. It meant so much to have our former principal over 30 years later reach out to us during such a sad time in our lives. Now that's dedication and service. Thank You Sister Mary Jo.
Maureen and Gabe Caponera

I was so sad to hear of the passing of Sister Mary Jo! Yet I celebrate that she has finally been welcomed into heaven, into the loving arms of God and Jesus and the blessed Mother, who she so faithfully loved and served for all of her 95 years. Her life of good works, and Love to all her students and family of St. Gabriel's parish should be celebrated. She was a mother to us all, she raised us all and our children and grandchildren. She never forgot a face or a name, she always made you feel special. I am so sure she is putting a good word in for all of us. Sister Jo you will be truly missed! Your parish of St. Gabriels Loves you very much!
My deepest sympathy to your family, she was one special person.

Dear Sister Jo, you will truly be missed--your joy, your energy, your love and genuine pleasure in greeting everyone. Yet you were always honest and forthright, never pulling any punches. Sister, you deserve the welcome you are receiving, good and faithful servant. RIP Love, the O'Connells.

"Don't forget to go to mass this weekend, and remember: the family that prays together stays together." These were the words Sister Jo announced to her students every Friday afternoon just before dismissal. She made us and our journeys of faith a part of her lifelong work. How many times would you see her car parked on 45th Street well after dark with the light still on in her office? We all were her family, and she kept us in her prayers her entire life. Thank you Sister Jo, for your endless acts of love and faith. One of the best ways we can honor you is to continue to pray with our families.

Dearest Aunt Jo,
My family and I have been so fortunate to have my great Aunt, Sister Mary Jo, as part of our family. We will miss her visits to Omaha a lot. The first thing she would do when visiting was to go around the room, look each of us in the eye, and hug us as if we were the most important person in the world. She loved us and not only did she tell us that often, but she showed it her bright smile and sweet eyes. Aunt Jo made everyone feel special. Memories of you will be cherished always. We love you, Laurie, Bob, Jake, Sam, and Annalese.

Aunt Jo,

You touched so many lives, both in Chicago and Omaha, and we will always cherish your visits. You taught us many life lessions on each and every visit. You led an amazing life and you will be forever in our memories.

Love,
Ted, Julie, Emily and Ted V

Thank you for all the valuable lessons you have bestowed upon children for many years. Your smile gave us comfort, and your words have guided us to this day.

Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.

My Dear Sister Jo,
I have so many fond memories of you, starting from as far back as Kindergarten. You always knew the right thing to say and you always made the children of St. Gabriel's feel loved and safe. We were lucky to have you in our lives.
One of my fondest memories was at the city science fair at the Museum of Science and Industry. Someone had brought a walkman and was listening to Guns N Roses. You listened to the song "Sweet Child O Mine" and proceeded to give us a religion lesson on how the song would be interpreted by the Blessed Mother. Always a lesson to be taught!
You were such a wonderful person! You never forgot any of your kids, thank you for that. I will miss you very much, but I'm glad you are up in heaven putting a good word in for us! God Bless You, Sister Mary Jo!

Aunt Jo,

Words cannot express my love for you. I along with our entire family are blessed to have had so many years of love from you. One of my favorite memories is when Tom sang Rivers of Babylon while playing his guitar for you.
I know I will see you again, but for now say hello to my Grandma for me.

All my love,

Andrea

Sr. Jo: You were always a very special person to all in our family, and to all in the Canaryville family. I always thought you looked a little like my mother, and had the same spirit as her. I know you were a good friend of my wife Betty, and I'll never forget how you consoled her at Mercy hospital when she was being treated for cancer. You were the Mother Teresa of St. Gabriel and Canaryville, and I know, with Betty, we will all receive the graces of your intercessions in the kingdom of God.
With Love and Gratitude, Gabe Caponera, Sr.

Aunt JO YOU WILL BE MISSED FOVER JEFF/PHYLLIS DEMARCO

Sister Mary Jo DeMarco, my great "Aunt Jo"! She was such a loving, strong, caring, compassionate and faithful servant. I have many fond memories of her trips to Omaha and times spent with the family. My favorite was a trip a few years ago Jim, Meg, Michael and I made to Chicago. She treated us like royalty. Got us tickets to the Bears game because she knew that was Mike's favorite team. She took us to Bertucci's for an authentic, Chicago style, Italian feast! We met her friends and colleagues at the hospital where she worked and volunteered for many years. It was clear to me how loved and respected she was. To my kids Aunt Jo was a "rock star"!
She will always be remembered as a friend to all! She was progressive and open minded. I pray I learned a little bit from her. May she rest in peace!

Thank you so much Sister Mary Jo for your years of dedication and service to the children of St. Gabriel School and the families of Canaryville! Your voice, smile, laugh, and catchy phrases will be missed by so many of us past students. We will forever remember your morning announcements over the P.A. system! And what fun when we got to go into your office to deliver a message or even talk on the P.A. ourselves! Your loyalty to St. Gabriel, energy, and work ethic made you such a role model and inspiration to all of us who knew you when we were just school-aged children. And as we try now to navigate this world as adults, we still continue to learn from you and your example as our proud St. Gabriel School Principal!

Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.

Sr. Jo was truly one of a kind. She helped me get my first teaching job at St. Gabe's, attended my wedding, & came to visit when I had my first baby. Her energy amazed me! I used to love seeing her speeding down the streets in her little white car. She was a great person & a great friend. She will be missed.

Sr. Jo,
You will be greatly missed. I entered St. Gabriel school in 5th grade and you welcomed me with open arms. You took every single person you met under your wing and you never let go. I would not be the person I am today if it wasn't for you. The way you talked about your family and lit up when you were going to visit them. You made me want to be the best parent, friend and person. Your faith was so strong and you instilled that in everyone. I know Canaryville & your extended St. Gabriel family will hold a special place in their heart for you. You will forever be that special angel. God bless you.

We have known Sister Mary Jo since we were young children and she was Sister Bernita. Our aunt, Sister Margaret Gallagher, was close friends with Sister Mary Jo and she came to many of our family functions throughout the years. We will keep Sister Mary Jo in our prayers and know that she and our aunt are now with each other again.

Stephen Gallagher and Laura Gallagher

God Bless you Sister Mary Jo. Thank you for all the years of kind words and loving actions to everyone in your St. Gabriel family. You will truly be missed. In honor of Sister Jo, everyone please remember her favorite saying "The family that prays together stays together". R.I.P. Sister with love and gratitude from the O'Marrah and Barnotes families.

It's hard to believe that our dear Sr. Jo has died. She served St.Gabe's since 1971 and she loved us all until the end. Her dedication and hard work made this school great and she was so very proud of its success.
God bless you, Sr. Jo! You were a wonderful gift to this school and to all those of us who were lucky enough to know you. We will never forget you.

I've taken care of Sister Mary Jo for twelve years and she became a true friend to me and my staff. She was always a treat to see in the office. Warm, caring and funny, she brought a true light to all those around her and we will all miss her.

Jesus has reclaimed another saint. Rest in peace Sister Mary Jo.

Sister Mary Jo was the principal at St. Gabriel for my first few years there. She was one of the first faces that greeted us on our first day of school, and she made it a little easier to leave our moms for the first time. She'll be missed by every student she ever met at St. Gabriel.

sorry to hear of sister Jo's passing she was a very strong & caring person. will miss her, always remembered your name. prayers to her family from gloria & mildred valdez and family

I hope Sr. Jo's family is aware of the hundreds (probably thousands) of children and families she influenced so positively during her time at St. Gabriel school. Generations of kids will never forget her as our fearless leader in school, in faith, and -especially-in song! I can still hear her singing "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" I will also always remember her reaching her hand out to me as I walked down the aisle w/ my dad at my wedding. She seemed to be ever-present. We were so lucky to have her.

Sister Mary Jo will always have a special place in our hearts. She was an amazing person. I am sure you are with Michael right now. Sending you and Michael hug and kisses! The Phillips Family.

Thank you for being you. There are very few genuinely caring people and we just lost another one! I know you are in heaven watching over all of us... Thank You

Sr.Jo
will be remembered always in our family as a friend and always thought of as someone special

Aunt Jo,
My earliest recollection of was meeting you at the Burlington Train Station at Christmas and fighting my cousins to get the first hug. I remember visits at grandma and grandpa's house and how you always had a nun with you. I remember your vestments change in the 60's. I cherish your several visits to Denver and the impact on my children's lives. I remember you raspy voice and laughter as we rode chair lifts with my wife and mother-in law in Vail,CO. I remember your special relationship with my son Eric who you called "My Eric" I remember all this and more. I and my family will never forget.

Your Loving Nephew,
Jay Federico

I have so many wonderful memories of my Aunt Jo. I would look forward to her visits to Omaha every year. We would just sit and talk, while she held my hand. Her amazing heart and spunky character still makes me smile. She always has, and will always have a special place in my heart. I love you, Aunt Jo. I can't wait until I can see you again and hold your hand.

My Dearest Aunt Jo,
I love you...I know I will see you again. Thank you for always being encouraging and a blessing to my life. You have such a legacy you will truly be missed here. You have always been the sweetest yet most straightforward lady I know. Thank you again for the impact you had on my life, and my childrens life as well.

I love you SO much!!!

Aunt Jo, You have been a bright shinning light in our family and we love you dearly and you will be missed. I will cherish your visit to Boston and the wonderful time we had taking you all around to see the sights. You and John have left your earthy bodies on the same day and I know you are hand in hand making the final journey to everlasting life. I will see you both again one day. Love, Niece, Shelley DeMarco Curran