Marie C. Sandru

Marie C. Sandru (DeLuca) age 90, of North Olmsted. Died of heart failure on April 24, 2026, at Cleveland Clinic Avon hospital. She was born on September 25, 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio to parents, Peter and Josephine (Friguglietti) DeLuca. She was a 1953 graduate of Bay High School after transferring her junior year from John Adams on the east side, where she grew up surrounded by extended family.

After catching the bouquet at her cousin’s wedding, her Uncle Pro introduced Marie to her future husband, Charles “Chico” Sandru. Two years later they were married on September 5, 1964, at St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church, in Cleveland, Ohio and were married 39 years until Chico’s death in 2001.

In addition to her husband and parents, her in-laws Vasile and Ana Sandru, her brother, Joseph and sister-in-law Rosemarie DeLuca predeceased her. She is survived by her son Charles and daughter-in-law Valerie (Ciccarello), and daughter Ana-Lee. Her greatest joy was being Buni to her two granddaughters Ashley and Addison, who could make her laugh whenever they were together. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Marie was continually active in the PTA at her children’s school as well as many clubs at her church. She wrote and directed many plays for both organizations as well as playing her most famous roles as Harpo Marx and the Statue of Liberty. She was best known for selling the church cookbook, Pofta Buna. She promoted and sold the cookbook for over 30 years to forty-nine of the fifty states, and by word of mouth over international waters and to sightseers in Romania, who wanted to know how they could make the food they were eating when they returned home.

Marie was known for her big smile, her quick wit (she loved to laugh), and her ability to make people feel welcome. She was proud of her Italian roots and was the family historian, photographer, and storyteller. If you had a family question you called Marie because she usually knew the answer. She was also known for her cooking and baking. Her pepperoni bread and lemon squares were legendary. She knew if her lemon squares were not in her hands coming into a family party she would be kindly asked to leave! (not really). She was a fan of writing to the editor of both the Cleveland Press or the Cleveland Plain Dealer giving her opinion or sharing one of her legendary stories about growing up in Cleveland or cheering on the Indians/Guardians and Browns through the good times and well the not so good times. She also had several of her recipes published in the paper as well, especially her “Just like Higbee’s Muffin” recipe. Marie loved music and dancing, especially at weddings where in later years she would not miss a beat dancing with her rollator!

The family asks that everyone bring four pennies to leave for Marie. She will pass two of them on to your loved ones to send them to you and keep two so she and Chico can send them to their family.

Visitation Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 3-8 pm at Corrigan Craciun Funeral Home, 20820 Lorain Rd, Fairview Park, Ohio 44126 Saracusta service Wednesday at 7pm.

All Funeral Services Thursday, at 10:00 am at St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, 3256 Warren Rd, Cleveland, OH 44111, where family will receive friends from 9:30-10am. Burial Sunset Cemetery.

In Lieu of flowers please donate in her memory to St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Cathedral.