Marie Ann Aydam

Marie Ann Tamborello Aydam, lovingly known as “Mother Superior” by those closest to her, passed away peacefully on June 2, 2025, on the cusp of 98 years old. Marie was the devoted wife of William H. “Billy” Aydam, with whom she shared 65 joyful years of marriage, and the proud mother of four children: Patricia, Ginger, Bill, and Valerie. Her love for family was the cornerstone of her life, a value she carried as the eldest of 13 children born to Dorothy Augusta Peters Tamborello and Joseph Samuel Tamborello. From a young age, Marie embraced responsibility with grace, helping her own mother manage a bustling household and assisting her father in his real estate business, often helping with translations from his native Italian.

A native Houstonian, Marie attended Saint Anne’s Catholic grade school, St. Agnes Academy high school and St. Thomas University. She met Billy the love of her life, at the Catholic Newman Center dances and together they built a life rooted in faith, family, and service. She was a member of St. Cyril’s Church and created the first Montessori progressive early education center for the church.

Marie lived a life of quiet strength, civic involvement, and cultural engagement. She served in leadership roles for many beloved organizations, including the Assistance League of Houston, the Houston Ballet, Ballet Austin, the Texas Governor’s Mansion, the Women’s League of Houston, and the Austin Women’s Club. Through these roles, she dedicated herself to helping others, always with compassion, dignity, and a sincere belief in the good of every person.

Marie had a gift for bringing people together. Her home was a constant gathering place for family and friends where she hosted celebrations, holiday dinners, and impromptu get-togethers filled with laughter, music, and home-cooked meals. Whether she was hosting elegant dinner parties or casual Sunday lunches, Marie made everyone feel welcome. She was the heartbeat of every gathering, and her legacy of hospitality will be remembered fondly by all who had the joy of sitting at her tables. She also had a deep love of travel, often returning with stories, souvenirs, and an even great appreciation for the world’s beauty.

In her later years, Marie and Billy retired to Lakeway, Texas where she continued to bring people together with her warmth, humor, and unwavering love for life. She found great joy in the peace and beauty of Galveston Bay, where she and Billy spent so many cherished days together. Honoring their wishes for a private family ceremony, their ashes will be buried together at sea in the bay they so loved.

Marie is preceded in death by her beloved husband, daughter Patrica Ann Aydam, her siblings

Salvadore Tamborello, Genevieve Tamborello, Joseph S. (Bubba) Tamborello, Charles Tamborello, Dorothy (Dell) Tamborello, Mary Magdalen Tamborello Van Nes, Ann Lucia (Lolly) Tamborello Baker, Josephine Elizabeth (Mitzie) Tamborello, Camille Etoile Tamborello Hill

Marie leaves behind a legacy of love, generosity, and services that lives on in her family, her community, and the countless lives she touched. She will be deeply missed and always remembered with gratitude, admiration and love by her surviving children: Genevieve (Ginger) Aydam Mitchell, William H. (Bill) Aydam Jr, Valerie Aydam Decker, and her grandchildren Robert Bruce (Will) Wilchar, Hannah Marie Wilchar Lloyd, William Hogan Aydam III, Ellen Bracy Aydam Ringle, Christopher John Aydam, Madelyn Marie Decker, and Frances Carol Decker Ralston. Also survived by her great grandchildren Genevieve Marie Lloyd, Harry Charles Lloyd, Tripp Wilchar Lloyd, Forrest John Ringle, and William H.(Willie) Aydam IV.