Mary Antoinette Pascuzzi

Mary was born on October 15, 1923 in Montague, a small lumber town in Northern California. She was the third child of Giovanni & Emilia Trevisan who had emigrated from Italy in search of the American dream. Mary grew up in a series of small towns in Northern California and Southern Oregon and the family eventually settled in Lakeview, Oregon, where she attended grammar school and high school. Life in a small town was not easy for the Trevisan’s as one of the only Italian families in the area and Mary started school knowing no English.

In 1939 Mary met the love of her life, Pete Pascuzzi, after he rolled into town in a black Studebaker convertible. Mary and Pete had their first dance at the Annual Lakeview Roundup Dance. Their whirlwind romance culminated in an elopement to Virginia City, Nevada on August 24, 1940. The pair returned to Lakeview and worked various jobs until they moved to Grass Valley, California in 1947. Pete & Mary later moved to Ophir and then Auburn where they built a home on a knoll near Pete’s work, Cal-Ida Lumber Company. The pair worked well together as Pete provided for a growing family and Mary created a loving home for their five children.

Pete and Mary were known to family, friends, and acquaintances for their dancing. The two often attended various Elk Lodge, Italian Catholic Federation, Sons of Italy, and cioppino dinners where they would enjoy an evening of food, company, and dancing. When her children had grown, Mary went to work for the Placer County Assessor’s Office for over 10 years. After retiring, Mary worked at the Forget-Me-Not gift shop in the Gold Country Mall in Upper Town and served on the Placer County Grand Jury as secretary from 1983-84. Mary also served on both the Highway 49 steering committee and the Auburn Annexation Committee from 1984-85. Mary was very active in the Italian Catholic Federation Branch #342 as the financial secretary for 16 years. In her later years, Mary enjoyed “playing in the dirt” and maintaining her beautiful garden, reading, and showering her family with love.

Mary is survived by her brother, Maurice (Obdulia) Rosano, of San Diego; her sons, John, Charlie (Suzette), and Ang Pascuzzi, her daughters Nina (Walt) Schmidt and Christine (Chuck) Rydell of the greater Auburn area; her grandchildren Steven, Brian (Tosha), Nicci (Mike), Charlie, Ashlie (Jordan), Cami (Jeremy), Jon, Alex, Tony and Sam and 10 great-grandchildren most of whom reside in the greater Auburn area; and many nieces and nephews. During her brief illness Mary was cared for by her family and a wonderful, loving caregiver, Robin Rawlins. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her loving sister, Rina, her beloved husband, Pete, and recently, her daughter-in-law, Linda.

The family invites those who knew Mary to a viewing on Thursday, July 16, at Chapel of the Hills from 5-7pm and a funeral mass to be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Auburn at 10am on Friday, July 17. Immediately following the mass Mary will be taken to her final resting place at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Sacramento. The family invites everyone to the cemetery and a reception immediately thereafter at Mary’s home. In lieu of flowers, Mary would appreciate donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) in the name of her beloved husband, Pete, who was taken from her as a result of this devastating disease.