Maryjane Andrea DeSalvo

Maryjane Andrea DeSalvo, 79, of Dallas, Texas, passed away peacefully on December 25, 2025.

Maryjane was an outgoing and magnetic force who made you feel welcome and connected. Her generosity of spirit, quick wit, and natural charm created community wherever she went, making life more interesting—and far more fun—for everyone around her.

She was born on November 12, 1946, in Mobile, Alabama, to Josephine and Frank DeSalvo. Maryjane was the second of the DeSalvos’ children, arriving seventeen years after her brother, Joseph. The family soon moved to Oak Cliff, Texas, where her mother—known fondly as “Mrs. D”— opened the beloved DeSalvo’s Italian Restaurant.

Maryjane attended Our Lady of Good Counsel (later Bishop Dunne) and graduated from Sunset High School in 1964. Maryjane loved sharing stories from those days (much to the amusement of her children), including “cruising” around Kiest Park and occasionally skipping school by putting her candy-apple-red Mustang in neutral and letting it roll down the hill, entirely unbeknownst to the OLGC nuns.

Maryjane married Bernard John Cleghorn of Irving, Texas. They moved to Ivanhoe, Texas, where they welcomed two children: Corey Franklin Cleghorn and Kerri Ellen Lai (née Cleghorn).

Though she arrived in Ivanhoe as a fashionable city girl, Maryjane quickly immersed herself in small-town life and had a meaningful impact on the community.

She volunteered to run local voting polls, served on the Board of Directors that helped build the Bonham Public Library, discovered a talent for decorating beautiful cakes made from scratch, and became deeply involved in Sam Rayburn school activities—most memorably playing the “fortune teller” at the annual Halloween Carnival.

Her gift for making others feel welcomed and included shone brightly during these years. From designing matching outfits for herself and her niece Mary Ellen to cheering loudly at Corey’s sporting events, Maryjane delighted in creating joy and connection wherever she went.

After her divorce, Maryjane returned to Dallas with her children to live near her mother and manage DeSalvo’s Italian Restaurant. She thrived in this role—working hard, laughing often, and embracing the warmth of family life. Those years became some of the most cherished of her life.

When her mother became ill with Alzheimer’s disease, Maryjane devoted herself fully to caring for her at home, around the clock. Following her mother’s passing, she embarked on a new chapter, founding and publishing the Metro News newspaper. True to her nature, she flourished—connecting people, sharing local stories, and building community through her work.

Maryjane was a legendary room mother known for delivering homemade pizzas and birthday cakes, a field-trip chaperone who might occasionally let a curse word slip, and a reluctant but dedicated Brownie troop co-leader. She was famously “the cool mom”—taking Kerri and her friends to rock concerts and Six Flags, hosting haunted houses and hayrides, organizing bowling outings, and even embarking on midnight grocery runs with the St. Elizabeth girls hanging out the back of her Chevy Blazer, turning ordinary moments into unforgettable adventures.

Family and faith were at the heart of Maryjane’s life. She was deeply devoted to her loved ones and to God — she viewed every single day as a blessing and gift from God.

Her greatest joy came from being “Mimi” to her grandchildren, Josephine Grace Lai and Jackson Alexander Lai. Jack says he will miss “all the sweets Mimi would give me,” and Josie will miss “staying up WAY past my bedtime when Mimi babysat.”

Maryjane was a charming and colorful woman whose loyalty, warmth, and love of creating joy and connection leave a legacy for all who had the privilege of knowing her.

She is pre-deceased by her mother Josephine (Stassi) DeSalvo, her father, Frank DeSalvo, her brother, Joseph F. DeSalvo, her nephew, Joseph DeSalvo, and her Aunt, Mary Stassi.

She is survived by her son Corey Franklin (Lea) Cleghorn, daughter Kerri Ellen (Peter) Lai, grandchildren Josephine “Josie” and Jackson “Jack”, niece Mary Ellen Wilson, great-nephew Will Wilson, and many extended family members and dear friends.

A service celebrating Maryjane’s life will be held on Sunday, January 25, 2026 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Bishop Dunne High School located at 3900 Rugged Drive, Dallas, TX, 75224.

In lieu of flowers or donations, please honor this moment by embracing your loved ones and sharing how much they mean to you.