Mary Yvonne DiGregorio

Sussie remarried and Frank VonDemKamp adopted Mary when she was young and raised her as his own. Mary went to Longmont High School and graduated in 1959. She had many stories of the Fashion, music, soda shops, Studebaker’s, bobby socks and the charm of growing up in the 50’s.

Being an only child, Mary wanted to venture out of her small town and decided to go to college to BYU Hawaii Campus. She packed her bags and spent 5 years in Hawaii, graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. She would certainly light up when reminiscing of school, her multi-cultural roommates, the ocean, the beauty of the islands, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. She left a big piece of her heart on the islands when she returned to Colorado. A kindergarten teaching position opened up in Frederick, Colorado and she accepted.

Mary found an apartment in Frederick and her landlord wanted to “set her up” with the handsome Italian in town visiting his mother. Mary wanted nothing to do with it but reluctantly said yes to a Wednesday date. Friday, the handsome Italian, asked her to marry him. She said yes on Saturday (after his humble “please may I” to her dad) and she married Salvatore “Sammy” DiGregorio, the love of her life, on August 6, 1966. They were married 49 ½ years.

Valerie Sue DiGregorio, their only child, was born in June of the following year. They moved to Longmont in 1970 and lived in their home until 2002. Mary taught at Mountain View Elementary; kindergarten and first grade for the bulk of her teaching career. She was “Mrs. D” to most co-workers, students and parents. She was a loved teacher and she adored her students, keeping up on their accomplishments. She went on to complete her Masters Degree at UNC, just 6 credits shy of a Doctorates in Early Education. Some pretty significant health issues caused Mary to retire early from her teaching career. In 1994, she became a grandma for the first time, almost as a retirement gift. She and Sammy planned to spend their retirement years returning to Hawaii, Italy and many other beautiful countries. Regrettably, their health kept them close to home.

Sammy passed away in October of 2015. They lived at the Bridge Assisted Living together and the memories became difficult for her, so she moved to Grace Pointe Assisted living in June of 2016. She had an apartment she loved, and she filled it with things she loved. She stayed as active as she could with friends, crafts, activities, and church; being a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She taught classes, crocheted, quilted, painted, counted cross-stitch, beaded, played her Name Game, word searches, etc. were just a few of the interests she loved.

A small injury put Mary in Rehab in November of 2025. She struggled and ended up at Fair Acres Nursing home in January of 2026. Mary’s poor body just couldn’t fight anymore, and she passed peacefully on May 5th at 12:34 pm.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Sammy; her mother, Sussie; and father, Frank. Surviving loved ones are her daughter, Valerie (Ray) and grandchildren, Ashlee and Michael (McKenna) Schmitt and great- granddaughter, Molly.

In her memory, please donate books to local Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms.

Visitation will be held at Howe Mortuary & Crematory, 439 Coffman St, Longmont, CO 80501, US, on May 12, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Visitation will also be held at, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 501 49th Ave, Greeley, CO 80634, US, on May 13, 2026, from 9:00 am to 10:00 am, followed by a Funeral Service at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 501 49th Ave, Greeley, CO 80634, US, on May 13, 2026, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.