The eldest of six children to Charles and Annie Cascio, a highlight of Mary Lea’s life was her Italian heritage and her Catholic faith. Whether in the kitchen passing down traditional recipes or traveling to visit St. Joseph altars, these threads were woven throughout. She is survived by her brother Charles, her sisters Rose Anne, Sarah, and Carolyn, and their respective spouses Wanda, Joe, Bill, and Padg. A longtime member of St. Richard Catholic Church, she was steadfast in her faith to the end.
Mary Lea never met a stranger and invested heavily in relationships. The Founding Member of Welcome Neighbors Club, a longtime member of both the Hinds and Madison County Republican Women’s Clubs, and a nearly fifty-year member of the Country Club of Jackson, she actively sought out and developed new friendships everywhere she went. Traveling to many regional and national republican conventions and leadership conferences was only one of her many social outlets.
Honored to serve her community in civic affairs, Mary Lea was also a member of the Jackson and Madison Chambers of Commerce and of the Board of Directors of the Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Preceded in death in 1998 (and now reunited) by the love of her life, Riley Hagan Jr., Mary Lea continued to pour her heart into her two sons, Riley and Bradley, their wives Terri and Samantha, and her grandchildren Allison, Annabelle, Bryson, Miles, and Bennett.
Visitation will be held at Parkway Memorial Cemetery on Thursday, October 7 from 5 pm to 7 pm and again at 9:30 am on Friday, October 8 at St. Richard Catholic Church followed by family reflections at 10:30, a funeral mass at 11 am and a reception to celebrate her life at the Country Club of Jackson from 12:30 to 3 pm.
Donations may be made in Mary Lea’s memory to St. Richard Catholic Church and the American Red Cross.
PALLBEARERS
Gregg HarperHonorary
Fred Cerami
Joe Reppond
Bill McCall
Padg Bolton
Carles Cascio
Anthony Thomas
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