Mary Frances Penavic

Mary Sermeno Franco was born on May 2, 1928, in Guadalajara, Mexico to Guadalupe "Rose" and Gambino Franco. At the age of one, she immigrated with her parents to the United States, where they settled in Cleveland, Ohio, and became the heart of a vibrant ethnic community. The eldest of four children - Lupe, Rose, and John, all of whom predeceased her - Mary embraced her role as the strong, guiding presence in her family from a young age. When her father left her mother, she worked various jobs to help make ends meet while her mother raised four children alone speaking limited English. She and her siblings were taught Spanish at home but were chastised by school administrators to speak English in the classroom.

Mary was deeply spiritual, beginning each day by praying the Rosary at 7:30 a.m. with Sister Margaret on EWTN. She found a religious home in every city she lived from Church of the Gesu to St. Mary’s -finding her last at Church of the Little Flower. She was a familiar presence in the first pew at the 5:00 p.m. Mass each Saturday, deeply devoted to her Catholic church community, which enriched her spirit and renewed her hope. Her Catholic faith guided every aspect of her life, giving her strength and serenity. She passed on that same supportive spiritual tranquility to her children, instilling in them the values that sustained her.

Above all, Mary was devoted to her family. She was a loving mother who encouraged every interest, passion, and talent of her children. Together with her late husband, Frank, she created warm and welcoming homes in Cleveland. She encouraged her first-generation American children to embrace their Mexican and Croatian cultures through food, travel and traditions. She equally encouraged them to embrace their American nationality and cherish their rights and freedoms in their beloved United States. She was felt fortunate to have and deeply loved like her own children her son-in-law and daughter-in law. She adored her grandchildren, delighting in every milestone and achievement, and was endlessly proud of the successful, kind adults they have become.

A gifted cook, Mary approached food with curiosity and flair. She was unafraid to experiment with adventurous recipes, yet her family most cherished her classic favorites—especially her peppers and tomato sauce and pecan pie. She delighted in cooking for large gatherings especially in her and Frank’s “chalet” – which became the heart of countless celebrations, holidays, and family reunions filled with laughter, music, dancing, and endless, of course, delectable food.

Creativity and beauty were at the heart of Mary’s life. She had a remarkable eye for design—having worked as an estate liquidator, she carefully curated unique and meaningful pieces that made her client’s homes shine. Her passion for flower arranging and crafting exquisite bows (those who have her bows cherish them and maintain them as she instructed with cotton between the folds) brought beauty to the homes of friends even Hillary Clinton’s. Her greatest joy came at Christmas time, when she filled her home with dazzling holiday displays – hysterically her Christmas tree remained upright and adorned year-round. She was honored to serve as a volunteer on the White House Christmas decorating team during the Clinton administration, and she brought that same festive magic to all the homes she sprinkled with Christmas love.

Mary also had a love of television, which she approached with the same discernment and enthusiasm she brought to all things. She faithfully followed the news, never missing Wolf Blitzer’s Situation Room, David Muir’s World News Tonight, Margaret Brennan’s Face the Nation, Jane Pauley’s Sunday Morning (especially Rita Braver) and Brett Baier’s Special Report. She balanced her news habit with lighter favorites, from Wheel of Fortune—where she embraced Ryan Seacrest as a worthy successor to Pat Sajak—to Turner Classic Movies, Gunsmoke, High Chaparral, and especially Murder, She Wrote. Her all-time favorite film was Moonstruck, which celebrated the love of family --- a reflection of her family’s long-standing admiration for Cher, with The Bishop’s Wife as a close second.

Mary’s laughter was infectious, her joy uncontainable, and her love unwavering. She poured her heart into her family and friends, leaving behind a legacy of warmth, faith, and devotion that will endure through generations.

She is survived by her daughter, Capricia Mary Penavic Marshall, and son-in-law, Dr. Robert James Marshall, of Washington, D.C.; her son, Frank Penavic II, and daughter-in-law, Dyane Penavic, of Solon, Ohio; her beloved grandchildren, Robert “Cole” Penavic Marshall, Isabella Penavic, and Francesca Penavic and an abundance of adoring nieces and nephews.

A Memorial Catholic Mass will be held on Wednesday, October 8th at 12:00 p.m. at Church of the Little Flower, 5607 Massachusetts Ave, Bethesda, Maryland. A Catholic Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, October 11th at 12:30 p.m. at Church of the Gesu, 2470 Miramar Blvd University Heights, Ohio, followed by burial at Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

Her life was a testament to love—family, family, family above all else—and those blessed to know her will cherish her memory forever. She loved us… dearly.