Mary Joanna Cirinione

Mary Joanna Cirincione, age 90 of McDonough, Georgia, passed away on Sunday, January 17, 2016 at Henry Medical Center in Stockbridge, GA. Born, Maria Giovanna Pasqualina Vitullo, on April 10, 1925, she grew up on Flowers Avenue in the Hazelwood section of Pittsburgh attending St. Steven Catholic Grade School. Mary was always very musically inclined and she took piano lessons for a short time. After graduating from Taylor Allderdice High School, she began working at the offices of a major film studio (possibly Universal or Warner Brothers) located on the Boulevard of the Allies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The studio handled the distribution of film between movie theaters. We enjoyed listening to her describe the day that Frank Sinatra visited the offices and how all the women were hanging out of the windows to catch a glimpse of "young" blue eyes and screaming his name. Only last year did she tell us another story about those days. On a trip last July to Nashville, Tennessee, we visited the Country Music Hall of Fame where one exhibit included the sport car used in the "Smokey and the Bandit" films. She asked if that was the film that starred Jackie Gleason, and when we said yes she proceeded to tell us about the time Jackie Gleason visited the offices where she worked and "made a pass" at her. She walked by him with a group of her coworkers and as she passed he reached out and tugged on her dress and asked her how she was doing (he may even have asked her out). She said she remembered exactly what dress she was wearing and described it to us. Her best friend growing up on Flowers Avenue, Margaret (Perhacs) Tracy, remained very close to her all her life. Marge recalls visiting the Vitullo home as a young girl, she said there was always a swing on the back porch and Mrs. Vitullo would be making Italian bread then giving us each a slice topped with tomato sauce. We would sit on the swing together and eat. That's when I first learned about "pizza." Marge also remembers that Mary had a beautiful singing voice, and had dreams of becoming an opera singer. Very active at St. Theresa Church in Munhall since the school opened, Mary volunteered in the school library, even taking classes in library science. She was also an active member of the school's Mother's Club and a member of the St. Theresa Church Choir. The choir was excellent and they were asked by other clubs to perform outside of the church, including secular music. They performed popular show tunes from shows such as Oklahoma and South Pacific. For one show she was asked by the Mother's Club to perform a solo as Sophie Tucker. It was a hit. Mary was predeceased by her parents Guiseppe Antonio and Angela (Carlozzi) Vitullo, both originally of Montagano, Campobasso, Molise, Italy; her loving husband of 56 years, Rosario (Roy) Cirincione and her brother Anthony Vitullo of Jefferson Hills, PA. She is survived by children, Christina Burk, Donna Rae Cirincione, Mark Cirincione and Joanne Cirincione; grandchildren James B Burk Jr., Emily Yutzy, Joseph M. Cirincione, Daniel C. Cirincione, Carissa Cirincione King; great-grandchildren Davis Cirincione, Ethan Cirincione, Hayden Yutzy, McKenzie Cirincione, Elijah Cirincione, Nolan Yutzy and Cash Cirincione Visitation and funeral mass will be held Tuesday January 26th 10:00 am at St. Phillip Benizi Roman Catholic Church in Jonesboro, GA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Social Justice Ministry at St. Phillip Benizi, 591 Flint River Road, Jonesboro, GA 30238. Website: www.stphilipbenizi.org. Send condolences at www.FordStewartFuneralHome.com.

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Mary Joanna Cirinione

April 10, 1925 - January 17, 2016