Mary Ellen DiMarzio, 96, Avid Fan of Astronomy
Mary Ellen DiMarzio, age 96, of North Ridgeville, and formerly of Lorain, passed away peacefully at the Avenue of North Ridgeville on the afternoon of Sunday August 17, 2025 following a period of declining health.
Mary Ellen was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 23, 1929 and grew up in Swissvale, Pennsylvania; she was a 1947 graduate of Swissvale High School.
She relocated to Ohio in 1955 and had been a resident of Lorain County ever since. She was a long-time parishioner of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church as well as its successor parish – St Frances Xavier Cabrini in Lorain. She had been employed as a sales associate and customer care specialist at the Hills Department Store formerly located on Grove Avenue in South Lorain for a number of years prior to her retirement.
An avid fan of astronomy, Mary Ellen found relaxation in solving jigsaw, crossword, and word search puzzles. She was also an accomplished baker who looked forward to each October when she began preparing and crafting various types of cookies for Christmas enjoyment.
She is survived by her daughters Cynthia DiMarzio of North Ridgeville, Monica Hunt (Rick) of Weeki Wachi, Florida, along with Marcia Szep and Jessica T. DiMarzio both of Lorain, and Mary Jo Strickland (Charles) of Olmsted Falls. She also leaves fifteen grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren.
Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her husband Robert V. DiMarzio in 2009, daughter Rebecca DiMarzio in 2020, son-in-law Timothy Szep in 2020, father Donald J. Mancen, mother Helen Mancen (nee Aufinger) and sisters Joanna Huck and Rosemarie Giampolo.
Visitation will be observed Friday from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. in the Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel – 3224 Broadway, Lorain, Funeral services will take place Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the funeral chapel. Reverend Neil Walters, Pastor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish will officiate. Burial will follow in Ridge Hill Memorial Park, Amherst Township.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in Mary Ellen’s memory to Our Lady of the Wayside – 38023 Colorado Avenue, Avon, OH 44011.
To share your memories and condolences with Mary Ellen’s family, please visit her tribute page at www.gluvnashimohromada.com.