Mary Turella's Obituary
Mary Margaret Dowd Turella, passed away October 25, 2023, surrounded by family, after a brief illness. Born in 1938 to Richard and Helen (née McKeever) Dowd in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mary moved to Cleveland, OH, as a little girl. She was the eldest of 5 siblings: brothers Richard (Peggy), the late James, and Robert (Kim), and sister Rita Dowd-Mikolajczyk (Sigmund).
Mary attended St. James School (Lakewood). She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1956 and Ursuline College in 1960 with a degree in English and History.
Her first teaching job was at Wilbur Wright Junior High School in Cleveland. She married fellow teacher, Peter Turella, in 1968, and the couple had 3 children: Michael, Gina, and Diana.
For a while, Mary stayed home to raise her children but went back to teaching in the early 1980s when her husband, Pete, became ill. He passed away in 1986. Mary worked first at North Royalton High School and then at the “new” North Royalton Middle School, where she remained until her retirement at the age of 70.
Mary loved to read and could tear through books at lightning speed. She enjoyed planning and hosting dinners and parties, but most of all, she loved spending time with her family and friends. She had a deep faith and shared her faith generously with everyone.
Mary is survived by her children and her nieces and nephews, Mark, Joseph, and Gina Turella; Richard, Brian (Christina), and Cianne Dowd; and Rachel, Joseph (Andrea), and Joshua Mikolajczyk; sister-in-law to Joanne Sommers; great aunt to many and “Gram” to her grand cats Charlotte and Georgie.
Family and friends may gather at Sunset Chapel, 6245 Columbia Road, North Olmsted, OH, from 3:00 - 7:00 PM on Friday, November 3. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Matthias the Apostle Church in Parma, OH, 1200 West Sprague Road, Parma, OH, 44134, on Saturday, November 4, at 11:00 AM.
Donations may be made in her name to the Fr. John Viall Tuition Assistance Fund at St. Albert the Great Elementary School in North Royalton, OH.
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