Mary Begasse (nee Petracca) peacefully passed away Wednesday, Dec. 8th at the age of 74. Mary grew up in Rutherford and was the oldest of three children of Louise Romano and Carmine Petracca.
She graduated from Rutherford High School in 1965 and went on to receive a nursing degree from Clara Maass in 1968. She met her future husband, John Begasse, whom she married in 1969 and raised two children. She retired from nursing in 1998 after a rich and extensive career that she found rewarding. She was a generous, caring and compassionate friend, wife and mother who enjoyed writing, scrapbooking and she was very active in championing for the underserved and less fortunate.
In her parish life, she was the leader, the conveyor and the guiding light of every gathering. Her wisdom and caring enriched family and friends. As a parishioner of St. Philomena’s parish, she was an active volunteer in Sharing, a ministry to those who were homebound, ill and in need of help. She would often visit parishioners, brought them communion and drove them to doctor appointments or food shopping. Her willing spirit and nursing background were a gift to all.
She is survived by her loving husband, John Begasse, her children Carolyn Knapp and Jim Begasse and her beloved grandchildren, Tyler and Ashley.
A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate her life will be on Saturday, December 18th at 11 a.m. at St. Philomena’s Church in Livingston.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Feed the Children at www.feedthechildren.org