Marie Chiarella, a resident of Cleveland, Tennessee, passed away on March 14, 2021, at the age of 97.  

“The best way to describe Marie is that she was a tiny but spunky, talented, and adventurous Italian mama who loved to cook,” said her family. Her famous red sauce, soups, cream puffs, and homemade bread always won accolades.  

She loved life and lived it to the fullest, enjoying dancing with her husband of 52 years, Ralph Chiarella, as well as golf, bowling, and card games.  

Raising her three children in Rye, New York, she worked in the food industry before retiring with her husband to Palm Bay, Florida for fun in the sun. She acquired many new friends through their activities with the Greater Palm Bay Senior Center and the Melbourne Golf Community. As a widow, she lived in Palm Bay, Fla., Evergreen, Colo., and, most recently, Cleveland, where she lived out her last years in assisted living communities.  

Her children and grandchildren will long remember her unconditional love, affection, and dedication to her family. “She gave all her waking hours to the ones she loved, making our hearts warmer and our lives richer in countless ways over her lifetime. She had a smile for everyone and was a determined fighter who survived esophageal cancer and a heart valve replacement.”  

Mrs. Chiarella is survived by her daughter, Bonnie Humphreys of Cleveland, Tenn., her son, Ralph Chiarella of Evergreen; seven grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Her daughter Ginny Guglielmo died in 1993.