Mary Verni
Mary Louise Verni, 79, of Rye, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and friend, died peacefully in her sleep on July 28, 2018.
Born in the Bronx, to Andrew and Mary (Tileston) LaSala on February 15, 1939, she grew up in the Dunwoodie section of Yonkers. While attending Sacred Heart High School, she met the love of her life, Vito Verni, in 1954. After graduating in 1957, she attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School where she was president of her class.
Mary LaSala and Vito Verni were married on June 24, 1961 at St. John the Baptist Church in Yonkers. After a brief honeymoon, they were stationed around the country while Mr. Verni was in the Army. They eventually returned to Yonkers and Mary’s happiest days were being the proud mother of three sons, John, Paul, and Chris.
Full of life, Mrs. Verni had an infectious personality and a great love of people. She was an active participant in her sons’ education and schools, as well as a dedicated volunteer in numerous community organizations and received many honors. Among the organizations closest to her heart were Iona Preparatory School, Iona Grammar School, the Paul Verni Fine Arts Center, Dr. Brian Druker and his leukemia research center in Oregon, Sacred Heart High School, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Highbridge Voices, and the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. A lifelong lover of cats, she was also a supporter of the Humane Society of Westchester and Pet Rescue. She was also a member of Westchester Country Club.
Generous to those in need, Mary Verni touched so many people with her kindness. She was blessed with friends who enriched her life as she did theirs. While she struggled with the great loss of her son Paul to leukemia, she appreciated how precious life was and regularly reminded friends and family to “treasure the moments”. In her later years, she treasured her role as a grandmother and was the number one fan of all seven grandchildren, present at every milestone and cheering loudly from the stands.
In addition to her devoted husband of 57 years, Vito Verni, she is survived by her sons, John and Chris, daughters-in-law Karina and Kate, and grandchildren: John Jr., Marielle, Paul, Charlie, Zoe, Nick, and Alex. She is also survived by her siblings Stephen LaSala (Joan), Paula Lefebvre (David), and Andrew LaSala (Diane).
A funeral mass was held August 2 at Resurrection Church in Rye.
Donations in Mary Verni’s memory may be made to the Paul Verni Arts Center at Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle.
