Mary Gagliano

Mary Gagliano, nee Bondi, age 97, of Schaumburg, found peace on August 7, 2018 while surrounded by her family, friends and caregivers. Beloved wife of the late Dominic; loving mother of Joseph (Kathleen), Thomas (Rita), Dominic (Mariyan), John (Beth) and James; cherished grandmother of 10 and great grandmother of 12; dearest sister of the late Joseph (the late Kay) Bondi and stepsister of Frank (Nancy) and Paul (Mary) Alongi; fond aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Mary will always be remembered for her amazing cooking and baking, especially her lemon cookies, biscotti and chocolate spice cookies. She loved to collect recipes, cutting them out from newspapers, magazines and any other possible place where a recipe might be found. One could find a saved recipe in any nook or cranny of her home including under the kitchen placemats. In her younger years, Mary enjoyed sewing. She loved the casino, mostly playing the slot machines and was a skilled Keno player, a game she greatly enjoyed. Mary was extremely social and was adored by everyone she knew and met. So much so, that even the nurses she befriended along her journey continued to visit her at other facilities as her healthcare needs transitioned. Mary never wavered in her extraordinary faith and never wasted an opportunity to use her considerable wit. She was an undeniable force as a woman, wholly dedicated to the joy of family life and generously shared her secret to a long life: Be kind and live one day at a time.

Visitation Thursday, August 9th, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Salerno’s Rosedale Chapels, 450 W. Lake St., Roselle. Friends and family will meet at Church of the Holy Spirit, 1451 Bode Rd., Schaumburg on Friday, August 10th from 9:30 a.m. until time of Funeral Mass at 10:00 a.m. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mary’s favorite charity in her memory, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607 or www.mercyhome.org. Info., 630-889-1700 or www.salernofuneralhomes.com.