Marion Georgianna Tutone, age 99, passed away peacefully on September 8 after a lengthy illness. A significant injury brought her to Applewood and then to Pheasant Wood Nursing Homes where she was cherished by staff as well as her family.
Marion was born in Ozone Park on February 22, 1924, to Michael J. Panzera and Teresa (Geremiah) Panzera. She spent her childhood in Queens, New York, and graduated from St. Mary Gate of Heaven High School. She married John Charles Tutone on January 30, 1944, and together they moved to Hicksville and then Syosset on Long Island. Together, they had two daughters, Johanna Tutone and Catherine A. (Tutone) Gray, and multiple cats including long-lived and well-known and feared Sydney. Marion was very involved with her family and often hosted large family gatherings. When her mother was widowed, Marion welcomed her to come live with the family. Marion worked in retail, first at Gertz and later at Jordan Marsh department stores. She volunteered in her church communities and later assisted her older daughter with catering and projects for her restaurant, Cappy’s Chowder House.
After over twenty years in New York, she and John relocated to Georgia and later to Florida. They always come north for the summer to see family. More recently she moved to Tenants Harbor, Maine with her oldest daughter, dog Scupper, and a wide circle of friends. She loved the frequent lobster bakes they all enjoyed. In 2013, she moved to New Hampshire to be near her younger daughter.
She was predeceased by her husband and oldest daughter, Johanna as well as her parents and three brothers, Anthony, Bob, and Andy. Family members include Cathy Gray and her husband Jim of Peterborough and their three children, Lisa Blatter and husband Kevin of Smithfield, Utah; Matthew Gray and his wife Janette of Smithfield, Utah and Jonathan Gray and his wife Shayne of Franklin, New Hampshire. Marion was great-grandmother to Dillon Blatter, Samantha (Blatter) Johnson, and Morgan Gray. Many nieces and nephews remember her with fondness, especially for holiday gatherings and Italian traditions.
A Funeral Mass will be held on October 2nd at 12:00 PM, 173 Main St. Keene, NH. 03431. With a burial to follow beside her husband and daughter in Riverside Cemetery in Killington, Vermont, a community where her children had lived. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marion’s memory may be made to Cedarcrest, 91 Maple Avenue in Keene, or to St. Bernard’s Church in Keene. All services are under the care of Cheshire Family Funeral Home and Crematories, 46 S. Winchester St. Swanzey, NH. 03446. www.cheshirefamilyfh.com.
