Marie E. Tavani

Marie E. Tavani

Maria "Marie" E. Innocenzi Tavani, 86, of Erie, passed away peacefully in the loving presence of her daughter and granddaughter on Sunday, January 3, 2021 at Sarah Reed Senior Living following a brief illness. She was born in Erie, PA October 16, 1934, a daughter of the late Michele and Esterina Roselli Innocenzi.

Marie graduated from Strong Vincent High School, where she was a member of the Girl's Chorus, the A-Cappella Choir, and sang in a trio with Nancy and Dolores Fabrizi. In addition, she was a member of the Honor Society and was voted prom queen of the 1952 graduating class.

After high school, she was employed by GTE, then Copes-Vulcan Inc. in the accounting department until 1961. Later, she worked at TagWay shoes, J.C. Penney, Sears and then at Halle's Furnishings in the West Erie Plaza. She retired from Kaufman's Department Store, where she excelled at sales in the shoe department, after 13 years. She had many loyal customers.

Marie was a gifted singer, who performed with several Erie orchestras/bands, including Les Sarr's Orchestra, the Haener Brothers, Tom Jordano's Orchestra and the Sammy Richards band. She was asked to sing at many weddings. Marie also enjoyed singing with the Our Lady of Peace choir. In addition, she was a member of the "Angels of the Rosary," praying for many causes. Playing the piano was a favorite pastime, which she later enjoyed with her granddaughter. Among her many talents, Marie was a contributing writer for the Erie Times News. She also loved gardening and was a member of the Erie Garden Club. She especially loved roses, of which she had every color in her beautiful backyard garden.

Above everything, Marie cherished her family and cooking delicious Italian Sunday dinners for them. She helped her children in any way she could and adored her grandchildren, relishing the many hours spent, playing games, cooking and attending church services with them at Our Lady of Peace. Annual vacations to Palm Coast and Orlando, Florida were anticipated greatly. Italy was a favorite destination, where she enjoyed reuniting with family in L'Aquila, the province of the Abruzzo region. She included children and grandchildren on these breathtaking tours of our ancestor's birthplace. During the summer, the grandchildren enjoyed swimming in Na Na and Pa Pa's backyard pool.

Marie's spirit will always be carried in the hearts of her loved ones. Before she became ill, Marie sang "Oh, Holy Night" at the Sara Reed Christmas dinner, still singing with perfect pitch and tone. The residents applauded enthusiastically. Heaven, now has another beautiful songbird. Marie is finally reunited with her siblings, parents, in-laws and friends. They will enjoy that angelic voice that we will miss dearly.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Lino and John Innocenzi; and her sisters, Margaret Salchli, Val Gallo, and Helen Marasco.

Marie is survived by her husband of 62 years, Robert A. Tavani; her daughters, Michelle Tavani (Rick Scantlebury) and Marie Tavani; her sons, Robert Tavani and Michael Tavani; and her grandchildren, Alicia, Lorenzo, Isaiah, Noah, Michael and Dominic Tavani. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Peace Church, 2401 West 38th Street, on Friday at 10:00 am. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Attendees are required to wear masks and abide by social distancing standards. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed on the funeral home's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/orlandofuneralhome. Memorials may be made by donating to any of the following: Toys for Tots, The Salvation Army, Mother Teresa Academy, and the American Heart Association.

Marie's family would like to thank the staff at Sarah Reed Senior Living for the exceptional care they provided her during her time there.