Mary Anne Pietroburgo, nee McGovern, 89, of Belleville, IL, born October 7, 1935, in Coral Gables, FL, died peacefully on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Memorial Hospital East, Shiloh, IL.
Mary Anne was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She grew up as the daughter of a Coast Guard pilot, spending her youth in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Hawaii.
Following marriage, she moved to St. Louis and then Belleville, where she raised her five children. She served as the school secretary for Signal Hill Grade School where her gift for guidance touched the lives of children and families for 28 years. She was a member of St. Teresa’s Catholic Church.
In her later years, Mary Anne volunteered at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, served as a St. Clair County election judge, cultivated her love of gardening through the Collinwood Garden Club, and enjoyed attending any athletic event of her children and grandchildren.
Mary Anne was a joyful person who had an optimistic outlook on life. She spent her life in dedication to her family – as the enduring inspiration to her husband through his career pursuits in the military, at college, as a corporate manager and then as a small business owner; as the persistent push to her children in their athletic, school and career endeavors; and as the loving core of a close-knit family with enduring familial bonds.
Mary Anne’s greatest pleasure came through family gatherings which oftentimes boasted over 50 in attendance. She set the bar high for herself and her family members, encouraged all with an unwavering sincerity and directness, and took great pride in what her loved ones accomplished. Mary Anne also will be remembered by many for her adventurous spirit and her willingness to travel to new destinations and try new activities well into her later years. People were drawn to Mary Anne’s energy, good humor, and tenacity and she will be deeply missed by a wide circle of family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Lt. Cmdr. Gerald E. and Mildred M., nee Gordon, McGovern; and her two sisters, Geraldine (Michael) Rokos and Margaret (Robert) Baeyen.
Surviving are her loving husband of 70 years, Jasper “Jay” Pietroburgo, whom she married on September 11, 1954; her five children, Robert A. (Julie) Pietroburgo, Julia A. (Robert) Overstreet, John J. (Sandra) Pietroburgo, James T. (Sheila) Pietroburgo, and William J. (Lola) Pietroburgo; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law; and many dear nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Boys Town, Salvation Army, or St. Teresa Catholic Church. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.rennerfh.com.
Visitation: Friends may visit from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Belleville, IL, and from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, January 9, 2025, at St. Teresa Catholic Church, Belleville, IL.
Funeral: A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 9, 2025, at St. Teresa Catholic Church, Belleville, IL.
