Obituary of Mary Domingos Villnave

Formerly of Canton- Mary D. Villnave, 96, of Portland, Oregon died peacefully at home Thursday, October 22, 2020 at the age of 96. She was surrounded by loving family members at the time of her passing. She was married to her beloved husband, Keith, for 70 years prior to his passing in 2016. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 11:00 AM in St. Mary’s Church, Canton with Rev. Bryan Stitt as celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Colton. Please practice social distancing and wear a mask. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary’s Church, 66 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617. Mary’s care and arrangements have been entrusted with Lawrence Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Canton. As her family moved across the Northeast she made sure that all of her five children took advantage of what each area had to offer educationally and recreationally from Niagara Falls to the Battle of Saratoga and the Connecticut shore. Mary devoted her life to caring for her family. She made sure she was there to help when each of her seven grandchildren were born. She also spent hours reading to each of her grandchildren when they were young. Her latest joy was her great granddaughter, Adah, who she loved to interact with on video calls. Mary was the voice of reason, keeping a clear head during those times when life is not always easy. Marý had a battle with cancer in the 1970’s which she won. She remained cancer free for the rest of her long life. Mary developed an interest in sports when she was in the Massena High School marching band. She attended all the games and continued to enjoy watching local teams play. This interest continued throughout her life as she thoroughly enjoyed watching football games, and especially the halftime shows. Throughout her life, Mary enjoyed puzzles and was an avid reader. She also enjoyed taking daily walks. More recently, she took particular pleasure in watching the Andy Griffith television program. She never got tired of seeing another episode. She lived a long and full life that mirrored her belief that “your life is what you, yourself, make it”. Mary continued to be a joy to be with during our twice weekly video calls. She was always happy to see all her children, grandchildren, and her great granddaughter as well as other family members that joined in the calls from time to time. She will be deeply missed by all.