Obituary of Mary G. Briggs

MARY G. CASELLA BRIGGS, a lifelong resident of Hackensack, passed away on Thursday, January 12, 2012. Born May 7, 1917, she was the daughter of Salvatore and Lucia D'Amico Casella. She was predeceased by two brothers, Charles Casella and Russell Casella and by two sisters, Anna Mirabella and Josephine Scandura.. Mary attended Hackensack Public Schools and received a two year business degree from Eagan' s Business College. She was a member of Saint Francis Catholic Church in her youth and then Holy Trinity Church when she moved to the Fairmount area of Hackensack. At Holy Trinity Church she was a member of the Rosary Society. Mary started her career with the Army Air Force Inspections at Bendix Aviation in Teterboro. She was then employed by Buckley Dunton in Manhattan as the secretary to the vice president for eight years. Ms. Briggs also worked at Avion Instrument of Paramus and Douglas Personnel in Hackensack. Through the years she held various other positions, the longest being with Financial Services Inc. in Glen Rock where she was a Personal Manager for twenty five years before retiring. During Mary's career years she made many lifelong friends who are saddened at her passing. Mary traveled extensively, especially to Italy, Europe, Asia, and South America and enjoyed ballooning and safaris in Africa. She was very active with and a member of the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera (NJAVO) for the past eighteen years. Ms. Briggs was the former President of the Italian Folk Assemble, " I'Ricordi" and a Board Member of the Italian Folk Art Federation of America. Mary was a devoted aunt and was very much loved. She is survived by her many nieces and nephews, Salvatore Mirabella and his wife Catherine of Hillsdale, Theresa Gill and her husband Charles of Mahwah, Sanford Zorn of South Carolina, husband of the late Lucille Casella, Joseph Casella and his wife Linda of Manasquan, and Russell Casella and his wife Joyce of California, Lucille Way of Houston, Josephine Scandura of Phoenix, Arizona, wife of the late Phil, as well as 37 nieces and nephews and 28 great nieces and nephews. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 17th, at 10:00 AM at Holy Trinity R. C. Church, 34 Maple Avenue, Hackensack with burial following at St. Joseph's Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday from 2 - 4 and 7 - 9 PM. The family prefers that in lieu of flowers, you honor her memory with a memorial donation to NJAVO, PO Box 3024, Fort Lee, NJ 07024.