Mary E (Malezija) Mandzok

Mary Emma Mandzok (Malezija) of Monessen, age 93, passed away in her sleep at Thorpe’s Personal Care in Charleroi on Sunday, January 25, 2015 from complications of the flu. She was born February 4, 1921, a daughter of the late Anna (Neral) and Michael Malezija. Besides her parents, she is preceded in death by her brothers Joseph and Michael Malezija; her sister Emma (Malezija) Magaruh; her first husband John “Dubby” Matush, who passed away in 1963; her second husband George Mandzok, who passed away in 1993; and her daughter Diane (Matush) Carmella, who passed away in 2010. Mary graduated from Monessen High School in 1939. During the World War II period, she worked at Corning Glass in Charleroi before marrying and having children. She was a longtime member of Epiphany of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church in Monessen, as well as the Croatian Ladies Auxiliary and Croatian Fraternal Union Lodge 194, where she was a 50-year honoree. She was very proud of her Croatian heritage and had fond memories of her travels to the former Yugoslavia in the mid-1980s with the St. George Junior Tamburitzans of Cokeburg. On her 90th birthday, friends and family surprised her with a celebration at Rego’s Restaurant, which was one of the many highlights of her life. She led a long and full life, yet lived simply and encouraged others “not to sweat the small stuff.” She will be greatly missed by her surviving family of whom include her son John (Cathy) Matush of Monongahela; granddaughters Lindsy (Jason) Kollar of Bridgeville and Amy (David) Lieber of Potomac, Maryland; and stepchildren Barbara Ann and Betty Jean. Also surviving are five great grandchildren Grace, Jackson, Piper, Austin and Owen, who affectionately referred to her as “GG”; eight great step-grandchildren; and several great great step-grandchildren. Friends will be received from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 28 at Robert A. Billick Funeral Home Inc., 1415 Marion Avenue, Monessen. Departing prayers will begin at 9:30 am on Thursday followed by a 10 am Funeral Mass in the Epiphany of Our Lord Roman Catholic Church. Interment will follow in Grandview Cemetery in Monessen. For those unable to attend, condolences can be sent at www.billicksfuneralhome.com.