Mary Ann (Fazzone) Ricciuti

Mary Ann (Fazzone) Ricciuti (February 23, 1934 – May 5, 2026), who affected eternity as our family’s educator and matriarch, passed peacefully in the Month of the Blessed Mother Mary.

Born of an agricultural family – Rosalia (Casertano) and Anthony Fazzone of Cheshire – Mary Ann, at the age of ten, required revolutionary heart surgery to extend her life. The experience extended her intellectual desires, as Mary Ann embraced science, mathematics, history, and most particularly the written word.

Mary Ann attended Vassar College and then, on Rotary and Fulbright Scholarships, studied in Asia and Europe. Mary Ann returned to Connecticut and pursued her greatest joy, Teaching, with education positions at Cheshire, Meriden, and Hamden schools and Sunday School at Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish.

After the birth of her children, Mary Ann partnered with her husband, Louis Anthony Ricciuti, in the ownership and operation of English Furniture of Hamden for over 30 years. Because of her cognitive drive, Mary Ann studied interior design and finance to better serve as both the Chief Design and Operating Officer for the business. Her (then) young children often found themselves on “field trips” to design centers in Boston and New York.

But Mary Ann always remained an educator. Even family vacations presented opportunities for Mary Ann to teach her children – such as excursions to Hyde Park, Mount Vernon, Washington D.C., Williamsburg, and the Kennedy Library. Mary Ann’s own personal library spilled throughout her home, with Doris Kearns Goodwin biographies in piles with the Sunday New York Times, Traditional Home magazine, and the Catholic Transcript.

And because of her love of the written word, Mary Ann – even though a non-smoker -- entered a contest to generate an advertising campaign for Virginia Slims cigarettes – and placed well, with an ironic prize of an annual supply of Slims.

But, most importantly to us, Mary Ann was Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Mary Ann. Her selflessness extended to cooking and baking for anyone and everyone, including her father, Anthony, who would arrive at Mary Ann’s kitchen with unusual requests, including rabbit and venison. We will forever cherish our quietly graceful Matriarch and Summer Sundays at Grandma’s House, with the smell of waffles, sweet butter rolls, lemonade, and blackened chicken and hot dogs, all at the orchestration of Mary Ann.

Mary Ann is deeply loved by her family: her son, Louis Ricciuti, and partner, Jesica Wardwell, of West Hartford; her son, Phillip Ricciuti, of Cheshire; her daughter, Lauren Wegerbauer, and husband, Michael Wegerbauer; her seven grandchildren, Anna, Lia, Nicholas, Bridgette, and Charlotte Ricciuti and Michael and Julia Wegerbauer; her brothers, James Fazzone and Anthony Fazzone; her sisters-in-law, Jean Fazzone, Sally Fazzone, and JeanEmily Penta; and her many nieces and nephews. Mary Ann is predeceased by her husband, Louis, and her brother, Dr. Philip Fazzone.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 12, from 10:00 to 11:30AM at Alderson-Ford Funeral Home, 615 South Main Street, Cheshire, CT. At 11:30AM, procession will proceed to Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish, 175 Main Street, Cheshire, CT, for Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00PM. Burial to follow at Saint Bridget Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make donations to Saint Bridget of Sweden Parish.