Mary (Gentile) Paoli

WAUSAU, Wis. - Mary (Gentile) Paoli, 97, a lifelong resident of the area passed away on Dec. 28, 2020, at Aspirus Hospital in Wausau. She was born on Nov. 15, 1923, in Hurley, the second oldest of eight siblings to the late Domenic and Ida (Lerza) Gentile.

Mary attended St. Mary's Grade School and graduated from the Lincoln High School in Hurley with the class of 1941. She attended Gogebic Community College when it occupied the top floor of the Luther L. Wright High School.

She held various secretarial positions in the area until she was appointed register-in-probate and court reporter for the Iron County Wisconsin Court. After she left the Iron County Court, she was appointed the first court reporter for the newly established District Court for Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in Michigan in 1969. When she left the District Court, she continued free-lance reporting for the courts in the area and on assignments from the court administrator for the state of Wisconsin.

In June 1969, she married Louis Paoli and they resided in Ironwood. However, they lived many happy summers at their summer home on Thousand Island Lake in Watersmeet, Michigan, a place where she and Louis always cherished the memories of family celebrations and social gatherings with friends. Mary and Louis wintered in the Sarasota-Bradenton area of Florida as "snowbirds" for many years.

Mary was a long-time member of the Gogebic Community College Foundation Board and was honored as an outstanding board member in 2013. She served many years as a member of the Gogebic Community Mental Health Board, and she belonged to P.E.O., the International Philanthropic Educational Organization. She volunteered for the St. Ambrose Women's Society (now Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church) in Ironwood, Michigan, and served on its president. She was a member of the Women's Auxiliary of the Grand View Hospital (now Aspirus Ironwood Hospital), and she was a member of the Legacy of Faith for the Catholic Diocese of Marquette, Michigan.

Mary is survived by stepdaughter, Barbara (David) Patrick; stepdaughters-in-law, Denise Paoli and Linda Paoli; stepgrandchildren, Mark (Terri) Patrick of Austin, Texas, Gregory (Arina) Paoli of Excelsior, Minnesota, Nathan (Sarah) Paoli of Deerfield, Wisconsin, Emily (Joseph) Johnson of New Brighton, Minnesota, Joseph (Tammie) Paoli of Marinette, Wisconsin, and Nicholas Paoli of Ironwood; stepgreat-grandchildren, Hannah Patrick, Rachel Patrick, Louis Max Johnson, Mila Johnson, Vin MarcoPaoli, Louis Lorenzo Paoli, Gabriel Paoli, Victor Paoli and Reese Paoli; sisters-in-law, Margaret Gentile and Sigrid Chambers; nieces and nephews, DebraGentile, Lori (Gerald) Pelissero, Rita (James) Bjork, Annette (Gentile) Thiesfeldt, Gregg (Gina) Gentile, Michael (Linda) Gentile, Marie (Gentile) Perock,Rosana (Kyle) Hehdal, Juliann (Olson) McDonough, Kristina Olson, Ramona Olson, Peri Olson, Andrew Gentile and Kristin Gentile; and great-nieces and great-nephews, Kevin (Laura) Bjork, Michael (Claire) Bjork, Taylor Ann and Caitlyn Olivia Pelissero, Shane and Dana Marie Gulseth, Ryan Waldschmidt, Chelsea, Taylor, Mike and Braylan Ray Gentile, Domenic Anthony, Jacob, Henry and Kaari Bjork, Amber Olson, Angel Erickson, Nicholas McDonough and Lauren Witvoet.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Louis; stepsons, Louis R. and Francis E. Paoli; and siblings, Anthony Gentile, John Gentile, Domenic Gentile, Edda Olson, Dora Gentile, Esther Schiavetti and Eugene Gentile; sister-in-law, Geraldine Gentile; and brothers-in-law, Angelo Schiavetti and Robert Olson.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Adopt-a-Student with Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, the Gogebic Community College Foundation or St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hurley.

The family has chosen McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home of Ironwood to honor Mary's legacy of life. You can leave a condolence or a tribute at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.