Mafalda “Mickey” Marincola of Bowie, Maryland, died suddenly but peacefully on Monday, February 25, 2019. She was 91 years old. She was the youngest daughter of Elisabetta Copertino (deceased 1939) and Sabato D’Amore (deceased 1928).
Mickey was born on June 15, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After her mother died, she and her sister Jennie (deceased 2009) moved to Ambler and lived with her sister Vi (deceased 2001) and her husband Joseph Mastro Sr. (deceased 1982). She proudly graduated from Ambler High School in 1944. On her nineteenth birthday, she married Dominic Marincola (deceased 1986). They had two children, a son Gregory (deceased 2017) and a daughter Dian. Mickey moved to Cary, North Carolina in 1989 to be closer to Vi and Jennie and her husband, John Rawling. In 1994, she married Jack E. Joyce. Due to health concerns, in 2011 she moved to Bowie to live with her daughter.
Mickey loved to read, cook, work crossword puzzles and cryptograms, and–much to the chagrin of her family–sing. She had an assorted collection of angel objects and was known to wear multiple decorative angel pins on her clothes at any given time. When her great nephews were very young, they called her “the kissy lady” because she always left lipstick stains on their cheeks after they had said their goodbyes. Her son called her “twinkle toes” because she liked to wear outlandish and very colorful socks. Kate, whom she loved like a daughter, called her a “formidable force of nature.”
Prima la famiglia (family first) was her motto and the filter through which she viewed the world. She was blessed in that the shape of her family adjusted as she traveled through the ebbs and flows of her life’s journey. She is survived by her daughter, Dian Marincola and partner Joni Berman of Bowie, MD; great granddaughter, Scarlett; “grandkids” Mandy, Ali, Kevin, and Jon; and niece Georgeanne Mastro, great niece Lisa Horan, and great great nephews, Griffin, Ryan, and Nathan, of Orlando, FL. Other family members reside in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas, Florida, and New Jersey.
The family wishes to thank Ose and Julie from her Brightstar family who tended to her care for many years. We will miss the daily “Alleluia” chorus and conga line performances. They would also like to thank the doctors and nurses at Anne Arundel Medical Center, who showed extraordinary kindness and compassion during her final hours. Thank you Bowie Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad for your rapid responses over the years.
A private burial will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at St. Matthew’s Cemetery in Conshohocken, PA.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Habitat for Humanity. Having a place to call home was very important to Mickey.
The family will be hosting a Celebration of Mickey’s Life and Pizza (her favorite food) Party on Saturday, March 16, 2019. This will also be a virtual event and invite you to take your family out for pizza sometime during that day and post pictures and comments on our Facebook page. Mickey would be happy about everyone spending time with their family.
