Marie Antoinette Rochette's Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Marie Antoinette Rochette, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, auntie, and dear friend to many, affectionately called GrandMarie or Auntie Marie. Marie's parents were born in Milan, Italy, where they had met as children. Both of their families relocated with 13 siblings to Boston, where they were reunited and ultimately married. They had 3 children, Marie being the youngest. She was born on September 2, 1937, and she lived 87 wonderful years, blessed with an abundance of love from our traditionally large Roman Catholic family. As a child, Marie had a strong affection for injured and abandoned animals and earned the Italian nickname "Mama de Gat," meaning Mother of Cats. As she grew older, her love and compassion for the needy developed into a lifetime of contributions to dozens of nonprofit organizations and advocating for abandoned and neglected elderly. Marie graduated from Boston Business School, but she began her career in St. Petersburg, where she moved to join her sister's family and their 5 children. Soon after, she and her parents built a home large enough to accommodate us and her parents, as is traditionally done in Italy.
With her remarkable business skills, she was hired as the office manager at Belcher & Associates in DTSP, where she worked for 33 years until her husband was diagnosed with ALS. She retired early to care for him at home.
Marie immediately became an advocate for ALS patients and their surviving families. Prior to that, Marie advocated for the American Heart Association while caring for her youngest daughter born with a congenital heart defect. Marie's relentless nurturing, her dedication, compassion, and her bravery during the early development of open heart surgery in the sixties enabled her daughter to live a full life. After her husband passed, Marie chose to go back to work in a position in which she could help the elderly. She then worked another 27 years until she was 84, as the afternoon office manager of a five-star assisted living facility, where she advocated for the elderly that were neglected and abandoned by their families. She enriched so many lives throughout those years by sharing her love with the residents & patients individually, and by encouraging them all to come out of their isolated rooms, and gather in the lobby after dinner for socializing or movie nights which enabled them to live the rest of their days happily with their new found family. She received 3 "Employee of the Year" awards for her extraordinary compassion and good deeds. Marie continued to rescue animals throughout her life.
Proceeded in joining the Lord: mother and father, Ambrose and Carla Torelli, husband Lovie Victor Moran in 1979, husband Lee Rochette 1990, and brother Emil Torelli in 2020 RIP with the Lord Our Father.
Survived by her 2 beloved daughters... Lovie Victoria Hudson, and Michelle Elizabeth Brown & husband, Ralph Thomas Brown, 2 grandchildren... Justin Thomas Brown, and Kaley Elizabeth Reaume & husband Nick Reaume, 3 great-grandchildren... Maverick Carter Brown, Bowie Phoenix Brown, Stella Elizabeth Reaume, her big sister... Elizabeth "Betty" Veleno, and her beloved nieces and nephews... Michele Russell, Marcy Marks, Carla Hoehn, Christopher Veleno, Tina Peacock, Joyce Torelli, Mark Torelli, Robert Torelli, Lisa Torelli, and their children and grandchildren.
Mass will be held in Marie's honor on March 26th at 2:00 p.m. at: Cathedral of St Jude the Apostle:
5815 5th Ave N
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
Flowers may be shipped to:
Memorial Park Funeral Home:
5750 49th St N
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Reception 3:15 p.m., directly following the Mass
Taverna Costale
200 Central Ave, Suite 165
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
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