Mary Louise (Lucci) Gaspar “Holiday Lady” of Cleveland, OH and formerly of Wheeling, WV, passed away Thursday, March 30, 2017 at Fairview Hospital/Cleveland Clinic.
She was born June 5, 1932 in Wheeling, a daughter of the late Chester J. and Susan B. (Bushovisky) Lucci.
Mary Louise was a graduate of West Liberty State College. She taught elementary school and Spanish in Wheeling and Cleveland and she was a member of St. Stevens Catholic Church. Several years ago Mary Louise experienced a life changing understanding of volunteerism while working with Hospice. She was deeply moved as she witnessed volunteers giving time, talent, compassion, support their hearts and spirits to benefit others. She resigned from many of her social activities and joined a group of entrepreneurial women who did surveys of new products and donated a portion of the profits to needy organizations. Two of their favorites were Wounded Warriors and St. Jude. Part of Mary Louise’s job was vetting many, many requests for donations. She and her late husband were world travelers but after his death she preferred to stay near home. Oglebay Resort in Wheeling was the perfect place to renew friendships and make new acquaintances. She spent 90 days a year at the resort, enough to become known as Oglebay’s “Holiday Lady”. She could be reached at HolidayLady@roadrunner.com . Members of the staff and guests became personal friends and she often was invited to weddings, birthdays and anniversaries held at Oglebay.
Mary Louise enjoyed life to the utmost and was thankful for a wonderful husband, family and friends. She stole a phrase from Robin William’s Movie, The Dead Poets Society and Carpe Diem became her mantra. Not only did she seize the day, she squeezed the day! Mary Louise was a member Wheeling Newcomers; past president of Gamma Zeta; Food for Hunger volunteer and volunteered at several churches assisting with transportation of the handicapped to appointments, shopping and etc.
I addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Edmund Gaspar; sister, Betty Lee Rosenberg and her husband John.
Mary Louise is survived by a sister, Sue Daugherty and husband Don of Warwood, WV; two aunts; one uncle; five nieces; five nephews; cuzins by the dozens and eight godchildren including a set of triplets.
Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery.