Maria "Marie" Axton

1948 - 2025

Maria "Marie" (nee Okal) Axton

October 19, 1948 - May 16, 2025

Maria "Marie" Axton (nee Okal) 76, of Port Byron, N.Y., peacefully passed away surrounded by her family on Friday, May 16, 2025, at Auburn Community Hospital. Marie was born on Tuesday, October 19, 1948, in Germany to Frank and Justina Okal of Lemkivshchena, Ukraine. Marie and her family arrived in the United States in 1950 and lived in Passaic, N.J., for 15 years before moving to their dairy farm located in Weedsport, N.Y.

Being the oldest of five children, Marie often assisted her parents with many of the household tasks, like bailing hay, operating tractors, taking great care of her younger siblings, and waking up before sunrise and the school day to feed the farm animals. Marie graduated from Weedsport Central High School in 1966 and received her degree in Cosmetology from the Richard Deto School of Cosmetology at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES after high school. On January 17, 1970, she married Earl R. Axton at S.S. Peter and Paul Church in Auburn, N.Y., and the couple were blessed with 49 years of marriage before the passing of Earl in November of 2019.

Marie worked at General Electric located on West Genesee Street Rd., completed data entry when working for the Marshall Companies, and used her background in Cosmetology to style hair on the side, all before opening up her private housekeeping business.

Marie's loved ones would describe her as being extraordinarily determined and headstrong, but also as a wonderful caretaker, making her your quintessential Eastern European woman. Whether she was stepping in as a second mother to her siblings, looking after her own children, or being a to her grandchildren, Marie consistently put the children's needs before her own at every point in her life.

If you saw Marie in person, she was probably gardening at her house in her one-inch kitten heels or catching a good sale at Ollie's Bargain Outlet, but if not, you definitely would have connected with her virtually through the Facebook platform, where she was very active and made hilarious posts that never failed to give you a good laugh. She was known for her voluminous '70's curls, her long red or hot pink nails that were somehow always perfectly painted, her buttery mashed potatoes that she brought to every family gathering, and her "boxed" chocolate cake that never tasted as good even if you purchased the exact kind.

Marie was predeceased by her father, Frank Okal in 1998; her mother, Justina Okal in 2010; her husband, Earl Axton in 2019; her niece, Natalie Chmilar in 2006; and her nephew, Michael Caruana in 2006.

Marie is survived by her three sisters: Irene (Joseph) Caruana, Anna (Eugene) Danyluk, Olga (Jerry) Gulkewycz; her brother, Nick (Lesya) Okal; her two sons, David (Robin) Axton and Timothy (Juliann) Axton; her six grandchildren: Cierra (Timothy) Short, Sydney (Jenna) Kiskiel, Talia, Reeve, Leighton, and Timothy Axton Jr.; her great-grandchildren, Macie and Asher Short; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Friends are invited to calling hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Friday, May 23, 2025, at the Plis Funeral Home, 220 State St., Auburn, N.Y. Graveside services for the family will be held at 11 a.m., on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in the Weedsport Rural Cemetery, E Brutus St., Weedsport, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society (donate by visiting donate.cancer.org or by calling 1-800-227-2345,) to help fund research for lung cancer.

"May the earth rest lightly upon you, eternal memory, and God bless Ukraine."

To leave a message or condolence go to www.plisfuneralhome.com.