MaryAnn LaFera

With overwhelming love and broken hearts, we share that our mother, MaryAnn LaFera, 85, went home to God on November 27, 2025, at 4:08 p.m. She passed peacefully in Jacksonville, Florida, surrounded by her devoted husband of 60 years, her children, and her grandchildren whom she so fiercely and tenderly loved.

Born in Middletown, New York, MaryAnn, daughter of William and Irene Neely, lived her life with a generosity of spirit that wrapped itself around everyone she met. She wasn't just special, she was exceptional. She was the light in every room: warm, funny, comforting, and endlessly welcoming. She had a gift for making people feel instantly at ease, truly seen, and deeply loved, whether you were family, a lifelong friend, or someone who had just walked through her door for the first time.

MaryAnn was a mother in every sense of the word, not only to her own children, but to anyone who needed a soft place to land, a listening ear, or a gentle nudge back toward hope. Her faith was strong and unwavering, lived out in daily acts of kindness, forgiveness, and care. Loving her family was not something she did on the side; it was the center of who she was.

To us, she was home.

She was strength and softness in one breath.

She was the heart of our family, and our dad, Lenny, is the steady glue who held her close as she held all of us.

MaryAnn is survived by her beloved husband of sixty years, Leonard "Lenny" LaFera; their children, Christine Smith (Lloyd Smith), Andrea LaFera Bianco (Salvatore Bianco), Dina LaFera, Rachel LaFera, Seth LaFera (Caitlin LaFera), Nathaniel LaFera (Heather LaFera), and Stephanie LaFera (Brad Driver); her sister, Pat Neely; and nephew, Justin Neely.

She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Benjamin Adam LaFera; her parents, William and Irene Neely; and her brother, Bill Neely; who now welcome her home.

She leaves behind her cherished grandchildren, Felice, Carmen, Carrie, Tina, Fausto, Gabrielle, Sascha, Dominic, Vincent, Mila, Ellie, Leonardo, Vera, and Mazzy, plus a beautiful circle of great-grandchildren, each of whom knew, in their own way, that they were her favorite. She is also survived by extended family and countless friends whose lives were forever shaped by her open heart, wise counsel, and unconditional love.

We will be holding a private family service, with a celebration of her life to follow at a later date. When we gather, we will tell her stories, share her laughter, remember her faith, and honor the love she gave so freely and without measure.

We will miss her every day, in the big milestones and in the small, ordinary moments she made sacred and special.