Mary Trieste McNaughton

Mary McNaughton Obituary

Mary Trieste McNaughton

July 14, 1952 - April 8, 2023

WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA - Mary Trieste McNaughton, beloved mother, sister, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2023, at the age of 70. Mary was born on July 14, 1952, to her parents Robert and Rosemary Trieste in New York City, NY.

Mary was a devoted mother to her two children: Kerry and Matthew; and a loving grandmother to her three grandchildren: Noah, Magnolia, and Vincent. Her family was her pride and joy. Mary was also a loving sister to Joan Trieste, Nancy Farina, Elaine Delaney, James Trieste, and Kathleen Del Grande. She was predeceased by her brother, Robert Trieste, who passed away in 1977.

Mary was a funny, warm, smart, loving sister, and her siblings will miss her dearly.

Mary worked for 25 years as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in Napa, CA, where she was highly respected and admired by her colleagues and clients.

Mary will be remembered for her warm personality, her quick wit, and her unwavering kindness and love. She touched the lives of many people throughout her life, and her legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.

A private funeral service will be held for Mary's immediate family.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Napa Valley Register on Apr. 16, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Mary McNaughton

4 Entries

Christine Chapdelaine and Family

April 17, 2023

Christine Chapdelaine and Family

April 17, 2023

Christine Chapdelaine and Family

April 17, 2023

Christine Chapdelaine and Family

April 17, 2023

Mary McNaughton and her family entered our lives when they moved to Napa, and Matt was enrolled in our son's 2nd grade classroom. Little did we know at the time that we were about to embrark on a roller coaster ride with Mary leading the way!
Through sports, cub scouts, school & community activities, and birthday & neighborhood parties, our 2 families became good friends. Together Matt and Joey were always involved in mud football down at the school, all manner of sports, Pinewood Derby racing, birthday parties & gingerbread house making, battling friends on the lawn with their blow up bats at Alta Heights' Harvest Festival. The boys would rush home to report any vandalism they witnessed at their beloved school. Mary happily stood on the sidelines rooting for all the kids, not just her own. In his freshman year, Joey played in the Napa High band, Mary joined us in the stands to support him. All the kids look alike in their uniforms, but Mary was quick to find Joey for me! I'm not sure I would have otherwise spied him.

A devoted and loving mom, there was no mountain too high to climb to support and enrich her children's lives. Lucky indeed was the classroom and teacher who had Mary as Kerry's & Matt's classroom room mother. Mary Trieste was a single parent, yet she worked tirelessly to support the students and classrooms at Alta Height's School. She used her lunch hours, evenings, and weekends to elicit & collect raffle or silent auction items, or do whatever was necessary to improve her community.

For those who don't know, she devoted herself to the Napa Valley Education Foundation, not just fundraising, but also sitting on their school and classroom grant committee, working hard into the evenings to evaluate applications. Those who worked with her know she worked harder than anyone else to make things happen for the children of the valley. Our entire education system and school children benefitted greatly during the Mary McNaughton era. I have often wondered if Mary ever truly knew how much we appreciated her efforts and how many people even knew of them.

On a personal note, whenever I had a difficult store return issue, Mary would throw me in her car and race to the store. She had no time to waste, breaking the speed limit while navigating rush hour traffic as if on our way to a fire, while at the same time reaming out anyone who dared get in her way! I held onto my hat & carefully buckled myself into her rig whenever I went for spin with Mary. (Many of you know exactly what I mean!) Arriving at customer service, Mary would put on her New York City attitude, both sweet talking and alternately applying pressure to resolve the issue to my satisfaction. A numbers whiz, Mary also assisted me with yearly taxes, applying for college grants and assistance. I marveled at how quickly she could wade thru the hoops and satisfy our family financial needs.

That being said, at Morgan Stanley Mary had an uncanny ability to simply financial matters and with great empathy discern a customer's needs. I witnessed her in action with her Morgan Stanley clients: she exactly what to say and how to direct them to just the right investments. Mary indeed had many happy & loyal clients, including many of our neighbors & friends.

A lover of beautiful things, Mary Trieste took great joy in my garden flowers. I always knew when she was expecting company: she'd wonder over while I was gardening and begin to gush over my efforts. It wasn't long before she had her home filled with her favorite sweet smelling flowers. It brought me joy as well, knowing I was able to give back in some small way. Hoping she would know how much we loved her, our bocce team organized a 60th birthday party for her with a 50's theme for her birth year. Judging by her smiles, I'd say mission accomplished!

Of all the wonderful memories of Mary and her family, one stands out above the others. Mary & Matt joined my family on a hike to the top of Montecito Blvd to toast the first day of the 2000 millennium. It was not just a toast for the new century, but also a toast to friendship and great memories made and in anticipation of new ones surely to come. While memories were cut short with her move to Washington state and illness, she leaves behind a lifetime of great fond memories for both us and Matt & Kerry. We miss you, Mary!

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