Mary Mae Chiarenza

1932 - 2023

Mary Mae Chiarenza
May 31, 1932 - October 7, 2023
Mary Mae Chiarenza passed away peacefully at home on October 7, 2023, at the age of 91.
Mary Mae (as she was affectionately called) was proud to be a native San Franciscan of Sicilian heritage, born and raised in North Beach at the corner of Hyde and North Point. Her early jobs were at Safeway and Planters Peanuts, but she also worked many years in local department stores like USE, GET and Emporium Stonestown.
Mary Mae loved to cook for family. Her specialties were pasta and meatballs, fried chicken, enchiladas and homemade pizza. She also enjoyed family getaways to hit the slot machines in South Lake Tahoe.
Family was the most important thing to Mary Mae. When her mother, Lena, was diagnosed with cancer, Mary spent countless hours caring for her.
Mary is survived by her son, John Gilmore; as well as niece, Cristina Holloway (Jon); nephew, Ken Chiarenza, and their families. She was predeceased by her father, Giovanni Chiarenza; mother, Lena Mirabella Gregor; step-father, Mike Gregor; brothers, Rosario and Carmello Chiarenza; and sisters: Maria Chiarenza, Grace Christen and Josephine Ternullo. Special thanks to her devoted in-home caregiver, Desiree, whom she affectionately called "Joanie."
Please join us for a Funeral Service and Interment beginning at 11am on Friday, October 20, 2023 at the Italian Cemetery, 540 "F" Street, Colma.
Donations in Mary's name can be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).