Toni Markulin

1920 - 01

Toni Markulin, 93, a lifelong resident of Delmont and Greensburg, died Sunday, March 24, 2013, in Roxbury, N.Y. Toni was born Antoinette Marie Marengon, Jan. 27, 1920, in Export. She was the first of four daughters of Ippolito and Anna Pantalone Marengon. Toni graduated from Franklin High School in 1938 and then went to work for the Department of the Navy during World War II. After the war she worked for the Pennsylvania Highway Department and subsequently for the Democratic party of Westmoreland County. In that capacity, in 1960 she worked tirelessly for the election of President John F. Kennedy. She attended Kennedy's inauguration in Washington, D.C. in January 1961 with her 9-year-old son, Joey. The all night train ride from Greensburg through blinding snow and the momentous events that followed left a lasting impression on an impressionable young man, and stirred in him an abiding interest in politics and history. An important part of Toni's legacy is in the form of an historical and political novel he wrote, Machiavelli, which would never have seen the light of day if not for her love and inspiration. Toni ended her career with nearly 20 years at the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare in Greensburg. She retired in 1985 and lived in Greensburg until she moved to New York to be looked after by her son and daughter-in-law, Lynne LeBrasseur. In addition to her parents, Toni was preceded in death by her husband, Kelly (1998). She is survived by a son, Joe, of Roxbury, N.Y.; a daughter, Rebecca Neuwirth, of Colgate, Wis.; three granddaughters, Rachael Alexander, of Lexington, Mass., Heather Neuwirth, of Middlebury, Vt., and Ursula Neuwirth, of Boston, Mass.; a great-granddaughter, Olivia Alexander; and two sisters, Grace Marengon and Gloria Breen, both of Phoenix, Ariz. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Toni from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 1, 2013, in the CLEMENT L. PANTALONE FUNERAL HOME INC., 409 W. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg, PA 15601, 724-837-0020. Prayers will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, 2013, in the funeral home followed by a funeral Mass to be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. in Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Greensburg. Interment will follow in Twin Valley Memorial Park, Delmont. Toni's family has entrusted her care to the Pantalone Funeral Home Inc., Greensburg. To share your memories and photos, offer your condolences, or for directions, please visit us at http://www.pantalone.com. Natale N. Pantalone, Supervisor.