Mary Jean Bandini (née Bruno) of Bronxville, N.Y. passed away during the afternoon of Monday, July 10, 2023 after a hard-fought battle with pneumonia. Born on August 15, 1934 to Italian-immigrant parents Joseph and Eugenia Bruno, Mary Jean spent most of her childhood living in The Bronx, N.Y., where she grew up across the street from the love of her life, her late husband Benito “Ben” Bandini. In 1952, Mary Jean graduated from high school.After attending secretarial school, Mary Jean married Ben on November 23, 1957, and the pair remained married until Ben’s death in August 2021 nearly 64 years later.
Soon after, Mary Jean and Ben moved to Yonkers, N.Y. to raise their family. An avid gardener, Mary Jean spent a considerable amount of time growing flowers and vegetables in her backyard. Notably, Mary Jean’s friends and family considered her to be a computer whiz and would often run to her if they needed help with technology. Mary Jean could easily access information on the internet, played a variety of advanced computer games, and was a proficient iPhone user even in her old age—likely proficient enough to get a job at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store. Additionally, Mary Jean remained an active and dedicated parishioner of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Yonkers and the Church of St. Joseph in Bronxville, where she assisted with their “Meals-on-Wheels” program.Mary Jean is survived by her three sons, Christopher, Gerry, and Mark; her sister, Rita Cushing (née Bruno), her sister-in-law, Amelia Padula (née Bandini), her daughters-in-law Foula Dorizas Bandini and Kim Bandini; and her three grandchildren, Andrew, Brittany, and Evan, whom she loved very dearly.Visitation will be held on the evening of Friday, July 14 at Fred H. McGrath & Son Funeral Home, located at 20 Cedar Street, Bronxville, N.Y. 10708, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. A funeral will be held on Saturday, July 15 at 9:45 AM at the Church of St. Joseph, located at 15 Cedar Street, Bronxville, N.Y. 10708. Following the funeral and in the exclusive presence of close family, Mary Jean will be interred at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y., where her late husband Ben currently rests.Mary Jean’s family kindly requests that friends who want to pay their respects refrain from sending flowers. In lieu of flowers, Mary Jean’s family encourages friends of Mary Jean, if financially able, to donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or to the American Cancer Society in Mary Jean’s honor.
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