Marie Grace Ponzetti

Marie was born July 1, 1937, and passed from this world peacefully on April 20, 2025, in the company of loved ones. 

She was the second child of Sam and Mary Colletti, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She worked at Marshall Field and Company while attending Carl Schurz High School. In 1955 she graduated and married Robert Ponzetti. She was a mother of four and homemaker in Chicago and Arlington Heights, where her children enjoyed her homemade donuts after school. Marie was a great cook and loved to feed people -- homemade pizza, best fruitcake ever, oxtail spaghetti sauce, and so much more.

After the family moved to Greenlawn, New York, she worked as a teaching assistant at Harborfields School District. She loved connecting with students in the communications lab, where she taught videography. After retirement, she moved to Carefree, Arizona, built her own home, and lived in the Sonoran Desert for 25 years.

Marie was known for her radiant smile, fiery personality, and her spirit of adventure. She loved music, singing, dancing, theater, swimming and diving, volleyball. She traveled extensively with her mother, Mary, to Jerusalem, Europe, and Alaska; with her church on missions to Uganda, Ghana, and Argentina; and with friends and family around the world. She had a particular passion for the wild animals of Kenya. She traveled with her daughter’s family to Sicily, where they visited the birthplaces of her grandparents. While at home, she supported the Musical Instrument Museum, volunteered with the Desert Foothills Land Trust, and loved hiking and exploring in Arizona. But most of all, she loved spending time with her family.

Marie was predeceased by her grandson, Bryan Carbonneau; her brothers, Ross and Ron Colletti; and her dear cousin, Vivian Riley. She is survived by her children Susann Carbonneau, Robert Ponzetti, Annette Campbell, and Jeanne Ponzetti, as well as five grandchildren, three great grandchildren, her beloved Aunt Grace Talento, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. We miss her and will remember her always.

To honor her wishes, her ashes will be spread in Arizona. No service is planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to one of the following: Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (www.curealz.org) Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) Musical Instrument Museum (https://mim.org/support-mim/) Desert Foothills Land Trust (https://www.dflt.org)