Mary Lee Simonelli, 79, of Millsboro, DE, passed away peacefully at home on July 13, 2023.  She bravely battled lung cancer until she was called home to Heaven by her savior Jesus Christ.  

Mary was born on May 18, 1944 in Chicago, IL to the late Edward and Onnalee Luinis.  She and her younger brother Tom Luinis were raised in the suburbs of Chicago. 

On May 2, 1975, she married Tom Simonelli, and together they raised their children Rebecca Smith of Concord, NH and Mike Simonelli of Alexandria, VA.   Their family resided in Illinois and briefly Des Moines, IA before settling in New Hampshire for many years.  

Mary was a kind and generous person who always put family first and she dedicated her life to loving those close to her.  She always had a smile and words of encouragement and was a thoughtful sender of handwritten notes and greeting cards for any occasion.  

She loved to read and even worked briefly at Barnes and Noble to fund her ever-growing library of mysteries and thrillers.  

Mary also enjoyed watching the many birds that visited her deck at her home in Delaware, where she had retired.  She always made sure the feeders were stocked with plenty of bird seed and even named the more frequent visitors. 

Additionally, she had a zeal for dollhouses, and spent many years building and decorating her Victorian collections.  Each figure was placed meticulously and Mary even decorated her dollhouse for the holidays.

Mary’s greatest passion however were her grandchildren;  Maris, Connor, Micah and Paige were adored and spoiled with love and tenderness.  She was blessed with many hours of FaceTime, tea parties, babysitting and watching their sports games.  She took endless photos of all of them, and filled many albums celebrating their achievements and growth.  

Mary was also blessed by her family in Texas; her husband’s children Adriana Stark, and the late David Simonelli, as well as grandchildren Rhianna, Jacob, Kallysta and Alekxi.  

Mary leaves behind her loving family, as well as many friends she made over the years.  She was faithful to keep in touch and maintained several friendships for well over 50 years.  

She will be missed beyond measure but leaves a lasting legacy of laughter and love in the hearts of those who knew her.  As per her wishes, there will be no public wake or funeral but her family will hold a small, private ceremony to celebrate her life. 

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