Maria Iebba, 68, a resident of Hopewell Junction for 31 years and formerly of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Italy, died on Wednesday, January 13, 2009 at the Albany Medical Center following a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Born on January 30, 1941 in Altomonte, Italy, she was the daughter of the late Vincenzo and Rosa Regina Capparelli.  She was a parishioner of St. Columba Church in Hopewell Junction.

On September 4, 1966 at St. Joseph's Church in New Rochelle, Maria married Sabato Iebba who survives at home.  She is also survived by her children, Rose Maria Iebba and Alessandro Iebba of Hopewell Junction; her grandchildren, Alessandro Sabato and Brianna Maria Iebba; her sisters, Pasqualina Vitiritti, Giovanini Cortese and Guisepina Rizzo; her brothers, Luigi, Umberto and Romano Capparelli; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son Luigi Iebba in 1967; and her brothers, Giovanni "Frank" and Antonio Capparelli.

Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Columba Church, 835 Route 82, Hopewell Junction followed by entombment in Fishkill Rural Cemetery.
For driving directions or to send the family an online condolence, please visit www.mchoulfuneralhome.com .

A Tribute to a Courageous Woman who Fought Against the Odds

Maria Iebba died on Wednesday – the end of a 30 year battle, beating cancer but losing to radiation damage – a deadly non-stop disease that is so progressive that there is no cure. Her determination was honorable and her long suffering was brave and courageous.

Maria relied on a natural organic diet of homemade Italian food, fresh vegetables, broccoli rabe and garlic, and a tremendous love for tomatoes and homemade sauce. Her garden kept her depression at bay.  If she a lot of anxiety, she would medicate it by baking homemade bread and it usually made her mood rise like her bread which smelled great. If she needed to keep her spirits up, she would go to her garden and lose herself and her fears in a quest for a huge harvest of tomatoes.

Maria had a great sense of humor, love of life and a simple outlook on life and what was really important.  Her family was her first priority. Her husband was by her side through it all, and her daughter and son were all that she needed. Her goal was always appreciating our time together and staying close.  Everything else was a bonus.

Her pain started when she lost her son in 1967. Her pain was great and getting through that was hard. She was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 1980 at the age of 39 and this was the start of a line of surgeries at Vassar. She then had liver cancer surgery at Sloan Kettering and went into remission. In 1993, she had uterine cancer and surgery at Vassar, followed by a series of radiation treatments. She also had to go through a ten hour surgery that year at Albany Medical Center to relieve obstructions, adhesions and scarring from radiation damage which left her with a colostomy.  Maria's suffering continued in 1998 with rotator cuff and wrist surgery, and then lung cancer surgery at Albany Medical Center.  In 2001, she had successful back surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Surgeries continued in the new millennium at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Mount Sinai where she again had a nine hour procedure done to remove scar tissue and adhesions, and to stop excessive bleeding from ulcerations.  When she broke her hip in 2009 and underwent surgery at Vassar, she had undergone more than thirty operations in her lifetime.

She was in and out of Vassar from May until October of 2009.  She was admitted to Albany Medical Center in November 2009 and remained there until her greatest fight ended on Wednesday. Through it all, she was always patient and hopeful, and she always had the will to survive gracefully and with dignity.  She never used her illness for an excuse or for pity.  She had taken all she could, and finally let go – an inspiration for all!

The family thanks all their family members and friends, the East Fishkill Police Department, East Fishkill Rescue Squad, the Medical Community, Doctors and Hospitals for always being there all these years.  There are people in this world who are gifted and caring and who make a difference everyday.  Thank you!