Maryanne Meyer Ventura, 61, a Wappingers Falls resident since 1993 and previously of Tuckahoe, N.Y. passed away on December 26, 2020 at home.

She was born on July 25, 1959 in Bronxville to James and Rosemarie (Brosman) Meyer. In Tuckahoe High School, she was the captain of the cheerleading squad and up until her passing, she could still recite all her old cheer songs. On June 25, 1982 in Yonkers, N.Y. Maryanne married Robert F. Ventura who survives at home.

Her desire to care for people was expressed in her career as a phlebotomist. After battling breast cancer in 2005, she took night classes and worked at Vassar Brothers Medical Center and several local nursing homes. There she made life-long friends with her patients and co-workers.

To say that Maryanne was friends with everyone was an understatement. She’d remember everyone’s names and whole conversations. She had a big heart and ear for anyone who wanted to talk, whether it was a stranger on the checkout line or an old friend she ran into at the deli. Maryanne was kindness personified and if someone needed a helping hand, she’d be there. She also had a wacky sense of humor that she passed down to her children and granddaughters.

Her hobbies included crocheting, watching crime shows, doing crossword puzzles and trivia, playing Animal Crossing, and gardening. She loved cows, the beach, Diet Coke, coffee from Dunkin’, going on cruises, and traveling.

One can’t mention Maryanne’s hobbies without noting that she was the ultimate Yankees Fan. She lived, breathed, and bled the New York Yankees. She developed a love for baseball growing up with her dad, two brothers, and one TV in their modest apartment. As a kid, she attended games with friends and family. When she was 21, she won a contest called, “Win a Weekend with Your Favorite Yankee” where she was flown out to Anaheim, CA and got to watch them play in a three day series against the California Angels and hang out with her favorite players at Disneyland.

Maryanne also adored animals with all her heart – some called her “Snow White” as she was a big animal advocate and saved many rescue dogs and cats. Anytime she’d walk outside her backyard, animals would come up to her and she’d hand-feed them.
Maryanne’s calling was to be a mother and she put everything into being the most loving and devoted mom to her daughters and “Nani” to her granddaughters. She was endlessly proud of her eldest daughter, Christina, who obtained her doctorate in 2019 and her youngest daughter, Sara, for pursuing a career in the video-games industry working at Ubisoft, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

In addition to her husband, Maryanne is survived by her children, Christina of Smithtown and Sara of Seattle; her grandchildren, Valentina and Violetta DiPersia; her brother, Richard Meyer and his wife Debbie of AZ; and her nephew, Richie Meyer. She was predeceased by her twin sons, Christopher and Michael who died at birth in 1980 and her brother Jim Meyer who died on September 11, 2017.

She is also survived by her beloved pets: Scarlett, Lou, and Leo as well as her family’s pets that she loved and cared for: Grenwauld, Willy, Wonka, Ollie, Pirate, and Marty.

Calling hours will be held on Wednesday from 5-8 P.M. at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday at 10 A.M. at St. Columba Church, 835 Route 82, Hopewell Junction.
Memorial donations may be made to the Dutchess County SPCA.

PLEASE NOTE: In compliance with NYS guidelines, social distancing and face masks will be required. Since capacity may be limited, all attendees should be prepared for potential extended waiting periods.