Mary Jo Casinelli Obituary (1947 - 2020)

Mary Jo "MJ" Casinelli, age 72, of Erie, passed away Thursday, April 2, 2020. She was born in East McKeesport on April 5, 1947, daughter of the late James and Josephine Comito Casinelli. A graduate of Lawrence Park High School, Mary Jo went on to earn an Associate Degree at Behrend College. She enjoyed many years of employment at General Electric as a benefits counselor and was on the Board of GE Federal Credit Union (now Widget Financial). In her spare time, Mary Jo loved to travel: a cruise or two, trips to Italy and Hawaii, and exhausting runs to New York City over Thanksgiving holidays to see a show and to buy Belgian chocolates. She was a fine seamstress, capable of making anything from wedding dresses to tailored suits, and many babies were lovingly wrapped in afghans she crocheted. Mary Jo is survived by her sisters, Patricia Fabert and her husband, Jim of Greensburg, PA and Ruth Cogan and her husband, Robert of Edinboro. She was a devoted aunt to her nephew, Samuel Cogan (Melisa) of Florida and niece, Marin Cogan (Thom Planert) of Washington, D.C. Her great nephew, Gabriel Cogan, enjoyed time racing toy cars and block building with her. Dear friends, James Price and his family and Ann Brookhouser were important and treasured parts of her life. In addition to her parents, Mary Jo was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Ronald B. Sullivan; and friend Steve Flamio. Private arrangements are being handled by the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., 2607 Buffalo Rd. Burial will take place at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.