Mary Jane DiMaggio

Mary DiMaggio passed away peacefully on December 30, 2017 under Hospice and Luther Park care in Sandpoint. Mary was born Mary Jane Troller on July 5, 1927 in Milwaukee, WI. Her parents were Johanna and Vincent Troller, both of whom were immigrants from Austria. Mary had an older brother, Robert ('Bob', wife Ruth) with whom she and her family were close. Mary was a lifelong Catholic and member of St Joseph's in Sandpoint.

Mary married Jack DiMaggio on November 20, 1948 and enjoyed 50 years of marriage with him before his passing in 1999. They had a daughter, Kris, in 1949 while living in Milwaukee. A few years later they had moved to the Los Angeles area with family and their son Jeffrey was born, rounding out the family.

Jack learned his way around a machine shop during these years and this lead him into the burgeoning aerospace industry that was taking off in the 50's. Mary, Jack and family enjoyed the next two decades in the LA area until daughter Kris married in 1970 and moved with her new husband, Denny Scollon, to Idaho in 1974. Before long the rest of the family followed (at least briefly) and Mary and Jack found themselves in Cd'A and Sandpoint to be near their children and new grandchildren.

Over the next several years Jack's work took him to the Seattle area to work for Boeing, or their contractors, and they lived in that area for several years. Jack and Mary retired in the late 80's and decided to return to the warmer weather found in Las Vegas. This suited them very well for the next several years until Jack's passing in late '99.

In 2003 Mary left Las Vegas to be nearer her children and began splitting time between Chico, CA and Sandpoint with residences in both places. In early 2012 Mary began living full-time in Sandpoint. Most of that time was spent in her senior apartment at Alpine Vista Apts, with the last eight months at Luther Park Memory Care. Throughout those months and years she received excellent care from staff and management at both facilities as well as from Kris and Jeff.  Son Jeffrey made many long trips to Sandpoint to help insure Mary was always cared for at the highest level.

Mary had a strong spirit and loved teasing and being teased. She was also known for her willingness and ability to take on tasks that would have seemed beyond her physical ability such as climbing to the peak of Diamond Head on Oahu at age 79.  She also had a lifelong enjoyment of children, animals, dancing, music, and the outdoors. Until age 89 she enjoyed a daily walk to the Catholic church to visit with staff who always treated her with kindness. She was an ongoing inspiration to her extended family as well as others she encountered and gave smiles to everyone around her, regardless of how she might have been feeling. She was a consumate mother, wife, grandmother and great grandmother and mother-in-law. She always thought of everything and everyone else before herself. She endeared herself to all who knew her and was treated with love and tenderness by her many Sandpoint friends. She will be fondly missed.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Kris (husband Dennis) Scollon, Sandpoint, Idaho; son Jeffrey (wife Rebecca) DiMaggio, Chico, CA.; grandchildren Mathew Scollon (and Carly Jo Hebert), LA, CA; Scot Scollon, L A, CA; Wendy (Scollon) and Tim Price, Portland, OR; Jennifer (and Shane) Johnston, Chico, CA; Nicole (and Aaron) Hall, Chico, CA.; great-grandchildren Allison Johnston, Chico, CA; Jillian Johnston, Chico, CA; Spencer Hall, Chico, CA; Carter Hall, Chico, CA; Addison Price, Portland, OR; Ethan Price, Portland, OR and baby in-the-making, Felix Hebert-Scollon due in July 2018!

Although the family is not soliciting any type of response in regard to Mary's passing, anyone wishing to do so is requested to direct such good will to the Alzheimer's Association.