Mary Jane Vallelonga Merandi

Mary Jane Vallelonga Merandi, 88, departed from this life on October 13, 2025 at her residence surrounded by her loving family.  She was born October 5, 1937 in Anmoore, WV.  She was the daughter of Cosimo and Emmecolata Vallelonga of Calabria, Italy. She is survived by her loving husband Salvatore (Sam) Merandi of Mount Clare.

Mary Jane was a graduate of Bridgeport High, class of 1956.

She enjoyed crocheting, sewing and baking.  Each holiday season she baked cookies to share with her family and friends.  She enjoyed holidays, especially baking traditional Italian recipes from her parents for Christmas, with her mother and sisters.   Each year, for Christmas Eve fish dinner, her mother and father would make a sweet yeast dough and roll it in strips and then wrap it around a pointed wooded stick to form a “baby in a manager” called Nacatole. Family and church were most important to her.  She attended daily mass for 30 years.  She loved her pets and truly enjoyed the company of her cats and dogs.

Mary Jane worked at the Maiden Form Brassier Factory, and various other jobs in Clarksburg.  At the suggestion of her niece, she attended the Clarksburg Beauty Academy. She opened and operated M J’s Beauty Shop in North View for twenty years.

After the passing of her first husband, she met Salvatore (Sam) Merandi.    They were married at St. James Catholic church on December 27, 1996 by her nephew, Father J. Stephen Vallelonga.

Mary Jane began attending daily 8:00 am Mass at Immaculate Conception Church before going to the work where she eventually became a member of the church.   She chaired the Pita Piata fundraising project from 2014 through 2019, and she organized Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Rally held on the Saturday nearest to October 13, which is the Miracle of the Sun, and the final appearance of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917 to three shepherd children. She also held a rosary rally every month on the 13th day.   Mary Jane told her family the following:  After many years of holding the rallies and becoming ill, while sitting at her desk, she contemplated giving up the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Rally.   After she left the room, she heard a loud crash.  She went to investigate and found that the ceramic bust of the Blessed Mother Mary, which had been on the small wall shelf above the desk for years had fallen and didn’t break.    Everything else on the shelf was intact.  Only the bust of the Blessed Mother Mary had fallen for no apparent reason.  After thinking it over, Mary Jane decided that it was Our Lady’s of Fatima’s way of letting her know to continue with organizing and holding the rosary rallies.  She organized the Rosary Rallies from 2008 until 2024 when she became ill.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Cosimo and Emmecolata Vallelonga, her first husband Richard E. Taylor, her brothers Larry Vallelonga, Michael Vallelonga, brother and sister-in-law Joseph and Mary Vallelonga, her sister Josephine Spatafore, and her sister and brother-in-law Angelina and Manuel Ovies.

She is survived by her brother Daniel Vallelonga of Bel Meadows whom visited her every Sunday for dinner, her brother and sister-in-law John Franklin and Mary Moore Vallelonga of Elkins, WV, her bother-in-law Joseph Spatafore, sister-in-law Bonnie Vallelonga, Brother-law Frank (Cicci) Merandi and many nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.  We would like to extend special thanks to Brooke Ford for her loving care to Mary Jane.

Family will receive friends at Davis Funeral Home, 124 Olen Thomas Dr., Clarksburg, on Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 3:00 – 8:00pm, where a Vigil Service will be held at 7:30 pm; Catholic Funeral Liturgy will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help on Friday, October 17, 2025 at 10:00 am with Father Casey Mahone as celebrant. Interment will follow at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Online condolences can be made at www.DavisFuneralHomeWV.com. Davis Funeral Home is honored to serve the Merandi family

Watch webcast for Mary Jane Vallelonga Merandi:
https://webcasts.lifetributes.com/1375973

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