Maureen Mary Antoinette Giandinoto, née Coohill, aged 64, passed away peacefully on Dec. 5, 2021, at home in Burns, with her husband by her side. 

Born on Feb. 19, 1957, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to parents Gloria and Francis Coohill, Maureen spent most of her adult life in Mountain View, Calif., and recently moved to Burns in September 2020 where she and her husband purchased their first home. 

She loved getting to know her new community, enthusiastically joining every event around town, often wearing her bright yellow Team Hadley shirt in support of her youngest granddaughter’s battle with leukemia, even while she herself battled lung cancer after being diagnosed in March of 2021.

Maureen, known affectionately as Mo to family and friends, married Frank on Aug. 10, 1982, in Queens, N.Y. In addition to many years as a stay-at-home mom, she worked as an elderly caregiver, housecleaner and personal assistant, displaying her love and care for others while also raising her own family. 

Maureen was full of life and enjoyed going on adventures and spending time outdoors. Her favorite things were birds, music, meeting new people, painting rocks, geocaching, parades, and road trips. 

She loved to celebrate every holiday, take cross country road trips, write poetry and keep detailed journals for her grandchildren. She also loved to cook delicious vegetarian meals. 

She found joy in sending packages in the mail, often including a bag of homemade breadcrumbs, and always wrote on every envelope or box: “Blessings to all postal workers” followed by a peace sign.

Maureen is survived by her husband of 39 years, Frank Giandinoto; children, Diana Giandinoto, Katy Crain, and Salvatore Giandinoto; grandchildren, Brianna, Nicolas, Sofia, Makena, and Hadley; great-granddaughter, Nirvana; granddogs, Rubick and Celeste; five sisters; two brothers, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A poem she wrote, that will now leave a mark forever:

6-14-2021

How do you thank family and friends, 

who traveled far and wide?

How do you keep a smile on your face 

with so many emotions inside?

Is there a way to say goodbye 

to those you love so deep?

Is there a way to leave a mark 

that will forever keep?