Marie Archangela Riddell

March 23, 1918 - January 10, 2020

MARIE ARCHANGELA RIDDELL Marie Archangela Riddell aka Russo is survived by her 2 daughters, Linda Riddell and Victoria Wilson, sister-in-law, Nora Russo, son- in- law Jim Wilson and her 2 grandchildren Veronica and Jaqueline Wilson. She was emotionally close with Francis Kevin Russo, her nephew and George Gabrielle ,nephew and niece, Connie Gabrielle Finnicum & her special 2nd grand niece, Gabrielle Gabrielli of Tallahassee. Other survivors are her nieces Francesca (Fawn) Russo, Judy Arachtingi and her 2nd grand nephew, David Gabrielle. Russell Riddell, her devoted spouse passed away in 2007. As Marie aged, her devoted daughter and caregiver, Linda, managed to be by her side and allowed Marie to stay at home until her passing. Marie grew up in Brooklyn , born 1918 to Simeone Russo and Immaculata (aka IDA) Russo at a time when horse and buggy transportation was still in vogue but waning. She was the middle child of three ; Adele being the older sister and Frankie being her younger brother. She was a brilliant student and excelled at her studies at James Madison High School in Brooklyn. Of Italian-American descent, Marie was fluent in Italian as well as English. Her mother was a dress designer for the fashion house, BEN REIG in NYC. Marie inherited a sense of artistic style through her upbringing. In fact, she enjoyed handiwork doing sewing projects on the machine or hand crocheting and knitting. Always open to new ideas in design, her favorite color was “maroon” with a preference for beige’s and mauve. During WWII she and her girlfriends would entertain the troops at the ROTC center. This is where she met her future husband, Russell, a Merchant Marine, who was a trombone player in the band. It was an unusual pairing of the well-dressed city slicker and the mild-mannered Midwest guy from Minnesota. But the attraction took and after several visits during wartime, they were married March 3, 1945 as WWII ended. Their first years together were spent in St. Paul, Minnesota where their 2 daughters were born. But the call of the Italian family drew them back to New York. They purchased a home in Lindenhurst, Long Island where the family lived on the same block as both of her siblings. Marie was a stay at home mom during the formative years of her children’s lives. Always, sharp and good with figures, she took a job as a bookkeeper where a close friend worked. She became a Girl Scout Leader for a few years while her daughters were of that age. Marie had a quick wit and a wonderful sense of humor. Known to be extremely loquacious, she would fire off details which she had accumulated through incessant reading and interest in local and national politics. Even in her later years, in her 90’s she was still able to come up with answers in trivia shows on TV. She truly amazed everyone with the knowledge she possessed. Marie had an interest in horticulture and plant design. She knew many of the plantings by their names and raised many from seed in a small , hot house/plant room built by her husband, Russell. To the very end, Marie could appreciate a beautiful flower and one with a natural scent. She was blessed with good health, only requiring one pill per day right up until the end of her life. She had a wonderful supportive partner in Russell. Her daughter, Linda, a Registered Nurse, closely monitored her nutrition in order to maintain optimal health. In 2007, Russell passed, and 3 years later , Linda moved into her home so that she could remain in it. Marie found comfort in reciting prayers and the rosary. As a life-long Catholic , she was blessed to be recipient of the outreach ministry of St. Mark’s Catholic church. This would be her desired charity. Our eucharistic minister, Linda Griffith, was most often the deliverer of communion and blessings from the church for many years. When in the hospital, Linda visited under questionable circumstances but Marie started the visit, “In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost”! We knew she was still “in there”. Marie was blessed with a bevy of caregivers, all hand-picked by her daughter. Some took her out gambling at a local casino hall, others took her out to I-HOP. All were amazed by her endurance, quickness of wit and her capacity to entertain them. Most times she was willing to comply with what was asked of her. Eating a full meal was not one of her favorite things. She would rather knit or crochet which she did like a machine, possible by rote of years of doing so. She was doing this 5 days before her passing! The caregivers enjoyed her on her “on” days and waited until she would recoup after some deep sleeping days to resurrect yet again to her vibrant, amusing self. On January 10, 2020 early in the morning , Marie was finally released from her aged body just shy of 102 years old. She lived a long, pain free, full life surrounded by family and loving caregivers. She was fortunate to die of natural causes in her own bed in her own home peacefully in her sleep. AMEN. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 12 Noon at St. Mark Catholic Church, 634 St. Mark Place, Boynton Beach, Florida. A Memorial Gathering will follow from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at Scobee-Combs-Bowden Funeral Home, 599 N.E. 15th Ave., Boynton Beach, Florida.