Mary Judith Ross DeSalvo 1941-2024

Born May 28, 1941, in Youngstown, she was the daughter of Wilbur J. and Mary Lou Hall Ross. She was a 1959 graduate of Wilson High School and had wanted to attend nursing school but couldn’t stand the sight of blood. Instead, she took a secretarial job at Aeroquip Rubber where there was a cute guy working on the hot manufacturing floor who had just finished his 3-year stint on the USS Putnam as a radio operator. He also was attending Kent State University on the GI Bill. A determined shopper, Judy focused like a laser on a young Larry DeSalvo, wooing him with Orange Julius drinks each day. They married April 8, 1961, at St. Christine Church.

After her marriage, she and Larry built a life together in Austintown where they raised their three children, Pamela, Larry and Anthony. Early on, she worked at Union National Bank but became a stay-at-home mom after Larry was born. All through the late 1960s and 1970s, she and Larry embarked on a life of endless baseball, golf, school activities, family trips to Florida and family dinners of wonderful spaghetti; but somehow, horrible pasta fagioli that was inexplicably served with fish sticks. It was the quintessential 1970s for the DeSalvos. She was part of a community of young mothers in the Brookwood neighborhood who stayed friends forever and supported each other through thick and thin, which meant they tried every whack-a-doodle diet or recipe touted in the latest Ladies Home Journal. They also hosted monthly card parties where there were a lot of cocktails. And this is when her ceramics phase began with her girlfriends and sisters. There probably is a ceramic Christmas tree in many homes in Austintown and Youngstown made by Judy. In 1977, she returned to the paid workforce (being a stay-at-home mom was just unpaid work), as the secretary to the superintendent of schools at the Diocese of Youngstown. For many years, she worked part-time to keep an eye on the brood at home. During the summer months, she was home at noon, which meant her preteen and teen progeny had to race around the house at 11:30 a.m. to do the chores. It was a close call and she knew it. She loved her work at the Diocese, eventually working full time. She retired in 2003.

In her retirement, she and Larry enjoyed their home in Florida and all the friends they made there, golfing every single day. Besides her deep and abiding love for her husband, her family and especially her grandchildren, she loved a few other things including the Cleveland Guardians’ (and yes, she loved the new name) especially Lary Doby; watching any of her children or grandchildren playing sports; her golf; Paul Anka; Adam Lambert (seriously); and all things Disney. She loved Disney so much that she turned down trips to Italy and Hawaii to go there instead for the 20th time. She said she could see Europe in one day at Epcot, and it was cleaner. Her favorite places to be were at home with all of her family surrounding her as they discussed the latest news and topics at the dinner table. One had to be prepared to be at the DeSalvo dinner table. Not only did you need to guard your food from Judy who was always dieting and just wanted one bite from your plate, you needed to be able to discuss Watergate and its implications on voter registration. She was happiest sitting at the Mill Creek baseball fields watching her sons play baseball, chewing on strands of grass. She was happiest on the golf course with her dear golf girlfriends. She was happiest with her toes in the sand on any beach.

She is survived by her children, Pamela of Red Bank, New Jersey, Larry (Beth) of Noblesville, Indiana, and Anthony (Brandy) of Warren; her six grandchildren, David of Cleveland, Hannah and Olivia of Noblesville, Indiana, Ross of Vail, Colorado, and Alex and Max of Warren; her stepgrandchildren, Alexis of Girard and Kali of Warren; and her sister-in-law, Gail DeSalvo of Las Vegas. She also is survived by many nieces and nephews, whom she loved and her dear niece and goddaughter, Susie Koval, of Youngstown. She also will be missed by retail establishments to whom she was so loyal including, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Boscov’s, QVC and any number of Facebook advertisers on her feed.

Mary Judith was preceded in death by her husband, Larry in October 2009, for whom she so valiantly cared. She held his hand to the end. She also was preceded in death by her beloved sisters, Shirley Wells and Nancy McHenry, and their husbands, Harold Wells and Parker McHenry; and her brother-in-law, John DeSalvo. Her parents, Wilbur and Mary Lou, and in-laws, Joseph and Mary DeSalvo, also preceded her in death. Her sisters, who were much older than she was, as she was quick to remind anyone, were her idols. They were her first and best friends her whole life.

Family and friends may visit and pay tribute to Judy from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Peter Rossi & Son Memorial Chapel of Warren, 1884 North Road NE.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church, 3020 Reeves Road NE, Warren, OH 44483, with the Rev. Christopher Cicero presiding.

A private burial will take place in All Souls Cemetery, Bazetta.

Family and friends may visit www.peterrossiandsonfh.com to view this obituary, sign the guest book and send condolences to the DeSalvo family.

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