Obituary of Marcella Woodworth

Marcella (nee Mandello) Woodworth, wife to Archie, mother to Stephen, daughter to Sam and Eva, and Marcy to those who loved her, was not a complicated person. Marcy died in her home on Sunday, February 12, 2023, after an extended battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). She lived her life defined by the simplicity of love and faith. Born as one of the middle children in a family of six, she nurtured the optimism that was her nature. Over the years she earned a bachelor’s Degree in French and taught advanced High School French for three years, as well as Spanish for one of those years. While raising her son, Marcy completed a master’s degree in Hispanic Studies and another in International Management. Her subsequent work as an analyst for a major corporation took her to Latin America from time to time.

She spoke three languages fluently and was functional in a fourth. Early in retirement, she used these skills, acting as a translator and counselor for over a decade for a Franco-American student exchange program, allowing her to spend three weeks every year in her beloved France.

All during this life well lived, Marcy was a devoted and loving wife, mother, sister, and aunt. Her husband of 55 years, Archie remembers that her impish sense of humor was displayed from the first moment they met, a quality he learned to appreciate because Marcy loved to make him laugh. He also describes her as a genius at finishing the daily New York Times Spelling Bee. Their cherished son Stephen shares his mother’s impish humor, and the profound ability to love. Marcy welcomed daughter-in-law Cori into that circle of love in October 2022. Marcy’s sisters, brother, nieces, and nephews form the tapestry of her life throughout the years. Siblings Angelina, Michael, and Donna predeceased her. Surviving sisters Celeste and Regina mourn her loss. Whether making paper dolls for younger sister Celeste as children, exchanging goofy faces with her young friend Beal, or staying at the bedside of ailing siblings, Marcy was authentic and caring.

Blessed with true and loyal friends, Marcy returned their affection in kind, keeping them close in her heart. We will miss her smile, laughter, wit, and intelligence – not to mention her warm and welcoming heart, but know she is in good hands and at peace.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, February 24th, 10 AM at Epiphany Cathedral.  Mass will be followed by a reception and visitaiton at Farley Funeral Home, 265 Nokomis Ave., S, Venice, until 5 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to TideWell Hospice, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238 or at www.tidewellhospice.org.