Marie J. (Ricciuti) D’Olimpio, age 99, a lifelong resident of Quincy, died peacefully, Sunday, September 29, 2024 at Assisted Living Residences at Hancock Park in Quincy, surrounded by her loving family. She was known for her love of family, cooking, playing piano, and the Red Sox.

Marie, known affectionately as “Mimi” or “Re,” was born in Quincy to the late John and Anna (Gaudiano) Ricciuti. She was a graduate of Quincy High School, Class of 1943. Beloved wife of the late O. James D’Olimpio, with whom she was married in June of 1946. Devoted mother of Ann Marie Horrigan and her husband David of Quincy, Dr. James T. D’Olimpio and his wife Suzanne of Port Washington, N.Y., Domenic D’Olimpio of Quincy, Rita G. Evans and her husband Jonathan of Scituate, Suzanne T. Falco and her husband Anthony of Quincy, and Nancy M. Ducharme and her husband Jed of Braintree. Loving grandmother of nineteen grandchildren, sixteen great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. She was the grandmother of the late Robert J. “Bo” Craig III.

Marie was dedicated to her family, especially to her cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren, shown through the endless visits to her house on Grogan Ave. Her house was a refuge for anyone who needed to see a smiling face and Marie was always ready to lend an ear.

Marie was known for her work ethic, starting as a secretary at the Quincy Shipyard during WWII. She and Jim then opened and ran West Quincy Market on Copeland St. Marie pivoted to a career in the newspaper industry, working at the Patriot Ledger as a news correspondent, covering City of Quincy council meetings, the city desk and prepared obituaries. She worked long hours to help support her son James through medical school, who is currently a nationally known oncologist, and accomplished pianist, playing at Carnegie Hall in 2015 with Marie sitting proudly in the audience. She later became a well-known recipe columnist for The Quincy Sun, sharing hundreds of delicious recipes with readers over the years. She co-authored the column “Marie’s Kitchen” with her daughter Suzie until last week.

The last of six siblings, Marie was predeceased by James J. “Pete” Ricciuti, Genevieve M. Palumbo, Philip L. Ricciuti, Gloria Pelleriti, and John T. Ricciuti. Marie is also survived by many nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews of both the Ricciuti and D’Olimpio families.

When Marie was with her family and friends, her eyes lit up and she was guaranteed to laugh with them even in the toughest of times. She was a big believer in always making sure that you have something to look forward to. Marie taught us all the power of resilience, and that with great love comes great loss, as she survived many that she loved so dearly. She was a beacon of hope throughout all of our lives, and we will all keep our heads high and our backs straight, knowing that is what Mimi would want.

Her family would like to express their immense gratitude for the loving care she received for the past 5 years to the Harbor Health PACE Program staff and the many nurses aids at the Assisted Living Residences at Hancock Park, both of whom maintained her highest quality of life possible, including during the height of the COVID pandemic. We are forever grateful for all!

Visiting Hours will be held at the Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, East Milton, on Sunday, October 6, from 2 – 5 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. At the request of the family, funeral services and interment will take place privately.

For those who wish, donations in Marie’s memory may be made to World Central Kitchen, P.O. Box 96538, Washington, DC 20090 or www.wck.org.