Marie Pendergrast

Marie (Antonello) Pendergrast, 77, passed away peacefully on December 17, 2024 at home in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, surrounded by many of those who loved her. Her passing followed a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Born on April 5, 1947, in Brooklyn, New York, to Nancy (Cassese) and Joseph Antonello, Marie was the eldest of four siblings. The family moved from New York to sunny South Florida in 1954, allowing Marie to spend much of her childhood in Ft. Lauderdale.

Marie graduated from Stranahan High School in 1964. Shortly after completing her education, she started on-the-job training for a career as a dental assistant.While working as a dental assistant, Marie met her husband and the father to her children, Kurt Elliot Pendergrast. The couple married on December 23, 1967, at St. George's Catholic Cathedral in Ft. Lauderdale.

While Kurt was on active duty in the US Army and serving as a physical therapist at Walter Reed Medical Center, they lived in Aberdeen, MD. But by the time their first child has arrived, they had returned to live in South Florida, moving into a new house that Kurt built in Pompano Beach, FL. Marie stepped away from dental assisting when she was pregnant with her first child and worked as both a full-time stay-at-home mom/homemaker AND executive assistant for Kurt's self-owned Electrical Company, Crown Electric, which she ran out of her business office at home. But Marie's most rewarding job and moments always involved her children and the time she spent raising them. Marie returned to the field of dentistry, after an almost 25 year hiatus to raise her children, becoming the dental office practice manager for a busy South Florida office.

Marie loved socializing, being wined & dined, traveling, shopping, cooking anything Italian and spending time with her family, (immediate and extended), her neighbors and her close group of girlfriends, when she was not spending time with her long-time partner, Dr. James Schiuma and their Maltese Rocky.

Marie loved being a mom to her 3 children. She was always a volunteer homeroom mother, attending and helping out at many of their holiday school parties or plays or picnics, she enjoyed making all of their Halloween costumes from scratch, taking them to all their extra curricular activities, and hosting large family get togethers for all the holidays and big Sunday Italian dinners, all so her children would know and be close to their immediate AND extended family.

Marie is predeceased by her mother, Nancy (Cassese) Antonello and her father, Joseph Antonello; mother-in-law, Carol (Bullock) Pendergrast and father-in-law, Max Pendergrast; her sister, Jeanne (Antonello) Taylor, her ex-husband, Kurt Pendergrast, sisters-in-law, Victoria (Van Duren) Antonello and Debra (Campbell) Antonello and her sweet Maltese, Pacino.

Marie is survived by her life-partner, Dr. James Schiuma, her son Matthew (James Tyler) Pendergrast, her daughter Jennifer (Pendergrast) Buchert and son Nicholas Pendergrast; Her grandchildren, Thomas Buchert and Layla and Logan Yerrid.

She too is survived by her brothers, Robert (Katty) Antonello and William (Christine) Antonello. All of her beloved nieces and nephews including Laurie (Marcus) Taylor-Pierce, Tammy Taylor, Jeanne (Christopher) Antonello -Leighton, Kristen Antonello, Robert Antonello Jr., Laura (William) Antonello-Futch, Brent (Taylor) Antonello, Autumn Martini and Taylor Alcantar. Finally, Marie is survived by her loving dog and companion, Rocky.

A funeral mass is to be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 11am at St. Coleman's Catholic Church, 1200 S. Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL, 33062 -- phone: (954) 942-3533.

Cards and flowers can be sent to St. Coleman's Catholic Church at 1200 S. Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL, 33062.

A a memorial service for Marie will be held Saturday, January 11, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Saint Coleman Catholic Church, 1200 South Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, FL 33062.