Mary Ann Bernadette Pretto

Mary Ann Bernadette Pretto – 9/10/43 – 3/22/25

In our hearts, you will always stay, loved and remembered every day. Your legacy lives on in the love and values you instilled in us.

Mary Ann Bernadette Pretto (nee Piejko), 81, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2025, at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee.

Born on September 10, 1943, in Blue Island, Illinois. Mary Ann was the cherished daughter of John and Anna Piejko. She was devoted to her family and treasured every moment spent with her loved ones.

Mary Ann shared a long and loving marriage of 61 years with her husband, Attilio Pretto. Together, they created a warm and inviting home filled with love and lasting memories. She was a dedicated mother to Tom (Judy) Pretto, Peggy (Rich) Marchionda, and Steve (Debbie) Pretto. Her grandchildren—Jordan (Thomas), Marisa (Eric), Shelby (Ryan), Nicholas, Michelle, and Molly—brought her immense joy, and she adored her great-granddaughter, Ophelia. She looked forward to welcoming another great-granddaughter in September.

Mary Ann was not only a wife and mother but also a talented beautician, owning her own business, with many clients becoming lifelong friends. She had a gift for making people feel beautiful.

Mary Ann was certainly known for her strength and determination. She found happiness in life’s simple pleasures: nurturing her family, tending her garden, and canning the fruits of her labor. She had a special fondness for white roses and the song “You Are My Sunshine”, which she sang lovingly to each of her grandbabies as they drifted off to sleep.

She was the ultimate cheerleader for her grandkids, attending every football, basketball, softball, wrestling, and dance event. A passionate Chicago Bears fan, she was always ready for game day to support her team through thick and thin.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Theresa Von Feldt; and her brothers, Frank Piejko and John Piejko. Though she will be deeply missed, Mary Ann’s love and legacy will live on in the hearts of her family.

Visitation will be held at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, in Peotone, on Saturday, May 10, 2025, from 9:30am to 10:45am with a Memorial Mass to follow at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made as gifts in Mary Ann’s memory to the Riverside Healthcare Foundation and directed toward their Cancer Care. 

https://riversidehealthcare.crm.salsalabs.org/webDonation/

May her memory bring comfort to all who knew her.

Share a memory at www.feddehelfrichcrossfh.com