Marian Pitoniak Obituary

Mrs. Marian A. (Ouellette) Pitoniak, 90, of Adams, passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon, October 16, 2025, at Mount Carmel Care Center in Lenox. Born in Clarksburg, MA on February 21, 1935, Marian attended local schools and graduated from Drury High School in 1953. Marian was employed by the former Wall-Streeter Shoe Co. in North Adams and later at Sprague Electric, until she found her true calling in nursing when she began at Richardson Rest Nursing Home. She went on to practice as a surgical nurse's assistant at North Adams Hospital - a role she cherished for 15 years. At her core, Marian was a caregiver - nurturing and selfless. Often referred to as an "Earth Angel," it was easy to see why. In her youth, she helped raise her two younger brothers, Robert and Kenneth. Marian married the love of her life, Robert R. Pitoniak, on November 26, 1955, and they built a beautiful life together. While raising a family and working, she extended her role as care provider for her mother and her beloved Aunt Theresa. When Marian retired in 1998, she devoted herself to caring for her husband during his final years, and after his passing in 2006, she continued to express her unwavering love by caring for his brother, Edward Pitoniak. Even in retirement, her instinct to care for others never faded - she later returned to North Adams Hospital as a volunteer in the Surgical Short Stay Suite for more than seven years. Of all the roles she filled in life, Marian most loved being a mother. Caring for her children brought her the greatest joy, and her home was always filled with warmth. She approached motherhood with the same gentleness and devotion she gave to all she cared for, guiding her children with unconditional love. Marian's hobbies reflected her joyful and loving nature. She loved vacationing with cherished friends and family. She enjoyed reading, knitting, playing cards, going to the spa and getting her nails done with her signature "pink and whites", and always found luck at the casino. Her backyard birds were well-fed and plants and flowers thrived in her care, lusciously growing and blooming season after season. A woman of deep faith, Marian was a devoted parishioner of the former St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Adams and later of the Parish of St. John Paul II at Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs Church. Marian was predeceased by her first two born children, Robert Pitoniak in 1956 and Marie Pitoniak in 1958. She is survived by her loving family: her brothers Robert (Bobby) Daub and his wife Claire of Clarksburg, MA, and Kenneth MacTeer of Adams, MA; her daughter Michele and her husband James Crawford of Westford, MA; her sons Michael Pitoniak of Townsend, MA and Matthew Pitoniak and his wife Tina of Cheshire, MA; and many nieces and nephews.

She leaves behind seven beloved grandchildren: Connor Crawford and his wife Lina of Worcester, MA, Sean Crawford of Marlborough, MA, Ryan Crawford and his wife Alyssa of West Warwick, RI,Christopher Pitoniak and his wife Darian of Nevada, Sarah Cullen and her husband Erik of Colorado, Stephanie Rapisarda and her husband Dylan of Cheshire, MA, and Nathan Pitoniak and his wife Katelynn of Hinsdale, MA. Her grandchildren will forever cherish the memories of Gram's Famous Meatballs, games in Gram's room, Christmas mornings, Easter egg hunts, bonfires, dying the icicles, summer swims together, and so much more. Marian was also blessed with two great-grandchildren, Charles Robert Pitoniak and Liam James Crawford, who brought her great joy in her later years. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, October 24th at 12:00 PM at Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs Church, 21 Maple Street, Adams. Burial will follow in Bellevue Cemetery, Adams. A calling hour will be held prior to the Mass, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, at Paciorek Funeral Home, 13 Hoosac Street, Adams. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation, 348 Glen Rd., Weston, MA 02493, The American Heart Association, 93 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA 02481 or to The American Cancer Society, PO Box 1120, Framingham, MA 01701. To leave a message of condolence, or for directions, please visit www.paciorekfuneral.com