Submitted by: Dan Rich
March 22, 1928 - June 14, 1998
South Bend Tribune 6/16/1998
SOUTH BEND - Mary Jo Anastasio, 70, of Woodmont Drive died early Sunday, June 14, 1998 in her home.
A lifelong area resident, Mrs. Anastasio was born on March 22, 1928 in South Bend to Francis and Josephine (Niespodziany) Lahey who preceded her in death.
On Feb. 14, 1956, in South Bend, as the former Mary Jo Lahey, she married Frank R. Anastasio, her husband of 37 years. He preceded her in death on March 25, 1993.
Mrs. Anastasio is survived by a daughter, Frances A. Anastasio of South Bend; a son, Michael B. Anastasio of Chicago, Ill., and a granddaughter, Brenna Anastasio Quirk of South Bend. She is also survived by two sisters, Dorothy Brechenser of South Bend, and Patricia Schaefer of Ann Arbor, Mich.; and by a brother, Frank Lahey of Bloom Hills, Conn.
Mrs. Anastasio graduated from Saint Mary's College in 1950 and later earned a masters degree from Indiana University. She also completed graduate programs at Columbia University and the University of Michigan. She devoted her entire career to the field of adoption. For 34 years she served as Adoption Coordinator for the Saint Joseph County Welfare Department. After retiring from her position with the County, she founded Adoption Network - Domestic and International, Inc. a nonprofit, charitable adoption agency where she served as Executive Director and continued her work finding homes for children. Throughout her career she participated in the placement of well over 1,000 children, including children with special needs. Among her achievements she is the recipient of the Dulin Award from The Association for the Rights of Children and of the Myra Jean Loux Memorial Award from the Indiana Association on Adoption and Child Care Center Services. She was appointed a fellow of the North American Center on Adoption and served as a Board Member on the Indiana Adoption Committee.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. today in the Hickey Funeral Homes, 3516 East Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, Ind. where a Rosary will be recited at 3 p.m.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 17, 1998 at Saint Matthew Cathedral with burial to follow in the Cedar Grove Cemetery, Notre Dame, Ind.
Memorial contributions may be made on behalf of Mrs. Anastasio to the Adoption Network - Domestic and International, Inc.; 4334 Miami Street, South Bend, IN 46614 or to any children's charitable organization of the donors choice.