Submitted by: John C. Monk

Margaret M. Coiro

Nov. 8, 1920 - Jan. 4, 2010
SOUTH BEND - Margaret M. Coiro, 89, of South Bend, IN, died January 4, 2010, at Southfield Village. Margaret was born Margaret Mary Vance on November 8, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, to William and Bridget Vance. While working at an A&P grocery store in Brooklyn, Margaret met Anthony (Tony) F. Coiro, an immigrant from Paterno, Italy. They married on August 23, 1952. For their honeymoon, they took a trip to South Bend to visit friends and decided to set up a home here. Tony opened his first business, a Sinclair Station, at 1405 Portage. Margaret handled his books and was his chief organizer. Margaret was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church for 20 years, helping with many fundraising efforts for the sisters. She taught 4th grade gym one year when there wasn't a teacher available. She was a Bluebird and Camp Fire Girl leader for many years. She was also a member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church for more than 30 years where she helped lead in the parish Holy Hour, the funeral lunch program and the weekly Bingo fundraiser. She was active in the Altar Rosary Society at both churches. Margaret also enjoyed volunteering through the Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center Auxiliary. Margaret had a deeply religious core, an extremely sharp wit, and a great passion for horse racing, poker and games. She loved traveling, camping, and sunsets on Lake Michigan. She really enjoyed the annual family trips, dubbed "Coiro projects," when too many family members crammed into a van and spent several weeks together. Margaret readily dispensed advice and her opinion. She was a phenomenal cook, and a champion at stretching a dollar. Margaret is survived by her six children, Roseanne (Mark) Weatherwax, Christina (Linda Hughen) Coiro, Anthony (Diane) Coiro, Nancy (Mark Zimmerman) Coiro, Angela Coiro and John (Susan) Coiro. She will be greatly missed by her 11 grandchildren, Brent (Kathy) and Christopher Weatherwax, Sean and Amber Hughen-Coiro, Jacquelyn, Anthony and Vincent Coiro, Sarah and Dean Heintzelman, and Nicholas and Natalia Coiro. She is also survived by a special niece, Sister Kathleen Higgins, O.S.B. The family is extremely grateful for the excellent treatment and incomparable care Margaret received at Southfield Village, both at the Arbors and in the Meadows. The staff was always ready with compassion, kindness, and an endless supply of humor. Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. Thursday, January 7, 2010, in Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN, where a Rosary will be prayed at 4:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, January 8, 2010, in Corpus Christi Catholic Church, with Rev. Daryl Rybicki as celebrant and Rev. Msgr. Michael Heintz as con-celebrant. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Southfield Village, South Bend, IN https://www.greencroft.org/foundation/donations/default.aspx, a non-profit organization. To send online condolences, please visit www.kaniewski.com.

Published in South Bend Tribune on January 6, 2010