Submitted by: Dan Rich

Mary Lucy Kapitan

July 9, 1922 - Sept. 25, 2008

South Bend Tribune 9/27/2008
SOUTH BEND - Mrs. Mary Lucy (Zazzo) Kapitan, 88, of South Bend passed away at 9:32 pm, at Regency Place following an illness. Mary was born on July 9, 1922 in Lawrence, Massachusetts to Vincent and Constance (Tomasselli) Zazzo. She graduated from Somerville Hospital School of Nursing in Somerville, MA with her RN then received her BS in Nursing Education, her MS in Nursing Administration and her PhD in Nursing all from DePaul University in Chicago. She served as Director of Nursing at several Hospitals and Industrial Corporations. She was known as a "tough cookie" and for "running a tight ship." She served in the US Army Nursing Corps during WWII. She married John A. Kapitan, while they were both serving in the military on September 6, 1947 in Yokohama, Japan. He was a District Manager for Dunn and Bradstreet and moved several times for work to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati as well as South Bend and so she worked for several different hospitals and Corporations along the way until they retired here in South Bend. She is survived by a sister Rita (Jospeh) Pappalado of Methuen, MS, and several nieces and nephews. Also surviving are John's brothers: Ambrose (Patricia) Kapitan of Dyer, IN; Anthony Kapitan of Whiting, IN and Joseph (Eleanor) Kapitan of Highland, IN; and John's sisters: Mary Germek of Crown Point, IN and Tillie (Ray) Bryan of Gary, IN. She was predeceased by a sister Lydia Santagti, a brother Joseph Zazzo, and a brother-in-law Rudolph (Mary) Kapitan of Merrillville, IN.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am, on Tuesday at St. Anthony dePadua Catholic Church on the corner of Jefferson and Ironwood where friends may call one hour prior to the mass. McGann Hay Funerals | Cremations | Gatherings, University Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Burial will be at 1:30 pm South Bend Time, 12:30 pm Hammond Time, at St. John's Cemetery, 1547 167th St, Hammond, IN. Memorial donations may be made to St. Anthony's Parish, at 2014 E. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend, IN 46615.