Maria Loizzi

Marie Loizzi (nee: Perrino) passed away on March 21, 2017 at the age of 87. She is survived by daughter, Francine LeRoy (Raymond), four grandchildren, Matthew LeRoy, Carolyn Arny, Rae-Michelle LeRoy and Kevin Frey. Additionally, she is survived by seven grandchildren: Arnys; Skyler, Taya, Sawyer, Myana, and Kavian; Freys; Antonio and Alexander.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 31 years, Eugene Michael Loizzi (age 51), daughter, Roselle (age 58) and infant twin daughter, Rosemarie.

Marie had a great gift for all things theatrical. Born in Bari, Italy, she immigrated to the United States at the age of 7. She said she learned English by watching American movies over and over again. While she carried fond memories of Italy her whole life, she was most proud of being a United States citizen.

She always loved to sing, dance and act and had early thoughts of moving to New York City to perform professionally. However, she met and fell in love with Eugene Loizzi and moved from Chicago to Cleveland when they were married. Four years later, they were the parents of two beautiful daughters. Both daughters took dance lessons and by the mid 1960s, the stage was set for Marie’s truest talent to be revealed. She started directing amateur theater shows and with Gene and started Gene and Marie’s Show Troupe, which performed all over the Cleveland.  In 1966, that morphed into Southwest Cultural Arts, a non-profit organization. With Gene as producer and Marie as director, the organization changed the face of community theater in Cleveland, as well as the lives of the many who passed through its doors. Marie had a very special gift of seeing talent in people that they could not even see themselves. Then directing and working with them she would help them find that talent and use it to create quality performances. 

In its ten years of existence, SWCA not only produced over 50 quality and acclaimed musicals and plays, but also gave its members lifetime experiences and friendships. There were even eight marriages between people who met at SWCA!

After SWCA, Marie went on to work with children at the Metzenbaum Children’s Center and  then to teaching theater and directing performances at a number of venues including her daughter’s Gotta Dance Studios. Her last project at the age of 86 was directing fellow residents at White Oak Apartments in a show featuring excerpts from “You are a Good Man Charlie Brown”. Anyone who had the good fortune to work under her tutelage and direction had an experience they would never forget.

Marie’s life was not an easy one. She experienced many tragedies including the loss of an infant twin daughter, being the victim of two severe auto accidents, losing her husband when she was only 52 and losing another daughter who died at the age of 58. However, Marie was no shrinking violet and was as resilient as the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”. She found a way to face each challenge and find a way to not only survive, but thrive. And that was the good fortune of anyone who met her.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30am on Monday, March 27, 2017 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 260 Broad Street, Wadsworth, OH. The family will receive friends from 1:00-5:00pm on Sunday, March 26, 2017 at Cox-McNulty Funeral Home, 1376 High Street, Wadsworth, OH. Interment will take place at Mound Hill Cemetery, Seville, OH.

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