Mary Jeanne Naccarato, 91

Mary Jeanne Naccarato, 91, was born to George and Bessie Barnes on Aug. 17, 1929, in Redfield, South Dakota. She died in Pullman, Washington, on April 13, 2021, at her residence in Bishop Place Senior Living.

As the youngest of five children born to George and Bessie, Jeanne moved from Bonilla, South Dakota, to Oregon when she was in the seventh grade as her dad went to work in the shipyard in Cornelius. In the middle of Jeanne’s junior year, the family moved to Laclede, Idaho, and she graduated from Priest River High School in 1947.

While in high school, she dated Angel Naccarato; they later married and celebrated 70 years of marriage on Dec. 10, 2018. Jeanne and Angel lived a very simple and humble life together.

Several words could be used to describe Jeanne; however, for those who really knew her, all would agree on smart, strong, and direct. She was often the most well-read in the room and was not afraid to speak up when she knew she was right. Jeanne was a voracious reader and made crossword puzzle completion her mission upon retirement. Her kids would tell you she “let dad be dad,” often quietly hanging in his shadow — yet neither was complete without the other.

In her younger days, she worked for the telephone company in Newport as a switchboard operator. For 23 years, Jeanne worked for the city of Priest River, walking to work each day from her home in Bodie Canyon. She never learned to drive other than from the backseat when someone else was at the wheel. In 1966, Jeanne and Angel bought their place in Bodie Canyon and, while it was Angel’s life dream to be a farmer, Jeanne was in the thick of being a farmer’s wife — up in the dark feeding cows in the frigid cold and riding the tractor with him as he worked the fields. 

Jeanne was a rabid NBA fan right up until the end, always cheering on her beloved Spurs and any team playing the Lakers. She was fiercely competitive and beat her grandkids in multiple games of Monopoly and cribbage. Aside from her signature poofy-perm hairdo and always having a Kleenex in her hand, perhaps her real claim to fame was her homemade bread and buns. Because Angel would not eat store-bought bread, early on in their marriage she learned to bake it and did so multiple times a week when all her kids were still at home. It was always a race to see who could get the end cuts and slather them with butter while the bread was still warm. While several have tried to replicate her recipe, they never quite taste the same — one of her grandkids said it was because she put “love” in her batches. While not even a little bit Italian, she learned to make all the traditional foods and treats, her anise cookies being particularly noteworthy.   

After they married, Jeanne converted to Catholicism and was a lifelong member of St. Catherine’s Church. She prayed the rosary every day (while in the bathtub!) and was always a good and faithful servant.

Jeanne’s son Don (Lynn), son Jeff (Joy), and daughter Nancy (Larry) survive her. She has ten grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Angel; and her second great-grandchild, Kurt Anthony Mitchell Bleeker.

A rosary, beginning at 10:45 a.m., and funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 24, at 11 a.m. in St. Catherine’s Church in Priest River. Arrangements are being handled by Sherman-Campbell in Newport and burial will be at the Evergreen Cemetery in Priest River. A celebration of Jeanne’s life will continue immediately following at Popeye’s Lounge in downtown Priest River. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Old Settlement School Restoration Project, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, or Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. 

We will miss her phone calls.

Sherman-Campbell Funeral & Cremation Services in Priest River is in charge of arrangements.  Family and friends are invited to sign the online guest book at  shermancampbell.com.