Mary Margaret Duffey Miceli, 97, left this world to rejoin her beloved husband, John, on 07/01/24. Besides her husband, she is preceded in death by her brother Charles Duffey. She will be missed by her two sisters, Peg Halverson and Betty Duffey. Mary was born to Charles and Margaret Duffey in Chicago, IL. She went to Saint Edward grade school. She graduated from Saint Patrick High School for Girls in Des Plaines in 1945. She met John W. Miceli that same year at the Aragon Ballroom. Their 65-year marriage began in 1947 at Saint Edward Catholic Church in Chicago. They had a truly beautiful marriage. John would call her every day at noon during his lunch hour to check in and to find out how her busy day was going. He often took their children on outings on Sundays so she could get a well-deserved break. They loved to travel. They took their kids camping to national and state parks and spent most summers at "the cottage" near Waupaca WI. She and John even went to Europe twice and Alaska once. Mary and John had 11 children: (1) Jim (Carol) children: Megan, Katie & Sarah (2) Peg (Jerry) (3) Tina (Peter) children: Nick, Emily & Samantha (4) Jean (Walter) (5) Nancy (Walter) his son Phillip & 7 foster children (6) John (Tami) children: Lauren & Max (7) Mary (Rick) children: Claire & Grace (8) Peter (Cynthia) children: Joe, Nathan & Isabelle (9) Frank (Mary) his son Jack & her daughter Jessica (10) Pat (John) children: Amelia, Marie & Tara (11) Sam (Ewa) children: Christopher, Allie & Kasia. To date, Mary and John have 21 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Raising 11 kids in a relatively small house would have been a challenge for anyone, but Mary handled the chaos with grace, kindness, and humor, and the skill of knowing when she needed to leave and take a walk. She instilled in all of her children the importance of compromise, and the perfect balance of sharing and assertiveness, which translated into "sharing everything you thought you owned (but didn't really) and making yourself heard at the dinner table." It was as loud and boisterous as it was fun and loving. Prior to marriage, Mary helped with the war effort at Signal Corps, checking military radios for malfunctions and after the war, she held various office jobs before and after having children. She definitely worked full time as a mother and was exceptional at her job. She was steadfast in her love and support for her children while being fair and holding them to account. She encouraged them to travel and to be life-long learners. Always a voracious reader, she was also a great writer, even publishing in magazines and the Chicago Sun Times. If her children ever couldn't find her, they knew she would be in a corner trying to catch a few pages of reading. Well versed in current events, and with a strong moral compass and belief in justice, Mary was assertive and articulate on political and social issues. When asked recently how she handled adversity, she said she couldn't really think of much adversity in her life and always viewed herself as exceptionally lucky. Those who loved her, knew her attitude and strength significantly contributed to her "luck." John and Mary had 23 years of happy retirement and adventure in Rio Rancho New Mexico. She returned to Chicago after John's passing in 2012. The family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Belmont Village in Buffalo Grove for taking such loving care of her for the past two years. Though her passing is a devastating loss to all of us, it is comforting to know she was clearly ready to go. She looked forward to seeing all her loved ones who had gone before, especially the love of her life, John. In lieu of flowers, donations to Macular Degeneration Society and Alzheimer's Association would be greatly appreciated. Friends and family please join us for a Celebration of Her Life with her requested Ice Cream Social at the Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N. Knox Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 on Sunday, July 14, 2024, from 4 - 7 PM.