Obituary of Mary Taronji

TARONJI, MARY passed away peacefully on October 15, 2023, at Reston Hospital, Reston, VA. Mary was born in 1945 in Havana, Cuba, as Maria de los Angeles Benigna de la Caridad Pineda y Guell. She changed her name to Mary Taronji when she became a U.S. citizen in 1971. She and her husband Jim of 53 years met in San Juan, Puerto Rico after Jim came back from Vietnam. She was his father’s next-door neighbor and he arranged their meeting. They were engaged a week after they met. They married in 1970 in Puerto Rico. They moved to DC for Jim to finish college and attend law school.

Mary worked at the U.S. House of Representatives for a number of Resident Commissioners from Puerto Rico and for the Congressman from Dayton, Ohio. Mary is survived by her three children—Ian Taronji, Mark Taronji, and Nicole Crossley. She has six grandchildren—Jordan Taronji, Andrew Taronji, Jaime Taronji, Liam Rocks, Teagan Rocks, and Ava Taronji. 

There will be a Funeral Mass celebrated on November 17 at 11:30 am at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 750 Peach Street, Herndon, VA. She will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery as she waits to be reunited with her husband. 

She is loved by her family and the friendships she and Jim developed during their marriage. Details of her illness while at Reston Hospital are posted at https://www.caringbridge.com/visit/marytaronji.

The family has requested no gifts or flowers. Anyone choosing to honor Mary’s memory can make a contribution to Lucky Dog Animal Rescue at https://www.luckydoganimalrescue.org/home.