Mary E. Trolla

NEGAUNEE, Mich. - Mary E. Trolla, 81, of Negaunee, passed away on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, at the home of her niece, after a two-year battle with cancer.

Mary was born on Jan. 1, 1935, in Wakefield to Italian immigrants, Middio and Pacifica (Ferrari) Trolla. She attended school in Wakefield and graduated from high school in 1952.

Mary received a music scholarship to attend Northern Michigan University and graduated with honors in 1956, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education. In 1961, she received her master's degree from NMU.

She began her teaching career at Negaunee Public Schools and taught there for two years, before returning to Wakefield to teach music for the next four years. During that time, she also served as choir director at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Wakefield and St. Catherine Catholic Church in Marenisco.

In 1962, Mary returned to Negaunee and assumed the position of junior and senior high school choral director and remained in that capacity until her retirement in 1986. Her choral groups were among the finest in the Upper Peninsula and received many first-division ratings at music festivals.

Mary was highly respected among her music peers and was a much-loved teacher by hundreds of students who sang in her choruses. Mary was honored as the Upper Peninsula Music Teacher of the Year and also received an award from the Marquette Choral Society for her outstanding contributions to choral music.

She was chosen by both the Negaunee Elks and Eagles fraternal organizations as their "Citizen of the Year." The Sons of Italy also honored her with this distinction.

Following her retirement, Mary served as the director of the Negaunee Male Chorus, a position she held for 17 years. She was also the assistant director of St. Paul concert choir, an ecumenical community choir, which she held for 30 years and directed the St. Paul Catholic Church choir for nearly 60 years. Mary was an accomplished trumpet player and was a long-time member of the Negaunee City Band. She loved their outdoor concerts and proudly marched in many parades and performed at numerous functions and Memorial Day ceremonies.

Mary was a proud second-generation Italian American and a member of the Marquette County Paisano Club. She was an active participant in all of the club's activities and was currently serving as its president. Mary made several trips to Italy and especially enjoyed her time spent with relatives in her parents' homeland.

Surviving Mary is one brother, Anthony (Donna Colberg), of Wakefield; her very dear, special niece and caregiver with whom she resided since her illness, Phyllis Johnson, of Marquette; nieces, Denise Johnson, of Gladstone, Barbara (John) Siira, of Wakefield, and Linda Fitzgerald, of The Colony, Texas; three nephews, Gerald (Kim) Johnson, of Waukesha, Wis., Anthony (Bonnie) Trolla, of Bergland, and Joseph Trolla, of Wakefield.

Also surviving is her special adopted family, Norman and Maxine Honkala, of Ishpeming, Julie Honkala, of Troy, Mary Beth (Kevin) Strand, of Berkley, Steven (Annika) Honkala, of Wolverine Lake, and their children, Eliisa, Ashley, Natalie and Caitlin Strand, and Brandon and Ethan Honkala.

Mary's special friends, Evelyn Jean Bertucci, Bill Barrette, Tony Beacco, Curt and Geri Ramseth, and David and Linda Rosten also survive her.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Margaret Johnson and Anna Trolla; two brothers, Joseph Trolla and an infant brother, John; and two nephews, James Trolla and Gregory Trolla.

A special thank you to Dr. Wayne Carlson and his staff, Dr. Sheetal Acharya and the oncology staff, and U.P. Home Health and Hospice for the wonderful care afforded to Mary during her illness.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 12, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Negaunee, with Monsignor Peter Oberto as celebrant. The family will greet relatives and friends from 1:30 p.m. until the start of a choir prelude at 4:30 p.m. and also at a dinner in the St. Paul School gymnasium immediately following the Mass.

Pallbearers will be Norman Honkala, Steven Honkala, Gerald Johnson, Curtis Ramseth, David Rosten and John Siira. Burial will be at Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mary's name may be directed to U.P. Home Health and Hospice or St. Paul Education Endowment Fund.

Mary's memorial page may be viewed at koskeyfuneralhome.com, where memories and condolences may be shared.