Obituary of Maureen Owens Zamuner

Maureen Owens Zamuner Nov. 29, 1936- Mar.12, 2023

 Our lovely Irish rose, Maureen Owens Zamuner, died Sunday, March 12 in Burbank, California in the tender care of her eldest daughter, Michele. Maureen was predeceased by her parents Charles and Rose Owens, husband Dino Zamuner, and her siblings and their spouses: John (Mary), Helen (John), and Charlie. In addition to Michele, she is survived by her beloved children Diane (Patrick), Paula, Elizabeth, Mimi (Andrew), and Mark (Amy). She is also survived by her younger sister, Pat (Jimmy) and sister-in-law Mary. Maureen was the proud and loving grandmother to fifteen grandchildren and an aunt to many nieces and nephews. Maureen grew up in the Incarnation parish of Washington Heights, NYC and she graduated from St. Michael’s High School in Manhattan. The first thing she did when she turned 18 was open a Bloomingdale’s account. She met her husband Dino, an attorney, in the Village after crashing a party he was attending, and he instantly fell in love with her captivating eyes. They married and settled in Inwood in 1961 to raise their family. After her sixth child was school-age she became an assistant kindergarten teacher at Good Shepherd School. Maureen thrived in the classroom environment and demonstrated great kindness and patience with the wee ones. Every year Maureen participated in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade where she proudly marched with the Leitrim Society. This was followed by a large clan gathering at her mother’s apartment. She loved sharing Friday night teas with her mom and sisters, spending summers at the shore in Avon by the Sea, N.J., reconnecting with her siblings at yearly Owens’ picnics in Mohansic Park, and, in her later years, attending her grandchildren’s important school and sporting events. In 2005, after 43 years in Inwood, she and her husband made the daring move to sunny California so they could be closer to many of their children’s families. There, they enjoyed hosting Sunday dinners again and sleepovers with the grandkids. Maureen moved in with her son Mark and his family in 2019, and luckily was surrounded by loved ones during the COVID lockdown. While she was never a dog owner she suddenly developed a close bond with their black lab Cooper, and she took pleasure in sunbathing with the dog on the front porch and took pride in being responsible for the task of Cooper’s daily feedings. Maureen spent her final months in Burbank enjoying slow walks, reading, and watching PBS and BBC series with Michele. Maureen loved her family, traveling, musicals, mystery novels, and a good dessert. Her final message to her children was “I love you. Please be good, Ciao”.         

Visitation will be held at Riverdale Funeral Home, Inc, 5044 Broadway, NY on Monday, March 20. 2023 4pm-8pm. 

Funeral Mass will be held at St. Margaret Cortona, 6000 Riverdale Ave, Bronx, NY 10471 on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 9:45am. 

Burial will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 W Stevens Ave., Hawthorne, NY 10532.