Marie A. Cucchiara, 63, of Port Austin died Sunday, February 21, 2021 at McLaren Thumb Region in Bad Axe.

Marie was born August 24, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of the late Philip and Rosalie (LaFata) Palazzolo.  Marie Palazzolo married Salvatore Cucchiara on February 21, 1979 at St. Louis Catholic Church in Warren, Michigan.

Marie and her husband owned and operated Joe's Pizzeria in Port Austin for over 25 years.

Marie enjoyed spending time with her family and spending time in her condo in Florida. She loved cooking and travelling including her many trips with her family to Italy to visit their relatives.  She was noted for her fabulous costumes since Halloween was her favorite holiday.  Maria was an advocate for Autism Awareness and organized many events to benefit it.

She is survived by her husband Salvatore and her children:  Joseph (Eliss) Cucchiara of Texas, Filippo Cucchiara of Bad Axe, Salvatore (Jill) Cucchiara of Macomb Township, and Francesca Cucchiara of Port Austin.  Also surviving are her grandchildren Jordan and Jaxon Cucchiara.

Marie is survived by her siblings:  Phyllis Evola of Macomb Township, Patricia (Dennis) Ballard of St. Clair Shores, and Rosemary Luongo of California; as well as her in-laws: Gioacchino Cucchiara, Rosa Cucchiara, and Maria Ferrigno of Sicily.

She was preceded in death by her in-laws Giuseppe Cucchiara, Vincenzo Cucchiara, and Natale Luongo.

Funeral Mass for Marie will be 11:00 am at St. Michael's Catholic Church of The Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Port Austin on Saturday. February 27, 2021. Visitation will be  on Friday, February 26, 2021 from 3:00 to 8:00 pm at the Knoblock Funeral Home in Kinde, and at the church on Saturday morning from 10:00 until the time of the funeral at 11:00 am.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Autism Alliance of Michigan at Donate - Autism Alliance of Michigan