Marilyn E. Canedi

Marilyn E. Canedi, 91, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on April 4, 2025. Marilyn was born on September 23, 1933, in Portsmouth, Ohio to Vaughn and Arline (Vogt) Lipker. Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, the love of her life, Robert “Bob” P. Canedi, and her brother Ronald Lipker. She is survived by her four devoted daughters Elaine (Robert) Chagnon, Laura (Stephen) Knudsen, Brenda (Jerry) Sibilia, and Cara Canedi, her six grandchildren Andrea (Brad) Shoenfelt, Nathaniel Chagnon, Andrew (Kristen) Lareau, Caroline Lareau, Sarah Knudsen and her husband Farrukh Vohidov, Regina Sibilia, and her four great-grandchildren Alexa, Emerson, Norah, and Rustam, and her loving brother Keith Lipker and his wife Jean and their children Emma and Gabriel.
From her early years growing up as a mid-western farm girl to her twilight years surrounded by her ever-growing family, Marilyn was a source of joy, laughter, and amazing life stories for everyone she met. Her high school classmates described her best as “a delightful companion aglow with originality.” The light she shined on the world is what caught the attention of her husband of 36 years, Bob, when he was on a business trip to Ohio. For both, it was love at first sight and Bob told Marilyn he could not leave for his home in Massachusetts without asking for her hand in marriage. They were married just a few months later on February 20, 1954. Marilyn left the only home she had ever known to start her life halfway across the country, exhibiting the quiet strength and fierce independence that would serve as an example for her daughters and grandchildren throughout her life. Bob built her a house with his own hands, where they raised their girls, creating happy memories Marilyn’s family will always cherish.
Marilyn will forever be remembered for her infectious laughter (most times at her own expense), her loving and warm demeanor, and her love of great food, a good beer, and a strong margarita. Marilyn’s loved ones will forever be grateful to their extended family, close friends, and the care team at JGS LifeCare for their unwavering support during this trying time.
A Visitation is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on April 11th at Toomey-O'Brien Funeral Home, 1043 Westfield St., West Springfield MA, followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:30 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in West Springfield MA. Burial will follow at St. Michael's Cemetery in Springfield MA.
In lieu of flowers, Marilyn’s family requests donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.