Daughter of Brockton boxer Rocky Marciano dies at 58
As a child, after both of his parents had died, one special person encouraged Rocky Marciano Jr. to get involved in sports: his older sister, Mary Anne.
When he played baseball, Mary Anne Marciano, 15 years his elder, “was my team mother,” Rocky Jr., son of the boxing legend, said Friday.
“She made sure if I wanted to get involved in sports, I got involved,” said Marciano, 43, of Florida. “She did the things that my mother would do at that age.”
Mary Anne Marciano, the daughter of Rocky Marciano, died unexpectedly on June 3 at her home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., from complications of a respiratory illness. She was 58.
Her death happened shortly before a visit to Brockton, planned for Monday, of World Boxing Council officials to discuss plans for a statue honoring her late father, the only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated.
“She was definitely looking forward to the unveiling of the statue,” said her uncle, Peter Marciano Sr., 70, of Plymouth. “We’re saddened by her loss. She was a great gal, and we’ll miss her.”
Born in Brockton, she later moved to Florida with her parents, Rocky and Barbara Marciano.
At the age of 16, relatives said, Mary Anne provided comfort to her mother, Barbara, when her father, who had retired from boxing, died in a plane crash in 1969 at age 45.
Then, five years later in 1974, the siblings lost their mother, Barbara, to lung cancer at age 46.
Mary Anne Marciano worked for several years at a market research company in Florida, her brother said.
She dealt with health issues later in life, suffering from a brain injury about a decade ago, he said. A longtime smoker, she was later diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, he said.
She enjoyed horseback riding, ice skating and listening to classic rock ‘n’ roll music, her brother said.
Mary Anne Marciano will be cremated at her wish, her brother said. A private funeral is planned in Florida at a later date. A private memorial service is also planned by relatives locally.
Her late parents are entombed in a mausoleum in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Rocky Marciano Jr. said he spoke with his sister days before her death and had planned to barbecue with her on the Fourth of July.
“My sister had the qualities of my father in her: his strength, the warmness,” her brother said. “I know she’s looking down on us. She’s up there with my mom and dad. She’s at peace now.”
Maria Papadopoulos may be reached at mpapadopoulos@enterprisenews.com.