MaryAnn Decena Becker

MaryAnn Decena Becker passed away surrounded by her loving family at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boardman on January 13, 2023.
MaryAnn was born January 1, 1979, in Youngstown, the daughter of Thomas and Corazon Becker.  MaryAnn lived at home with her parents and enjoyed many travels and experiences as her family moved around the country in support of her father’s Marine Corps career.
She started school at the Leonard Kurtz School in Austintown and progressed through school systems in North Carolina, California, and South Carolina, ultimately graduating from Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, SC.  Her travels took her to interesting places such as Disney World, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Rushmore, where she got to enjoy Bike Week at Sturgis.  She also made several trips to the Philippines to spend time with her Filipino family and enjoy many of the attractions the Philippines has to offer.  Along the way, she met interesting people such as President Ronald Regan and Irene Bedard (actress who is the voice of Disney’s Pocahontas).  She was a Brownie, a Girl Scout, and participated in Special Olympics.
MaryAnn liked listening to music and she liked to dance.  She enjoyed participating in Filipino American Organization events and the Canfield Fair where she would spend the entire week working with her Mom at the Philippines booth in the MVCCS International building.  She liked to golf with her Grandma and Pappap, an occasional breakfast with Grandma and the “breakfast buddies,” and attending Scrappers games with Pappap and her cousin, Edward.  MaryAnn also enjoyed making new friends at the Down Syndrome Association of the Valley and participating in the opportunities and activities the DSAV has to offer.  She was a member of the Filipino American Organization of North Eastern Ohio (FAONEO) and the Down Syndrome Association of the Valley (DSAV).
Everyone liked MaryAnn.  She was quiet, very loving, and often funny.  A real character and someone people tended to gravitate to.  She is survived by her parents. Mom’s constant companion and always Dad’s little girl, words can’t convey how much she was loved and how much she’ll be missed.
In addition to her parents, MaryAnn leaves her grandparents, Thomas and Joan Becker of Austintown; grandmother, Fe Decena of the Philippines; aunt and uncle, Terry and Jeff Cramer of Poland; and numerous aunts and uncles in the Philippines; as well as numerous cousins.
MaryAnn was preceded in death by her brother Dennis Becker; and grandfather, Higino Abatayo.
In memory of MaryAnn, her family requests in lieu of flowers and gifts, all contributions be made to the Down Syndrome Association of the Valley, c/o 945 Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman, OH 44512 or www.dsav.org.
Friends will be received Thursday, January 19, from 4-7 p.m. at the Cunningham-Becker Funeral Home in Poland. A prayer service will be held Friday at 10:15 a.m. at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Our Savior Parish at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Struthers with Fr. Philip Rogers officiating. Interment will follow at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Lowellville.