Maria C. (Nardone) Kaegi, born April 15, 1936, in Kingston, Pennsylvania, died November 6, 2023, in Aliso Viejo, California.
She was the daughter of Thomas P. and Josephine E. Nardone. Her paternal grandmother, Antoinette (Mommie) also lived in her childhood home.
Maria was predeceased by her older sister, Antoinette and her younger brother, Paul.
Her husband of 59 years, Emil Miles Kaegi, died July 13, 2022.
She is survived by three sons, Emil Miles Jr. (Patte) of Aliso Viejo, Thomas Paul (Kathy) of Lincoln, Massachusetts, and David Maurer (Brenda) of Scripps Ranch, California.
Her beloved grandchildren are Emily, Tyler, Graham, Matthew, Zoe and Thomas.
Maria attended Saint Anne’s Academy, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Marywood College in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
She met Emil while working as a mathematician and computer programmer for General Electric Corporation in Philadelphia during the 1960s. She and Emil had three sons while living in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, and they moved to California in 1972.
Maria’s greatest love was her family. She kept close track of her children’s and grandchildren’s activities and was very proud of them. She loved music, having gone to college with the initial intention of being a concert violinist before switching to mathematics. She loved to swim and enjoyed the beach. She was a devout Catholic and could always be found in her usual pew at St. Bede’s Church.
Maria raised her three sons in La Cañada. She encouraged them to work and study hard. She was a consistent presence at soccer games in Pasadena (AYSO region 13) and throughout L.A. County. Many of the boys’ teammates appreciated her orange slices at the games and her welcoming kitchen table at home.
She spent 30 years teaching middle school math and was proud to start the computer program at St. Bede the Venerable School.
She spent the last decade of her life living in Orange County near her oldest son, Miles.
There will be a Catholic Mass celebrated at Corpus Christi Church in Aliso Viejo on Friday, November 24, at 1 p.m. Family and friends are welcome. A reception will follow. Her ashes will be interred at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania.
