It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Marie Spina, a devoted wife and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who died peacefully on May 6, 2018 at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, NJ. Born to Peter and Antonietta Cirillo in Brooklyn, NY on April 14, 1928, Marie was a spirited lover of life who will be remembered for her beautiful smile and willingness to speak her mind. She met the love of her life, the late Frank J. Spina, on the Coney Island beach in 1945 and together they created their family and business, Spina’s Cardinal Designers, relocating to Staten Island in 1971 before retiring to Long Branch, NJ in 1993. In recent years she resided in Eatontown with her daughter Lorraine Johnsen who took great care of her. She was an avid reader, a fantastic cook and wonderful host, an early fashionista, and a fan of music, theater and baseball. But apart from her family, Marie’s biggest passion was horseracing, and on many summer days throughout her life she could be found at Monmouth Park, where she and husband owned and handicapped thoroughbreds; the former they did in partnership, the latter, less so. Marie is predeceased by her beloved husband, Frank, who passed away on June 2, 2008. She is survived by her brother, Nicholas Cirillo (St. Johns, FL); children: Chuck Spina and his wife, Helen (Monmouth Beach, NJ), Carol French (Staten Island, NY) and Lorraine Johnsen (Eatontown, NJ); her grandchildren: Frank Spina and his wife, Sonia (Asbury Park, NJ), Lauren Spina (Monmouth Beach, NJ), Peter Spina (Long Branch, NJ), Niles French and his wife, Ilana (Staten Island, NY), Charles Spina (Eatontown, NJ) and Ed Copeland (Monmouth Beach, NJ); and her great-grandchildren: Maddison and Noah French and Archie Spina. A funeral mass in Marie’s honor will be held 10AM on Friday, May 11, 2018 at Church of the Precious Blood in Monmouth Beach. The family invites you write a letter of condolence, light a candle or share a story by selecting the appropriate tab.