Mary Leola Naccarato, 92
Bonner County Daily Bee | UPDATED 1 month, 1 week AGO
Mary Leola Naccarato, 92, passed away Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Funeral Mass will be conducted at 3 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Rob Cook officiating. Interment will take place in the Colfax Cemetery on Nov. 7, 2025.
Newly born Mary Leola Presnell was rescued along with her parents Roby and Francis Presnell in Colfax, Wash., on Jan. 7, 1933, by firefighters in waste-deep water stemming from flooding of the Palouse River. Mary Lee was extremely proud of being brought up on a farm that grew wheat, peas, and barley. Mary Lee’s education started in a one-room country schoolhouse called the Star School. From there, she attended St. Ignatius Middle School in Colfax and the high school at the Ursuline Academy in Moscow, Idaho.
Being a devout Catholic, Mary was very pleased with the education that she received from the nuns at the Ursuline Academy and at Holy Names Academy in Spokane where she attended college and earned her teaching degree. She loved teaching especially working with the children she taught in Sacramento, Calif., Moses Lake and Spokane Valley, Wash.
She met and married elementary school principal Junior (Mr. Nick) Naccarato and moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where she finished out her teaching career of 25 years and raised three children Shawn, Terry, and Chris.
Even after retiring from teaching, Mary Lee was a lifelong learner who loved reading the newspaper each morning with her coffee (two creams and two sugars). She loved looking at art and listening to music (especially piano). Always being in possession of her Rosary, she devotedly said it every day. Mary Lee will be returned to her beloved Palouse country and be laid to rest at the Colfax Cemetery in Washington state.
Mary Lee was preceded in death by her husband, Junior; her mother and father; and her two brothers, Robert and Mark Presnell. She has eight grandchildren, Sean, Ryan, Emily, Savanna, Garrett, Anthony, Cameron, and Adaline; and she has seven great-grandchildren.
Family and friends are invited to sign Mary’s online guest book at coffeltfuneral.com.
Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.