Sumalee (Sue) Mariani Obituary (1941 - 2021)

Sumalee (Sue) Mariani, age 80, peacefully passed away in the morning hours of Saturday December 11, 2021, at her home in Syracuse, Utah. She was born in Thailand on January 10, 1941, the daughter of Kam Visaso and Chawee Visaso. She was educated in Thailand. In 1952, Sumalee married Sumott Pongpommard. From that union, were born five children, four girls and one boy: Wipanrat, Triemsin, Sirirak, Jurarat (Noy), and Vasna. They were later divorced. She met and fell in love with John Mariani in Thailand. They moved to the U.S. and Sumalee and John P. Mariani were married in 1976 in Reno, Nevada. They enjoyed 47 years of marriage together. Combining their families, they cherished their 23 grandchildren (11 biological grandchildren) and 3 great-grandchildren. Nature and the great outdoors always held a dear spot in Sumalee's heart and her greatest memories were created while camping, fishing, traveling in their motor home, stargazing, gardening, feeding stray cats, cooking, and eating good food with friends and family. Sumalee especially enjoyed spending time on the sailboat with her beloved husband. Other hobbies she developed and enjoyed included knitting, collecting knick-knacks, bowling, shopping, traveling to Wendover, watching Thai soap opera, and attending the Thai temples and festivities. The family would like to sincerely thank Marwin Scott from the bottom of their hearts for lovingly caring for his beloved grandmother over the last 3 years until her last breath. Throughout her life, Sumalee was a devout Buddhist. She was preceded in death by her first husband and her grandson Timothy Pongpommard. Surviving are her husband, John P. Mariani, daughter Wipanrat Plengsirivat (Tom) of West Haven, son Triemsin Pongpommard (Priyawarn) of West Haven, daughters Sirirak Sarmiento of Syracuse, Utah, Jurarat (Noy) McKean (Rick) of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Vasna Mariani Lam of Nibley, Utah, stepdaughter Donna Gale Mariani of Goldsboro, North Carolina, stepsons John Mariani of Athens, Alabama, and Joseph Mariani of Clearfield. The family would like to express special thanks to the Buddhist Temple, Wat Chaimongkolvararam and invite others to leave memorial donations to the Buddhist temple in Sumalee's honor. A viewing will be held at 11:30 a.m. - 12:40 p.m. on Friday, December 17, 2021, at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington Blvd., Ogden, Utah. Buddhist funeral rites will be held on Friday under Abbott Suphat Ukyai at 1:00 p.m. and the cremation will follow the services.