Mary Leola Naccarato

Mary Leola Naccarato, 92, passed away on Thursday, October 23, 2025 in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Funeral Mass will be conducted at 3:00 pm, Thursday, November 6, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Fater Rob Cook officiating. Interment will take place in the Colfax Cemetery on November 7, 2025.

Newly born Mary Leola Presnell was rescued along with her parents Roby and Francis Presnell in Colfax, Washington on January 7th, 1933 by fire fighters 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 school house 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, California, Moses Lake and Spokane Valley, Washington.

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 2 brothers (Robert and Mark Presnell). She has 8 grandchildren: Sean, Ryan, Emily, Savanna, Garrett, Anthony, Cameron, and Adaline; and she has 7 great grandchildren.