Maria Doina Ciobuca was born August 7, 1941 to mother Florica and father Atanase. Born amidst World War II, her childhood was marked by supply shortages and food rationing, and thereafter the slow and tumultuous recovery of Europe's economy. With her father conscripted to fight in the war, Maria and her two sisters, Vicky and Olga, had a close upbringing.

At the age of eighteen, her mother passed away and with her older sister having already started her own family, Maria had to step into the role of caring for her younger sister, Vicky, further strengthening the bond between them.

Despite these hardships, Maria kept going. She married Dumitru Ciobuca in 1965 and together raised their cherished only daughter, Julia, in Constanta, Romania. She trained and practiced as a social worker-sometimes facilitating local adoptions-and made a lasting impact in the communities she worked with.

In the 80s, as the communist system was being more intrusive, her family sought a fresh start and eventually emigrated to the United States, settling in New York City, where she worked various entry-level jobs and finally re-trained to help process payroll for many client companies of the Depository Trust.

Her hard work paid off, and she led a rich life with her husband and daughter, eventually becoming a grandmother to Emma and Celine.

As a grandmother, now known to her granddaughters as "Buni", she loved attending their music recitals and theatre performances, going on nature walks, and visiting local treasures. She moved to Ossining in 2004 to be closer to her family, and admired the nature she could now see from each window in her apartment.

More than just a mother, wife, and grandmother, Maria was a multifaceted individual. She enjoyed cooking, art, fashion, and the color green, and was intrigued by the mysteries of the universe. And luckily, she was able to see some of the world's mysteries and marvels in her various travels throughout her life - Hungary, Italy, and Venezuela, to name just a few.

We are so sad to lose Maria, but we are so blessed to have been a part of her life and story.

Maria was predeceased by her sister Vicky, her husband Dumitru, and her cat Cosmos.

She is survived by her sister, Olga Dionisie, her daughter, Julia Ciobuca, her son-in-law, Radu Ilioiu, and her two granddaughters, Emma and Celine Brad.

Maria will be missed by many, and loved forever.