Mona's Celebration of Life

A Life of Love, Loss and Determination

Mona Ann Passante • 1935 – 2022

Mona Ann (Ramey) (Hoover) Passante passed on to be with God on October 21, 2022. Mona Ann Ramey was born on January 14, 1935 to John Lawrence and Sarah Catherine Ramey. She grew up on Maynard Avenue in Columbus, Ohio as the oldest sibling with sisters, Jeanie, Rita and Dona and brother David. Mona was born an identical twin, but her sister Mary sadly passed on after only five days on this Earth. Mona went on to attend Holy Name for elementary school, before heading on to North High School and graduating in 1954. She was an excellent student and well-liked by her peers.

Mona married her high school sweetheart (Ron Hoover) in 1955 and gave birth to her first child,

Craig Allen Hoover on May 27, 1956. Five years later, she brought Scott Michael Hoover into the world, followed one year later with the birth of Brian David Hoover. Then came a four-year break before Beth Ann (Hoover) Schoenberg was born and then seven years later

came the surprise birth of Melissa Renee (Hoover) McBride.

Like most young newly married couples, Mona and Ron struggled to get ahead, living in Columbus and even Springfield for a while. One of her lifelong dreams was, of course, to own a home and you can

imagine her joy when that dream came true in 1961 when she moved into her very own house on Crawford Drive in Columbus. A little more than ten years later, Mona upgraded and moved into her true dream home on Wyandotte Road in Upper Arlington. She finished raising all five of her children on Wyandotte and eventually downsized and moved to a charming condominium on Tartan Lane in Columbus.

Mona loved her children and worked hard to keep them safe and happy. She worked many different jobs over the years and did whatever it took to make ends meet, including

working as a waitress for Stouffers, and many different retail jobs in sales and management, including The Concept, Calico Corner, Montaldo’s, The Union, Gold Street, Jacobsen’s, Howard Brooks and Waterford Hall.

After divorcing and being single and independent for many years, Mona met a

wonderful gentleman who brought peace and love into her life. His name was Aldo Passante and the two met via a friend and were married for nearly 10 years. This was a wonderful time in her life and the two had a lot of fun and adventures together. Mona spent her final years living solo in her home on Francisco Road in Columbus. She thrived in her beautiful cottage on a big corner lot for 22 years and defied anyone who suggested that she move in with a son or daughter. She had a very independent spirit and like the song suggests, she “did it her way.” She was blessed with loving and helpful neighbors, like Patty Buening, who

would stop by all the time to check on her and bring her treats. Others would do simple chores without being asked and even included her in their Keno and other social groups.

Mona made a special bond and friendship with Anne Clark in 2000 that was much like a mother and daughter relationship. Anne, along with Mona’s children and other family members were there by her side to see her through to be with God.

Times were not always great for Mona, having gone through more than her share of life’s tragedies, like a divorce and the death of a son and a daughter. She lost her love, Aldo, in March of 2005 and lived

alone from that time forward. She remained brave for her other children, but a noticeable sadness always seemed to linger. She found solace in her dog and confidant Mia and her cat Annie. You would never dare suggest that these creatures were anything less than human, as she deeply cared for all of her animals though thick and thin. In the last remaining days of her life, Mona also received Jesus Christ as her savior, bringing her a sense a peace.

Mona had an amazing talent for decorating and could have certainly had a career in interior design under different life circumstances. She could make any room come to life with unique pieces that were not necessarily expensive, but always unique. She had the knack and many of us benefited from her talent which she gladly shared. Mona was a

very talented and creative person who could draw, sketch and paint with a professional’s eye for color and design. Mona lived for the spring and for the time when she could plant her flowers and see her property on Francisco Road bounce back to life after another long, grey winter. She loved her home, flowers and landscaping that together

made her corner lot the envy of the neighborhood.

Mona was a breast cancer survivor and battled COPD along with congestive heart failure for many years with two near death experiences within a year’s time. After the second hospitalization in 2019, she was sent to her daughter Melissa’s home, weak and

frail, and it appeared that her time was most certainly near its end. Mona insisted that she be allowed to go to her home whenever possible to enjoy her yard and say hello to her wonderful neighbors. Eventually and against doctors wishes, she insisted on moving back into her home on Francisco Road.

To everyone’s surprise, she made an amazing recovery and began thriving again, even doing yard work and planting her flowers that she loved so much. It was both astonishing and inspirational. Mona had a stubborn yet enduring spirt and was never one to give up on anything. Her final days

were spent surrounded by family and friends, comfortable in their care. She has moved on to the next level of existence and is now with her son Craig and daughter, Beth who went to be with God before her.

May God bless and keep Mona Ann Passante.

Family is Her Legacy

Children

Craig

Grandchildren

Chad

Great-Grandchildren

Spencer,