Mary Jo Contesti

Mary Jo (Miller) Contesti, 77, of Monrovia, Maryland, unexpectedly passed away on December 26, 2025. She was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania on September 16, 1948, daughter of the late Eloise and James Miller also of Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

Mary Jo attended California University of Pennsylvania where she met the love of her life and husband of 58 years, Daniel Edward Contesti. After graduation they moved to Maryland and spent the last 50 years in Monrovia. She raised her three daughters, and when her youngest entered school she began teaching 4th grade at Green Valley Elementary, where she remained for her entire 25 year career. In her tenure as a teacher, she mentored several new teachers and served in many leadership roles. She touched the lives of countless students over the years and developed lifelong friendships with her colleagues who she spent time with often.

After her retirement, Mary Jo’s love of history and ancestry led to her membership in the Frederick Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2016. She held the tenets of the organization close to her heart and from 2018-2024 served as Chapter Historian and Committee Chair for Constitution Week, helping educate young people about the Constitution and why it remains so important.

Mary Jo had many joys in life, including researching family ancestry, scrapbooking, quilting, baking, piano lessons, book club, and gatherings with New Friends. Her greatest joy though, was spending time with her family. Over the years, she was blessed with many family vacations, reunions, and travel, along with countless sporting events to cheer on those she loved.

Mary Jo was loved by all who knew her and will be dearly missed. She is survived by her husband, Daniel Contesti of Monrovia, Maryland and her daughters and their spouses; Anne and Bill Furlong of Haddon Heights, New Jersey, Amy Contesti and Jason Grignon of Montrose, Colorado, and Julie and Ben Arneson of Union Bridge, Maryland. In addition, she is predeceased by grandson Adam Furlong, and survived by grandchildren; Tyler Brown, Shylo and Jason Money, Payton Arneson, Ethan Arneson, and Danny Furlong. She is also predeceased by parents James and Eloise Miller of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and her sister, Joan Ghrist of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

The family will receive family and friends on Saturday, January 3rd, from 12 - 2pm, at Stauffer Funeral Home, 8 East Ridgeville Blvd., Mt. Airy, Maryland, where shared words of love and gratitude will begin at 2pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Adam James Furlong Memorial Fund. Donations (via check) can be mailed in the funds name to: 1213 Sylvan Dr., Haddon Heights, NJ 08035, or brought to the funeral home during the visitation hours.