Marija Zarins Pascuzzi

February 5, 1922 - January 12, 2018

Bluefield, WV - Marija Zarins Pascuzzi, 95, passed this life into her eternal home at Glenwood Retirement Village on January 12, 2018 surrounded by friends and the loving caregivers of the Village. Marija made her home in Bluefield since 1958 and was preceded in death by her husband Frank Pascuzzi. Marija is survived by a niece, Marija Baslika, of Auce, Latvia in Europe. Left to cherish her memory are the many friends she made over her lifetime, the care givers at Glenwood and her long time special friend and care overseer, Gary Linkous. Marija was born on February 5, 1922, in a small village in Latvia, Europe. At the age of 20, she came to America from a German refugee camp, the result of the Soviet invasion of Latvia in WWI I. Having studied and completed much of the needed studies in dentistry, she was sponsored by a dentist in Welch, WV where she made her early home in America and Robert and Clara Whitelaw who became lifelong friends and helped her become fluent in the English language. She completed her dental studies at Tufts University in Boston, Ma, in 1952. She was a pioneer in dentistry for women. Marija graduated among the top of her class with only two other female students who studied dentistry at that time. Marija had several great loves of her life - her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whom she portrayed in her daily life with all the gifts of the spirit, her husband Frank whom she married on Thanksgiving Day in 1961, her life work of dentistry for 42 years and her love of oil painting. Marija painted hundreds of oil paintings over her lifetime which she gifted to many of her friends. In 2015, over 150 of her paintings were sold at art auction with the proceeds donated to the Alzheimer's Association. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 2:00 at Mercer Funeral Home in Bluefield, WV with Pastor David Dockery of First Baptist Church in Princeton presiding. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. An interment service will be conducted in the Monte Vista Cemetery mausoleum, with final interment next to her husband Frank. In lieu of flowers, in honor and memory of Marija, may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, West Virginia Chapter, 1601 2nd Avenue, Charleston, West Virginia 25387. Those wishing to share memories or condolence messages with the family may do so by visiting www.MercerFuneralHome.com Mercer Funeral Home of Bluefield is serving the Pascuzzi family.