Marietta Catherine "Cookie" Rosa Mongioi Cady, age 75, passed away at Spearfish Hospital on December 20, 2024. She was born in Brooklyn, NY to Rocco and Catherine Mongioi on March 26, 1949.

"Cookie" grew up in Brooklyn, NY, surrounded by the large Italian/Sicilian family. From a very young age, she was a great lover of music and attended and witnessed many legends and artists live performances including The Dave Clark Five, Simon and Garfunkel, Janice Joplin, Cat Stevens, The Mamas and the Papas, and was in attendance of the two historic Beatles concerts Shey Stadium. Ringo was her favorite Beatle. Cookie graduated high school from John Adams High. After working in the business district in Manhattan doing secretarial work, she and her oldest son Michael settled eventually in Fort Collins, CO. There she met the love of her life and husband of 40 years Steven Paul Cady. They married and bore a son, who they named Christopher. After spending the next four years in her husband's hometown of Sioux Falls, SD, the family then moved to the Black Hills, primarily to Spearfish. They would spend the next 8 years there. Marietta obtained her bachelor's degree in special and deaf education in 1987 from Black Hills State University. Cookie, Steven and Christopher spent the '87-'88 school year in Yucaipa, California. Marietta taught in Moreno Valley School District for that year. Starting the '88-'89 school year, the family returned to Spearfish, but Marietta would commute to the Pine Ridge Reservation where she taught in Rosebud, Porcupine, but primarily in Kyle at Little Wound for the next decade of her teaching career. Marietta spent the following decade at St. Elizabeth Seaton and St. Thomas More Catholic Schools in Rapid City, SD. She championed every student and was their biggest cheerleader with an unforgettable personality and was a joyful energetic human.

Cookie touched so many lives with her lightened love. Her friends, her students, but most importantly her unwavering support and love for her family. She was the incredible caregiver, and a loving maternal force to her two children, her four grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and her nieces and nephews. She championed the original opera program for a matter of years through St. Thomas More & St. Elizabeth Seaton Schools, which took her and her students to Washington D.C. several times. She was very active in the drama department while attending Black Hills State and more notable was locally famous for the role of Mayor Munchkin in the Wizard of OZ.

Marietta is survived by her sons, Michael Guigliano (Spearfish), Chistopher Cady (Spearfish), grandson, Steven James Cady (Spearfish), her nieces/daughters, Andrea Mongioi (Fort Collins, CO, Jennifer Bosley (Orlanda, FL), grandson, Rocco Richters (Rapid City, SD), many other grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, Michael Mongioi (Queens, NY), Sebastian Mongioi (Queens, NY), and her loving husband, Steven Paul Cady.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at the Spearfish Creek Wine Bar from 11AM – 3PM.