The Passing of Michele Ann Mascari

via Leslie Korbee

Michele Ann Mascari passed into Divine Light on Saturday, October 31, 2026. She was 78 years old.

On a rainy Halloween night in California, Michele flew away, “Second star to the right and straight on ’til morning.” She arrived at the gates of heaven with an armful of stardust after taking her final bow on earth.

Michele grew up in a small town, South Point, in southeastern Ohio, just across the river from Huntington, West Virginia. She was raised primarily by her grandparents. Sophronia and Elmer Henderson. Her parents, William and Pauline Mascari, divorced when she was four, and her mother entered the workforce as an outreach worker for Aid for the Aging. She learned about music and drama at an early age, directing her cousins in a play when she was in fifth grade. Michele was a standout at her high school, well known as a high achiever in academics, a leader in the school, and first chair in flute in her school band. She went on to study at Marshall University in Huntington West Virginia, which affirmed her love of theatre. She graduated from Marshall with high honors and became an English teacher and theater educator. Eventually, she became Head of the Fine Arts Department at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Michele‘s special gift as an educator and high school theater director was that she could see something in her students that they couldn’t see in themselves, and she would work with them to polish that talent or gift until their light shone as brightly as possible. It didn’t matter if they were onstage or backstage. She would find opportunities to let them shine, while she herself was most comfortable sitting in the shadows.

She dearly loved her students, all of them; from her Newport High School days, her Newport Performing Arts Guild, and throughout her 33 years at St. X. As one of her students said, “she was an expert at creating sanctuary and holding space for those who were struggling.”

Michele was always overjoyed when she got to see her former students on stage, film, in concert, backstage or directing in their professional careers. Jessica Hendy, Andy Blankenbuehler, Pat Mellon, Sharon Wheatley, Kevin Kern, Joey Kern, Tom Korbee Jr, Joe Korbee, Jake Robinson, Kristen Robinson, Kyle Acheson, Stacy Searle, Evan Ditullio, Amanda Tepe, Josh Borths, Roxanne Trimble, Patrick Phillips, Peti Barresi, Marley Silvestri Davis, Joe Moeller, Ben Lanham, Sarah Goldrainer, Caitlin Kunash, Janey Elliott, Michael Richart, Ria Villaver, Ann Yee, and many more. These artists and creators are her legacy.

She had numerous friends from her many theatre experiences. She dearly loved all of the Newport Performing Arts Guild people. Her mystics and yoga gurus, Rob Dorgan and Steve Bolia were her chosen family. Also dear to her from her Newport days were Bob Bowles, Sam Routzon, and Greg Seibert. She loved the entire Cahill family and the magical and multi talented Greg Seta. She was incredibly proud of John Cranley, who stated that being in “The Fifth Sun” motivated his political career as mayor of Cincinnati, and his lifelong support of social justice issues.

I had the honor of being with her and for her for 27 years, and for 9 of those as her spouse. I gave her the best she had, at TX, where we collaborated for 20 years, and at home, and in meeting her daily care needs for the past 6 months since a stroke in April, 2026 diminished her severely, and then through ovarian cancer. She found joy every day in the simple things: playing with her little dog Roxee and watching hummingbirds in her garden.

Michele absolutely adored Leslie’s sons, Tom, Nick and Joe. Tom for his compassionate heart, musical genius and ability to make her laugh; Nick for his extraordinary persistence, brilliance, depth of emotion and dedication to being a top caliber chef. Joe for his kindness, generosity, love of fun, artistry, music, sweetness and deeply devoted love of her, even as a young 7 year old boy. She loved their wives Jenn, Amanda and Jenna, all of whom are brave, powerful, loving women. She was amazed by her loving granddaughter Lyra; a bright and charming girl who is destined to rule the world. She called her former student, Mark Motz, her oldest son. They cowrote 2 musicals, and he assistant directed many of her shows.

She was a fond and loving aunt to Ginger, Quentin and Ashlyn, and Ashlyn’s boys SJ and Knoxx, and Quentin and Leighton’s daughter, Aubrey. She dearly loved her brother Mike and his wife Mary Jo and her cousin Charla.

Her dear friend, Kath Morbitzer was a treasure in her life, lost way too soon.

Her St X colleagues on the faculty and staff, and TX mentors were among her most treasured friendships; Linda Donahue, Mary Ann Meyer, Cathy Creason, her former partner and longtime choral director, Kathy Enos, Kathy Barrow, John Ferone, Brady Mechley, John D’Alessandro, Marguerite Bourgeois, Steve Specht, Steve Bradley, Mark Wilkins, Tami Kilgore, Janet Reeder, Mike Marchal, Marty Roberts, Linzie Greiwe, John Ravenna, Walter Deye, SJ, Bill Verbryke, SJ, John Ferone, SJ, Tim Reilly, and so many others who were the fabric of her life with St. X.

Michele was extremely generous in many ways, most of them unknown or unseen. She would drive a student home, after their parents failed to show up after rehearsal. She would always drive through Wendy’s on the way home, pick up a couple burgers and a milkshake to be sure that boy had something to eat for dinner. She paid for voice lessons for a senior who needed that coaching to prepare for college auditions. She welcomed a former St. X student who had been living in a Walmart after becoming homeless into her home. She gave him his own room, provided food, clothing, love and encouragement. She drove him back and forth to his restaurant job late at night and helped him until he could find his own way in the world.

She was also a good friend to neighbors in her community, especially Carol and CJ Johnson. She enjoyed the companionship of her Central Park book club, whom she called the Gapstow Girls. She loved walking her dog Roxee in the neighborhood and stopping along the way to chat with the neighbors and visit Betty Smith and Diana and Jeff Steel. It made her day when she got to visit with her next door neighbor Joann Cormican and her grandson Louie.

Michele moved to Thousand Oaks, California in 2025 to live near her family. While there, she found a welcoming, loving group of friends at Unity of the Oaks, a progressive Christian spiritual center. She was dearly loved by Revered Sherry Hursey, Musical Director Rick Cowling, program assistants Summer Nichols and Leila Blanco. She was a cherished member of the Hospitality ministry, serving breakfast after Sunday services. She found good friends in Unity’s Acting Classes, including director Andrew Ceglio. She loved the prayer ministers, especially Janie Fellows, Gail Serna and Steve Daugherty. She was cherished by her friend and massage therapist, Martha Nichitta. Her Unity friends were very present for her during her struggle with cancer. She had frequent visits from them and an outpouring of love.

But most of all, Michele was an inspiration to her students and colleagues for more than 40 years. Her favorite play was The Diviners. She produced and directed it twice. The second time with Nick Korbee in the leading role. It is a show about the special talent of divining water underground in a rural Indiana community during the great depression. A type of salvation in a backwoods town. She was in her life, and in her work, a diviner of the talents and goodness in her students and coworkers.

From the more than 100 productions she directed, she always chose shows that featured salvation and redemption, her two favorite themes. From the Wizard of Oz, to the Fifth Sun, Godspell, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, to Shades, the original musical she developed with music by Tom Korbee Jr, and lyrics by Mark Motz, her message was clear. There is a heaven and God holds the door open wide, for all are welcome there. Her favorite song from that show was ” Sweet Jesus.” It was an anthem to the healing power of God’s grace and was sung frequently at TX during her tenure there. Tom and his wife Jenn tenderly sang this to her on her last day. Then Rev. Sherry Hursey and Rick Cowling sang “How Great Thou Art,” the hymn she grew up with in South Point. The music really helped ease her pain and send her off to her new home.

Michele was not a frivolous person. She didn’t care about money, fancy clothes, parties, or fame. She was totally invested in being a woman for others.

Like all of us, she was not perfect. She was notoriously stubborn, took things personally, and was a master at holding a grudge. She smoked for 45 years, until she lost the sight in her right eye. After a car accident in 2021, she lost most of the vision in her left eye and was legally blind. She also had a very hard time forgiving herself for any wrongdoing and was her own worst critic.

She had simple tastes. Her favorite cuisine was a cheeseburger and fries at Bacall’s, washed down with a tall scotch and soda and a twist of lemon.

One of her proudest moments was being honored at “Michele’s Night in Black and White,” a two night performance fundraiser put on by her former students to honor her 30 years at St. X. It was a weekend of performances that funded a scholarship in her name. It continues to help students afford St. X tuition while investing their time in TX. She was also thrilled to be inducted in St. X’s first Fine Arts Hall of Fame class, because she wanted success in the arts to be valued at St. X.

The St. X community and her students and colleagues were her whole life. Let her vision be remembered with love, and her mission be continued there.

Michele’s favorite theatre quotes say a lot about her philosophy of life.

From Les Miz: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”

From Children of Eden “Oh God, please don’t make me choose. “

From The Foreigner: “Peas come down.”

From Shades. “I forgive. I forgive myself.”

From The Fifth Sun. “Presente!”

Michele Mascari, you are one with the ages now. Our prayer is that you got to choose your heaven. We know it would be a heaven full of art, music, laughter and love.

All of us in her family are so grateful for the bounty of love she received from her Theatre Xavier family at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, her colleagues at St.X, her many friends, and her faith community, Unity of the Oaks, here in California during the last two months while she battled cancer.

We will host a celebration of life at Unity of the Oaks, 241 Lombard St. Thousand Oaks, California 91360 on Saturday, December 5 at 11am. It will be livestreamed on Facebook. We will celebrate her again in Cincinnati on Saturday, May 8, 2027, at a location to be determined. All family, friends and former students are welcome to celebrate her.

Here is a link where friends, family, former students, etc. can make a donation to Michele’s faith community, Unity of the Oaks.

https://unityoftheoaks.breezechms.com/give/online

Or donations may be made to Michele’s named St. Xavier scholarship fund: https://www.stxavier.org/support-st-x/make-a-gift

They can also mail gifts to St. Xavier High School, Attn: Michele Mascari Scholarship, 600 W. North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45224.

“When we have found all the mysteries and lost all of the meaning, we will be alone, on an empty shore. Then we will dance,” From Arcadia, by Tom Stoppard.

Goodbye, dear Michele. You will not be forgotten or alone