Mary Tabaka

Mary Tabaka, 96, of Manheim, passed away on April 3, 2026. Born in Garfield, NJ, she was the daughter of Rocco Palino and Filamenia Langieri. She married Burton Tabaka in 1955 and shared 29 years of marriage until his passing in 1984. They lived on a 150-acre dairy farm in Budd Lake, NJ. Mary worked and retired as a cafeteria manager for the Budd Lake school system. She spent many summers on the New Jersey shore in Lavallette, visiting her sister and her family.

Mary moved to Manheim in 1998 to be with her daughter Patty. Mary was an active member of St. Richard’s Catholic Church. She was a dedicated Catholic all her life, as she loved her fellowship and friends in church. Mary enjoyed family gatherings where she loved to prepare family meals, especially on holidays. She loved to help others in need and would donate to many organizations. She was a volunteer member at Nearly-Nu Thrift Shop in Manheim, where she spent many hours. Her nephew, David from CA, would visit her for weeks at a time and help her with house tasks. Mary was known to be independent and strong, and enjoyed living her later years in Manheim at her home in Mallard Ponds until the age of 96.

She is survived by her daughter Patricia Stalb and her son-in-law Joseph, along with two grandchildren, Kacie and Thomas, and her three cherished great-grandchildren, Jaxon, Lucille and Theodore. As well as her beloved nephew, David Langieri. She was predeceased in death by her sister, Minnie Langieri.

Mary’s daughter, Patty was the gem of Mary’s life and she would always call Patty, "Darling".

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 AM on Friday, April 10, 2026, at St. Richard Catholic Church, 201 East Adele Ave. Manheim, PA 17545. The family will greet guests from 10 – 11 AM. Burial will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Union Cemetery in Hackettstown, NJ at Noon.