Michelle Civitarese Weniger

Michelle Civitarese Weniger, born October 17, 1958, in Pittsburgh, passed away on March 11, 2026, with her husband of 44 years, Fred, by her side. She will be remembered not for her final years battling cancer, but for her warmth, love of storytelling, determination, inclusiveness, and remarkable ability to form lasting friendships.

The middle child of five, Michelle grew up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Duquesne University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. She began her career as a registered nurse in the recovery room at Allegheny General Hospital, where she met Fred. The couple settled in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, where they raised their four children. Michelle was a devoted mother who volunteered at her children’s schools, cheered loudly at their sporting events, and later served for twenty years as the varsity girls tennis coach at North Allegheny. Her teams achieved approximately 360 wins against 53 losses and captured six state championships. In recognition of her coaching excellence, she was named the 2017 United States Tennis Association’s Middle States High School Coach of the Year and was inducted into the North Allegheny Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025. She also worked as a substitute school nurse, played on numerous tennis and paddle teams, gardened, and remained a loyal supporter of Pittsburgh’s sports teams.

Above all, Michelle cherished her role as a mother to Julie (Matt) Herrington, Fred (Jennifer) Weniger, Michael (Stacey) Weniger, and Christina (Patrick) O’Hearn, and as grandmother to her ten grandchildren: Paige, Michael, Lauren, Molly, Freddie, Faith, Michael, Luca, Cillian, and Cameron. She delighted in family holidays and their annual summer vacations together. Her smile, warmth, stories, cooking, and boundless energy left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her. She is survived by her husband, children, grandchildren, brothers Frank and Louis Civitarese, and sisters Carmelita Minella and Eugenia Finizio. She was preceded in death by her parents, Gloria and Louis Civitarese. Her legacy endures in the loving example she set as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, teammate, friend, and coach.