Edna Mae Cortezzo-Sweitzer

Edna Mae Cortezzo-Sweitzer, 85, of Palmer Township, PA, formerly of Phillipsburg, NJ, passed away peacefully while surrounded by her family on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Born on June 14, 1940, in Patterson, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Lawrence and Mae (Roncoroni) Bernasconi. Edna Mae was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Vincent “Jim” Cortezzo and her husband of five years, Bruce Sweitzer.

Edna Mae graduated with Phillipsburg High School’s class of 1957 and went on to further her education at, as she so fondly put it, “Mommy College”. She worked at the Northampton County Community College as an administrative assistant and after retiring she spent many years volunteering at both the State Theater and the St. Francis Retreat House. Edna Mae was a member of St. Ann’s Church, in Emmaus, PA, and the I Paesani Italian Folk Singing Group, with whom she toured the northeastern United States, singing and dancing with her husband, Jim. Edna Mae was exceedingly proud of her Italian heritage and was a super loving woman who was the happiest when she was listening to music, singing, dancing and hugging her children and grandchildren.

Edna Mae is survived by her children, Lori Epler and her husband, Gerard, and Mark Cortezzo and his wife, Farah, her grandchildren, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Dani and Mariela Cortezzo, her step-children; Kathleen Morales, Eileen Raso, AnnMarie Reutti and Robert and Timothy Sweitzer, her step-grandchildren, her goddaughter, Rosemary Caranali and her many nieces and nephews. Along with her husbands and parents, Edna Mae was predeceased by her three infant daughters, Debra Mae and twin girls and her sister, Lorraine Zoog.

A Viewing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Finegan Funeral Home, 4080 William Penn Highway, Easton, PA. There will be an additional Viewing Period the following day, Wednesday, September 17, 2025, from 10:00-10:45 AM at St. Ann’s Church, 415 S 6th St, Emmaus, PA, with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:00 AM. The entombment will then be at the Northampton Memorial Shrine, in Easton, PA.

Donations may be made, in Edna Mae’s name, to the Alzheimer’s Association, via alz.org.