Marianela MCINTURFF

Marianela McInturff, on Monday afternoon, May 20th, came to the end of her 67-year well-lived life. Her caring heart and ability to meet the needs of others can easily be seen in all she did and the lives she touched. As a child, her love for animals led to her raising, and showing horses, becoming an avid birdwatcher and a lifelong passion for dogs. Marianela not only adopted many dogs, she also trained service and therapy dogs for St. Louis metro area providers. Marianela’s passion for cooking evolved into her profession in culinary arts. In 1993, she became a Certified Executive Chef and was recognized by the American Culinary Federation as the first woman in St. Louis to obtain this coveted credential. Marianela’s diverse set of skills led her to being an Executive Chef for private country clubs, a Food & Beverage Manager for restaurants and Director of Culinary Operations for the Boeing Leadership Center. Her career as a Chef allowed her to live a life of adventure -- traveling the world to professional events and competitions – and earning numerous culinary titles and awards. Marianela won the Junior Chef of the Year and the prestigious Dubois T.C. Chen award. She was always willing to volunteer for the ACF Chef De Cuisine of St. Louis and mentor new junior chefs. Always a teacher, her love for mentoring students led her to Clyde C. Miller Career Academy. In 2003 she became their Instructor of Hospitality. She cared for her students like they were her own children and helped them build fulfilling lives. She coached many students to achieve district, state and even national leadership awards. Her door was always open to any student and she loved to showcase their talents and help them become professionally established. Always the consummate host, Marianela maintained an open heart, home and pantry for neighbors and friends – whether it was a shoulder to lean on, a batch of warm cookies or a demonstration for how to run a well-oiled kitchen – you always knew how much she cared. A Celebration of Life for Marianela will be held at Pietro’s, 3801 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63109 on June 5th, beginning at 4pm. At the memorial, we will be accepting donations for the student she mentored for this summer's National SkillsUSA Competition in Atlanta, Georgia. She was so proud of her students! In lieu of flowers, please feed the birds and donate to your favorite animal shelter. “I love and thank you all for all the fun times, so lucky I met you all”—Marianela M McInturff

Marianela MCINTURFF

July 19, 1957 - May 20, 2024