MaryAnn Palonis Coggins

MaryAnn Palonis Coggins

January 14, 2026

MaryAnn Palonis Coggins, formerly MaryAnn Palonis Barrows, 79, died on January 14, 2026.

Born in Scranton on June 9, 1946, to the late Joseph W. Palonis and Agnes Kashuda Palonis, she graduated as Valedictorian of Holy Rosary High School in 1964 and was a member of the Catholic Daughters.

MaryAnn’s lifelong passion was dance. As a child, she taught tap dancing, and as an adult she found her greatest enjoyment in country western dancing. She became a line dance instructor, competed in various country western style dances, and was a frequent on-air dancer on WVIA’s Dancin' Country in the 1990s. Those who knew her through dance knew it as the place where she felt most alive, always wearing her biggest smile. In addition to dance, MaryAnn enjoyed cooking and took pride in preparing meals for her family. She found comfort in watching her favorite cooking shows and Hallmark movies.

MaryAnn shared a devoted marriage with her husband, Gerard Coggins, Sr., Old Forge, whom she loved deeply.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Avery, of Raleigh, NC (partner, Ricardo Schleske); and her son, Jeffrey Barrows, of Eynon, her stepchildren, Gerard Coggins, Jr. of Old Forge, (wife, Cynthia) and Nicole Luke of Greenville, NC (husband, Kyle); and her three step-grandchildren, Grant Luke, Amelia Coggins and Gerard Marc Coggins. She is also survived by her siblings, Joseph Palonis (wife, Marie) of Clarks Summit and Robert Palonis (partner, Patty Terzoni) of Scranton and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her siblings William Palonis, Richard Palonis, Elaine Palonis White, and Francis Palonis.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 4-6 pm at the Edward Knight O’Donnell Funeral Home, LLC. 323 William Street, Scranton. Interment at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Throop will be private, at the convenience of the family.

Express condolences and share memories at freganfuneral.com