Racing legend Mario Andretti says goodbye to wife of 57 years
The first lady of racing has passed away.
Dee Ann Andretti died Tuesday, after suffering a massive heart attack a few weeks ago, and never regaining consciousness.
The wife of legend Mario Andretti was 75.
Dee Ann and Mario met in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and never left the area.
Their grandson, Marco, made the announcement.
RIP Grammy Andretti. You will be missed !! @ Nazareth, Pennsylvania https://t.co/nSkvZ4cqRG
— Marco Andretti (@MarcoAndretti) July 3, 2018
The Andrettis had three children, including racing stars Michael and Jeff, along with daughter Barbie.
Dee Ann’s impact was far-spread.
IndyCar, the circuit that Mario has left such a mark on, issued a statement.
“She was the matriarch of one of the most prominent families in motorsports history,” the statement read. “It was with Dee Ann’s love and support that her husband, children and grandchildren have thrived in racing for more than five decades, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and around the globe. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mario, their children Michael, Jeff and Barbie, and the rest of the Andretti family.”
Andretti Autosport, run by Michael, tried to put into words what Dee Ann meant to them.
— Andretti INDYCAR & INDY NXT (@AndrettiIndy) July 4, 2018
When Dee Ann met her future husband she knew nothing about racing, but said she was attracted to his “piercing hazel eyes and dark hair.”
“He had an impish quality about him and was a lot of fun. No, Mario definitely wasn’t shy, ” she told The Morning Call in a 1994 interview.
And while Mario Andretti is one of the most famous names in racing, it was actually Dee Ann who had a major role in making ends meet back in the early days.
“Mario was getting parts from the junkyard for his car, working at his job all week, working on his car after work and racing every spare minute he had. I worked at the blouse factory until I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, ” she said in 1994. “I still remember Mario saying, ‘Why’d you quit?’”
Mario and Dee Ann made a terrific team, one that changed racing forever.
F1i picture of the Day: She was more often found in the background than in the light, but Dee Ann Andretti was still the other half of a formidable foundation and racing legacy. https://t.co/C7IBYT76iU
— F1i (@F1icom) July 4, 2018
Early in their marriage, Dee Ann would follow Mario all over the country.
As the years went on, she’d often watch her husband and two sons race on TV.
She may never have gotten behind the wheel, but it’s obvious that Dee Ann Andretti will forever have place at the race track.
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