Monica Ann Colantoni-Minturn

Monica Ann Colantoni-Minturn, of Aspinwall, PA, passed away suddenly on January 16, 2023, at the young age of 43.

Monica was born on July 11, 1979, to her loving parents Peter and Lorraine  Colantoni in Steubenville, OH. Monica and Charles Bruce (CB) Minturn III married August 17, 2005 and they have three beautiful daughters, Stella, Alina, and Iris. Cristen Colantoni Weissbach is Monica’s devoted sister.

After Monica graduated from Indian Creek High School in 1997, she went on to study botany and secondary life science at Miami University of Ohio, graduating in 2002. Lover of all things that grew and blossomed, she started her own company, Wild Iris, LLC, where she was master  gardener and owner. She also taught at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

Above anything else, Monica was an adoring and whimsical mother to her girls, loving them beyond measure. She was often known to say, “I still can’t believe they are mine.” Monica’s long, silvery gray hair turned their mom into a fairy for the girls, and a fairy she was, sprinkling love and light into her daughters’ lives day after day as they grew.

Monica, who many friends endearingly refer to as Mona, made her home in Pittsburgh for the last 20 years with her family. She built a life filled with music, flowers and plants, dancing, and laughter. Her home was a sanctuary not only for her but for her daughters and husband, family, countless friends, and their adored family pets, including Emma (RIP), Rocco, Twix (aka Kitty), Tybee, Mr. Bill, Toast, Billy Bob and Lewis.

Anyone who has ever been to Mona’s home will understand the significance of her kitchen. She loved to cook and feed people, and she brought people together all the time to do just that. Through food and gathering with loved ones, she honored important family traditions. From her famous hummus and to her holiday specialties of wedding soup and the feast of the seven fishes, there was nothing that Mona made that wasn’t short of delicious and cooked with love. 

Gardening and being in nature were her passions and hobbies. Mona cared for her clients and her clients’ gardens just as much as she cared for her family. Both she and CB were avid rock climbers together when they were younger. Butterflies were her spirit animal.

A night owl by nature, she was known to have many long late night talks with friends and family. She was a mentor in so many ways to so many people, truly listening, giving life and work advice, building others up, and helping them without ever having to be asked. An artist and poet, she often did her best work late at night in Monica land.

By nature, Mona had a deep curiosity about the world, seeing things with awe and wonder. She collected everything, from plants and stray animals to meaningful antiques and objects. Her home is a collection of words, stories, and memories left on the walls of her dining room and kitchen from friends and family who visited over the years. A deep love for her family made her curious about their ancestry, which she dug into and uncovered. She traveled to Italy in 2018 with a dear friend and was hoping to travel there again soon.

Mona was light. For everyone, she was light. Mona impacted people so deeply with her light and love for them. Whether a brief exchange or a forever friend, Mona changed people for the better. She was all the colors of the rainbow. Green and purple were her favorites. 

To know Mona was to know love, to know life. She lived her life fiercely, pulling everyone into her literal or figurative embrace to pass along her light, from her heart to theirs. Mona was mystical and magical, strong and also vulnerable. She was the most ultimate and beautiful of humans. While we are left here to miss her, her memory and light will stay with us deep in our hearts forever.

Monica is survived by her husband Charles Bruce (CB) Minturn III; daughters Stella Kaye Minturn, Alina Marie Minturn, and Iris Jane Minturn; mother Lorraine Colantoni and father Peter Colantoni; sister Cristen Colantoni Weissbach, brother-in law Daniel Weissbach, father-in-law Charles Bruce Minturn Jr.; brother-in-laws John Minturn and Tom Minturn; sister-in-laws Patricia Buerkle and Leah Isaacson; nephew River Moreano Weissbach; and nieces Sydney Minturn, Olivia Minturn, and Holly Minturn. The list of loving aunts, uncles and cousins is endless.

A Memorial Service will be held at Frick Environmental Center, a self-sustaining building and landscape (2005 Beechwood Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15217) on Sunday, January 22, 2023, from 10 to 11 am. A Celebration of Life will follow at D’s Six Pax & Dogz (1118 S Braddock Ave, Swissvale, PA 15218) from 12 to 3 pm.

In Mona’s true spirit, the family’s wish is that friends and family wear what they want with the hopes that it will include many different colors.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Mona’s honor so she can help them thrive and grow. Planting a garden is a symbol of hope that the future will be bright and beautiful.

Our dear Mona, “Your light will shine so bright. We can’t wait for spring.”

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Monica Ann Colantoni-Minturn, please visit our floral store.