Celeste Alexis Mazzulli

Celeste Alexis Mazzulli, 72, of Livingston, Mont., left this world in the Lord’s perfect timing the evening of Dec. 22, 2022, to join Jesus forever in Paradise, to God be the glory. In her last years she lived with cancer.

Celeste was born Oct. 27, 1950, in Port Chester, New York where she attended both public and Catholic schools.

The ocean shores, creeks and woodlands of the Long Island Sound were her playground growing up. A deep love for nature was a life-long theme as she worked as an outdoor camp leader and also with special needs children.

She moved west to attend The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. She then visited Livingston for the first time on a senior class geology trip where she fell in love with the mountains, rivers and skies of Montana. After graduating in 1985, she packed up her cat, guitar and wool blanket and bought a bus ticket back to Montana, calling Livingston home for the next 37 years.

Celeste worked as a massage therapist for 20 years. Her true joy and eternal life began in December 1991 when she was born again to know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. A friend had invited her to attend Livingston Bible Church to hear the true word of God preached by Pastor Casebolt, and Celeste began reading her Bible, starting in Genesis. “God gave me the grace to bend my knees and submit to Him, repenting and believing that Jesus is the only way to heaven,” she said about becoming a Christian.

Anyone who knew Celeste before and after could see a new twinkle in her eye—that she had fallen in love with Christ and been made new. The verses that opened her eyes to see her need for salvation were John 3:19-21. She was baptized in the Gardner River where the Boiling River hot springs flows in, near Mammoth.

Celeste’s new love and new life led to many years in children’s ministry as an Awana leader, and also leading a creative writing group for children and young adults called “Quills.” Celeste considered herself especially blessed by her relationships with children over the years and said she loved them as the children she never had. She also read the Bible to elderly people every week for 17 years at Caslen Assisted Living.

After becoming regenerated through the power of God’s word, Celeste truly believed that “faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17), so she never stopped sharing scripture with everyone she knew and met, even those who crossed her path at the grocery store, the post office, the bank, on the sidewalk or out in nature. She then prayed sincerely that each person she talked to would come to know the Lord and be saved through faith.

Many fellow believers remember Celeste as a dear sister in Christ, always ready to encourage and exhort, eager to teach younger women and children, and someone who could always be counted on to pray with and for you.

Celeste is survived by her loving mother, Celeste K. Mazzulli, loving brother, Eugene (Andrea) Mazzulli Jr., nephew Tony (Sophia), and grand-nephew Matteo, as well as dear life-long friends, Joyce, Sandra, Julie, Judith, Nancy, Victoria and Edward.

She is preceded in death by her loving father Eugene Mazzulli Sr. and her best friend, and cousin Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Operation Christmas Child, Zion’s Hope or Friends of Israel.

In her memory, Celeste would like you to look up these Bible verses, write them in a notebook, and read them very often: Lamentations 3:19-24, Psalm 23 & 137, Song of Solomon 2:4, Job 33:24 and chapters 38-42, Isaiah 53:6 & 55:11, John 3:3,16 & 19-21; John 5:9 & 24; John 6:68; 1 Corinthians 2:9.

A funeral service will be held at Livingston Bible Church at 11:00 am Friday, December 30th with a graveside afterwards at Mountain View Cemetery. A reception will follow the graveside at Livingston Bible Church. Franzen-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory has been entrusted with arrangements.