Lucia Caligiuri
November 11, 1926 – April 24, 2020
Cherished mother and Nonna, Lucia Caligiuri passed away peacefully on Friday, April 24 at the age of 93 with her three children by her side.
She was predeceased by her husband Giuseppe Caligiuri; parents Pasquale Pallone and Filomena Guzzi; siblings Domenico, Giuseppe, Erminio and Maria; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Pasquale and Maria Stella Caligiuri; nephew Pasquale Pallone; son-in-law Bruce Ingram.
Lucia is survived by her three children Erminio Caligiuri (Linda), Raffaelina Ingram, and Pasqualino Caligiuri (Franca). She is also survived by her eight grandchildren, Philip Cesario (Tonia), Lucy Cesario, Emily Cesario (Mark), Joseph P. Caligiuri, Laura Irwin (Cory), Christina Stuart (Mark), Joseph Caligiuri (Natasha) and Lydia Caligiuri and seven great-grandchildren, Isabella, Kennedy, Declan, Kade, Cristian, Meadow and Sullivan.
As well, she is survived by her nephews and nieces in Winnipeg; Giuseppi Caligiuri (Glenda), Raffaelina Pingitore (Felice), Michael Caligiuri (Barb), Rachel Stoesz (Brian), Filomena Schellenberg (Wayne) and Phyllis Pallone; as well as Erminia Johannson (Bruce) from Toronto. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews in Italy who despite the distance remained very close.
Born in Miglierina, Italy on November 11, 1926 to Pasquale and Filomena she was the youngest of five children. It was in Italy where she met and fell in love with her husband, Giuseppe. They married in their hometown in 1947 and welcomed three children; Erminio, Raffaelina and Pasqualino.
In 1959, she and her three young children embarked on the long journey to Canada to reunite with Giuseppe who had been preparing a life in North America for two years prior. They spent six years in Prince Rupert, British Columbia before moving to Winnipeg and making it their home.
Faith and family was of the highest importance to Lucia and she loved family gatherings and being around her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She created many lasting family traditions. Being a religious woman, she faithfully celebrated all feast days.
Hosting Christmas Eve every year was especially close to her heart. She would go above and beyond to make this a special night for everyone, from cooking 13 homemade dishes along with a visit from Santa Claus for her grandchildren – a tradition that still continues to this day. No matter when you stopped in to visit, Lucia would always have something ready for you to eat and she would make it impossible for you to turn her down. Her grandchildren can still hear her saying “Mangiare, Mangiare” – keeping everyone fed was just one of the many ways she showed her love.
Lucia valued her independence and had a tremendous work ethic. She worked at the University of Manitoba Pembina Hall for many years where she used her love of cooking to feed hundreds of staff and students every day. She would regularly take the bus to mass at Holy Rosary Church and every Friday to Villa Cabrini, and was often seen carrying bags of groceries home after walking to the store. All who knew Lucia well would have been the recipient of vegetables from her very large garden, which she maintained entirely on her own for many years. She was the embodiment of a strong woman who was loving, generous, compassionate and a role model for her family. She remained courageous and resilient until her move to Misericordia Place in 2017.
The family would like to thank the numerous health care workers at Misericordia Place (Apple Lane Tree MP2) for their care and compassion, which was greatly appreciated and will never be forgotten.
Lucia’s family would like to thank everyone for their love and support during this difficult time. Lucia will be missed and we know that she will live in the hearts of all who knew her.
As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to Holy Rosary Church.
In keeping with the health regulations that have been put in place to combat COVID 19, the family will be having a private service to celebrate Lucia’s life. Pallbearers are her grandsons, Philip Cesario, Joseph P. Caligiuri, Joseph Caligiuri, Cory Irwin, Mark Essay and Mark Stuart.