Irene M. Iezzi
Iezzi, Irene M. Age 77, beloved wife of the late Frank Iezzi, passed away on Thursday, April 20, 2006, at Branford Hospice. Irene was born in Gorizia, Italy on April 26, 1928 and was the daughter of the late Francesco and Gaetana Martire Steccari. She was proud of her maternal Martire side, known to be an ancient and noble family. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Sue Iezzi of New Haven, a daughter and son-in-law, Marguerite and Glenn Parkinson of Thompson, CT, four grandchildren, Steven and Alexandra Iezzi both of North Haven, Kimberly and Kevin Parkinson both of Thompson, and a brother, Felice Steccari in Italy. She was predeceased by a brother, Nucci Steccari, also of Italy. Irene's life was full of interesting stories beginning as a child in war torn Europe, arriving in this country in 1954 aboard the ill-fated Andrea Doria and mastering the English language well enough to work her way up to Manager of the Housewares Dept. at the former Macy's of New Haven, and later in Medical Records at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She was also very well known in the Yale academic community for her hospitality and culinary skills, hosting many visiting professors in her home over the course of decades, which had gained a reputation as being the "International House of Professors". Her legacy is the gift of friendship, as she touched so many lives in a remarkable and profound way. Of special joy to Irene was the long-standing membership in her church, the Church of the Redeemer, whose fellow communicants provided friendship, comfort and support, especially during recent difficult times. She was a unique woman who will truly be missed. Friends may call Sunday, April 23 from 4 to 8 PM at BEECHER & BENNETT, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden. A memorial service will be held at the Church of the Redeemer on May 13th at 11 AM. Reception to follow. Contributions may be made to the CT Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT 06405.
Aunt Irene will remain captured in my heart and memory for her sweetness and love of life. I still remember when she arrived from Italy to live on Foster Street. Always a smile when I saw her (which was, to my detriment, not often enough in recent years). I will miss her as I am certain will many.We were all enhanced by her life and are diminshed by her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family and especially with Margie and Frank at this sad time. .La mamma e l’anima, chi la perde non la guadagna..
Aunt Irene- You will truly be missed. Thank you for all your good advice, and most of all thank you for listening. God bless you, Susan
Cara dolcissima Irene, incontrarti e stato un caso conoscerti una grande fortuna perderti un grande dolore. Mi mancheranno tanto le tue telefonate e la tua amicizia, ma sarai sempre nel mio cuore, Realina
Dear Frank and Margaret My thoughts are with you now when your mom and my wonderful Italian landlady and a truly bighearted friend has passed away. She was a strong character and a cheerful loving person whom I will always remember for her hospitality, her kindness and welcoming attitude towards me while I stayed in New Haven at Yale University from September until December 2002. I loved the way she took me into her house and told me the story of her family. It was a touching moment when she told me with warmth and a sense of love in her voice, – and a mild loving smile what it was that was in that big vase upon the grand piano, – waiting for her….. An unforgettable lady, Irene Iezzi. God bless her, and you two and your families. Yours sincerely, Silla from Iceland, still living in London.
Dear Frank and Margie, a piece of my life has gone away. You know what Irene has been for us when she was in Milan, she was our light during a very dark moment of our life. I love you Irene Anna
Dear Frank and Margie, I was so sorry to hear that Irene has passed away. One of the very best things about my trips to New Haven was that I knew that I had a ‘home away from home’ at 105 Avon St. I will miss it greatly.
Dear Frank and Margie, Please accept our heartfelt sympathy at this difficult time. Your mom was a grand lady and I know my mother enjoyed their friendship. I think that friendship goes waaaaay back to when my mom taught Frankie in Sunday School (when he was in fourth grade?) Anyway, I remember some wonderful Sunay dinners at your house for several years after that. In recent years, I know they enjoyed sharing stories of their grandchildren. I had hoped to see you today, but my mother has a terrible cold, and the weather is so dreadful. I think Mom and Gor are planning to attend the memorial service in May. May your many wonderful memories help to sustain you. Please do stay in touch. Sincerely, Nancy Boyles (Daughter of Roberta Naumann Bishop)
Dear Frank, Dear Margie, when you phoned us few days ago we could not believe that Irene is not with us anymore. There’re not words to describe how we feel. Irene has always been part of our family since a long, long time. You know-. We’ll always remember Irene, her smile, her wisdom, her love and we will always keep her in our hearths. Ciao zia pustisa-
Dear Frank, thank you very much for your email. Me and my family are very close to You and Margie and we all mourn Irene’s loss. Your mother was a very good person and I was very close to her. I feel bad for all the pain she had suffered. I’m happy I had the chance to see her one last time in Jan when I was there My sincere condolences Regards Antonio
Dear Maggie and Frank, It was with immense sorrow that we heard about your/our loss. Irene was a wonderful women and .her house was my house. for a couple of weeks each time I have been in New Haven since the early nineties. She taught me the little Italian I know and even more she taught me how to be a better loving and caring person. Love, Shlomo Bentin
Friends- Irene, the -lady of peace- (and lover of woven baskets!), was a gift both to my daughter, Katrina, and to me. I will miss her, and her forcing me to talk to her in Italian-and her forgiving my ineptness, of course! I called Irene my -professoressa,- both in la lingua italiana and in la cucina italiana. She always corrected me, -professeressa in erba.- But, -in erba- or not, she was definitely my professoressa, despite my having a more advanced academic degree than she. Most especially, Irene taught me to make gnocchi her way, walking me and Katrina through the process and then sharing the tasty results with us. (Irene preferred inexpensive jug wine, of course, but she allowed us to drink something a little better.) That whole day was golden. Irene will always live in my heart, and I will always miss her. I’m sure the same is true for every other person whose life she touched. -Wayne
I can not imagine I can not see Irene again. I am just going to dial you this year’s birthday call. However, You passed away this April. I remind that you always enjoyed tulips in your garden in April. You took me Philadelphia to see your mother and we played slot machine at Atlantic City. On the onother days, we made a big trip to Montreal in Canada by bus tour. You often invited me lunch and dinner during my stay in New Heaven. You were my wonderful teacher of English, because I could not speak English well. I will remember your warm heart and many memories in my heart for these 27 years with a large gratitude. Oh, I miss you so much. I will never forget you, Irene. Franky, I would like really consolate you for your mother’s passing. I hope you could stand this tearful deep grief. Now, you might be very tired and shocked. However, please, care of yourself. I also thank for your care to tell me Irene’s passing. If I could visit New Heaven again in future, I would like to visit Irene’s grave to say my many thanks and loves.
I sounds like Irene was a wonderful woman who had a full life.
If I am allowed, I’d still like to say -Hi, Irene. I’m coming back for the summer in New Haven. See you soon.- I just can’t believe that you passed away. I talked to you on the phone in January. That was the last time I heard your voice. In spite of all that happened, you are alive clearly in my heart. As Denise Schlener stated, I was -fortunate to be one of her tenants- in the past seven years. In 2000, a friend of mine visited her place instead of me, helping with my search of housing. After that, he said to me, -the landlady is exceptionally accommodating; you should take it.- He was right! Without Irene’s encouragement, support, and her hearty meals she provided, I would not have completed my dissertation well. Irene, you will continue to live in my heart as a great supporter of my life. I will come back again and walk around 105 Avon St. where I survived my graduate study. Now is my turn to express words for you. God bless you. Rest yourself, Irene. My heart also goes out to her family. Sincerely,
Irene had a heart of gold. I was fortunate to be one of her .tenants. for nine years. Tenant in this case meant being invited to dinner in her home with other tenants and her family. It also meant that she became godmother to Cody, a dog, and then later Bella, the cat. Truth be known, she also provided some godmother advice to me over the years — especially when it came to men! Irene will be sorely missed by all the people she touched over the decades. My heart goes out to her family, With deepest sympathies, Denise
Irene was like a second mother to us and grandmother-in-USA to our first baby born in New Haven 11 years ago. She was such a kind and caring lady. Whenever we had a difficult time, she always helped us. Irene will always live in our heart, and we will always miss her, especially when we cook pasta or minestrone soup based on Irene’s recipe. Our Heartfelt Condolences to her wonderful Family.
It was my hope to see Irene again this spring. I will miss her wit, her stories, her Italian .lessons,. her wisdom. When I lived in New Haven, Irene was an anchor – a human being with a heart and a very good mind. Every time we’ve spoken in the intervening years, we would calculate how long we’ve known each other. This year, it will be 33 years that we’ve kept in touch, laughed, and, recently, had cause to mourn our mutual friend, Paula. Before too long, I hope to visit my dear, dear friend and properly pay my respects, as she so richly deserves. My sincere condolences to those who have loved her.
Like so many before us, we lived at 105 Avon Street and grew very quickly to know and love Irene. Her many stories on the balcony in summer during a thunderstorm, the art of gnocchi making in winter, the fried dough that she made with care even in the heat of summer, always with just a little Carlo Rossi in a glass… How it all quickly became part of our lives in New Haven. Many of us came from distant parts of the world (in our case Australia), and yet it wasn’t long before we felt deeply at home. We lived at 105 Avon St for almost 10 years and it is an honor to be part of the .Iezzi Alumni.. Riposi in pace, Irene, our Professoressa (in erba). We will dearly miss you.
To Frank Iezzi,Jr. We are sad to hear of your Mother,Irene’s, death. We, along with her many friends at the Curch of the Redeemer, will miss her greatly, but we know she is now free of the pain and illness which has held her for so long. We are sorry to be unable to be with you today, but know we send you, your family, and for Irene, our love, our sympathy, and our prayers. As always,God is with you. Margaret and Roland Bixler
We will always remember Cousin Irene, a woman of great gentiltiy, warmth, and charm. We remember how much she and our mother, Maddalena of Philadelphia, enjoyed each other’s company so much. There are so many happy and fond memories of laughter, caring , and love. We will never forget our adventure at Dupont Gardens, the delight we took with Maddalena’s unique and charming style of expression, the Melrose Diner cookies, the work on the family tree, and so many happy times in Philadelphia and New Haven. The laughter and happy feelings were so contagious! We, cousins Mafalda, Anthony and Galliano Ciampoli will miss her dearly, and we extend our heartfelt sympathy to Frank and Marge and your families.
What can I say about mom, Irene Iezzi-. Mom was someone of whom I could be proud, always stood out amongst a crowd. Just think of a bundle full of fun, full of laughter, full of joy, well-..that is how I’d describe mom Irene. I often think of you, and told about your story to my family here. I’m really proud to be your daughter during my short stay at your home. A love like yours is hard to find. It really makes you ONE OF A KIND I just close my eyes and I will see all the memories that I have of you. You are really still there inside my mind. I imagine that you will say- -don’t cry for me now I’m gone-For I am in the land of song..There is no pain, there is no fear-.So dry away that silent tear-don’t think of me in the dark and cold-for here I am, no longer old- I’m in that place that’s filled with love-Known to you all, as .UP ABOVE. A rose once grew where all could see Sheltered beside a garden wall And, as the days past swiftly by It spread its branches, straight and tall One day, a beam of light shone through A crevice that had opened wide The rose bent gently toward its warmth Then passed beyond to the other side Now, you who deeply feel its loss Be comforted, the rose blooms there It’s beauty even greater now Nurtured by God’s own loving care. Jarunya Mahidol University, Thailand
Your mom had a life well lived. We have drawn encouragement and joy from knowing her. God Bless.