Francesca Rice Stragapede

NORMAL - Francesca Rice Stragapede, 92, of Normal, died 1:58 p.m. Friday (Nov. 25, 2011) in Advocate BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal. Loyalty funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday in Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington, with the Rev. Larry Clonch officiating. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday. Burial will be in Fairlawn Cemetery. Memorials: Seventh Day Adventist Church of Normal, c/o the Rev. Larry Clonch. Send condolences: calvertmemorial.com. Francesca was born Feb. 4, 1919, in Bari, Italy, the daughter of Constantino Pietroforte and Vita Maria Giove. She was a lifetime member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and a member of the Italian Cultural Society of Bloomington-Normal. She attended the University of Naples, Italy. for three years, and then she completed her bachelor's degree at ISU. She also attended Millikin University. She taught foreign languages, such as Latin, French and Italian, at Unit 5 Junior High School and High School, and in Decatur and Illiopolis. She married James Logan Rice on Sept. 4, 1945, in Bari. He preceded her in death March 14, 1979. She married Vincenzo Stragapede on July 3, 1999, in Bloomington. Surviving is her husband, Vincenzo; children, Janice (Bob) Norris of Bloomington; Jeanne (Dick) McMurray of Urbana; James Logan (Ginny) Rice II of Flushing, Mich.; Jeffrey (Linda) Rice of Windsor; sister, Ines (Peppino) Giove of Bari; 14 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, one infant son; and one brother. Nonna's greatest joy was the time she spent wit her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was deeply loved by her entire family and friends and will be missed by all. Noi ti voliamo bene. Online guest book at http://legacy.com/obituaries/herald-review/