Francesca Lezzi

1932 - 2023

Francesca Nigro Lezzi, formerly of Joseph Ave., Chesapeake passed away peacefully on March 6, 2023, just shy of her 91st birthday after a very brief and unexpected illness.

Francesca was born in Brindisi, Italy, on April 4, 1932, to the late Francesco and Maria P. Nigro, both of Bari, Italy. The fourth of five children, Grazia, Giuseppe, Addolorata, and younger brother Antonio, Francesca loved children from a very young age. Instead of dressing up her own doll, she hand-sewed and embroidered clothes for her beloved niece, Maria Holman, who was ten years her junior. Having lost their parents during their formative years, she and her brother Antonio were left to be raised by a strict stepmother, with Francesca experiencing the brunt of the severity and isolation as a teen. Allowed to attend school for only one year, she taught herself to read and write. She was 18 when she fell in love tenderly with Rosario, spotting him from a distance. A month later, neighborhood friends arranged for their first date, while her aunt followed closely behind to keep an eye on them. Their love blossomed, and on October 30, 1950, they married. Two years later, their first child, Ersilia, was born. The young family had three more children, Francesco, Roberto, and Anna Maria. At the age of 8, Ersilia was stricken with a grave disease, with Francesca walking to and from the hospital to be by her bed side every day until the illness took Ersilia's life nearly a year later.

Devastating conditions during and after WW2, coupled with Southern Italy's lack of industrialism and infrastructure, had a material impact on Francesca and Rosario's core traditions and way of life. In 1970, after eight years of political red tape, the young family sold everything they had, entered the US legally with no knowledge of the English language, and courageously started a new life settling in Chesapeake, VA. After a year, Rosario developed a serious heart condition and could no longer work.

Francesca's resiliency to care for her family was resolute. Her first job in the US was working at a local London Fog factory, then in the high school cafeteria where her sons attended. She then secretly attended driving school, obtained her license, and later acquired her beloved little red quattro porte Audi. Afterwards, she took on senior care as a home health companion, and later looked after disabled children for Chesapeake Public Schools as a bus driver's aide. She studied hard for her citizenship test when she had time, while cooking meals from scratch every day making bread, sauce, and all things Italian, sewing her own clothes, keeping her home immaculate and her children looking pristine.

Education was paramount to Francesca, and this was instilled in her children early on. An A minus was not good enough. With her loving approach, she would use dry beans to teach Anna Maria math, and would not let Roberto play until he could prove all his homework was done. She would also walk Francesco to and from practice soccer games. She longed for her children to have what she did not have as a child; she was very proud of their accomplishments as adults and was not bashful in sharing this with her closest friends.

Francesca was a devout Roman Catholic. She grew roses, peonies, carnations and daisies and all sorts of vegetables in her garden, and later became intrigued by orchids. She loved telling funny stories and was very social, making friends everywhere she went. Her favorite color was red. She loved playing bingo and had gatherings for scopa parties with close friends. She loved her jewelry and her cherished pearls. She loved her pets and had a very special fondness for her cat Puffy. She loved spending time with her grandchildren and played an integral part in raising Kristina until kindergarten age and in the summers until high school. She enjoyed cross stitching and embroidery, and would typically customize her American-bought clothes, being critical for the lack of couture, Italian style. In particular, she had a sweater she brought from Italy over 65 years ago, and she liked to compare its continued perfection of look, style, and wear to recent purchases. Until two months ago, she was still handwashing and mending her clothes. Francesca was a beautiful and extraordinary lady, steadfast and resolute, a trailblazer, a Mamma, Nonna, and Zia we will miss so deeply.

Francesca is survived by her children Francesco G. Lezzi and Anna Maria Johnson and their spouses, Georgie, and Daniel; her four adoring grandchildren, Christopher Lezzi (Scott Bell), Michelle Arnold (Craig), Kristina Bigdeli (Kasey Suffredini), and Lucas Lezzi (Cristy); three great grand-children, Emily, Josh, and Jon Luke; three step-grand-children, Daniel II, Bryce, Scott (families). She also leaves behind three brothers-in-law in Italy, Antonio, Agostino, and Mario; and many nieces and nephews in the US and abroad.

Francesca is preceded in death by her loving husband, Rosario, her adoring children Ersilia and Roberto, her beloved siblings Grazia, Addolorata, Antonio, and brother-in-law Luigi. She leaves her philanthropic mark to help cure pediatric cancer and to her Church.

The family wishes to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the remarkable team of dedicated nurses for their compassionate efforts in Francesca's final care from Nest Senior Consultants. We would also like to recognize all the countless close friends she made over the years, including Jeanne and Tom Lund; Lynn Jones; Sandy Walker and staff from Sullivan House.

Francesca said to not cry for her. She was ready to be accepted into Paradise.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, March 12, 2023, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Graham Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1112 Kempsville Road, Chesapeake. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, March 13, 2023, at 12 noon at St. Johns the Apostle Catholic Church, 1968 Sandbridge Rd, Virginia Beach with Rev. Robert J. Cole, KHS, Pastor officiating. She will be laid to rest in the mausoleum at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk. Please visit www.grahamfuneralhome.com to leave a condolence to the family.