Emma De Nardo Muzzi

MUZZI, Emma De Nardo - 1908-2005 Emma De Nardo was born in Serra San Bruno, a small mountain town in Calabria, Italy on July 22, 1908. There she married Domenic Muzzi in 1927. Together they departed Italy and settled in San Francisco. In 1928 a son, Bruno, was born. The baby was severely injured during birth. Emma cared for him at home until he died at 18. In 1932 they had a daughter, Olga, followed by second son, Vincent in 1945. In 1935, the couple purchased a silent movie diva's foreclosed estate near the Millbrae Avenue Southern Pacific station and opened a county licensed sanitarium. They named it Millbrae Serra. Emma cared for patients and together served their patients needs working late into the night. As their reputation for good care grew, so did the number of patients. By 1952, the expanded facility served 165 residents. After World War II, Emma and Domenic enabled family members, friends, and strangers from their home town emigrate to America, Canada and Australia. After retiring from Millbrae Serra in 1965, Emma traveled to Italy summers to visit family. She never cooked from a recipe book and avoided store canned goods. Her daily, freshly prepared, home-style Italian meals and turkey stuffing on the holidays are legendary. Show up at the last minute any day, and there was always more than enough. She cooked four course meals, and delighted in calling family members one by one to come over at the last minute. Regardless of other plans, they came gladly. She was a good listener and a better storyteller. She had huge energy and a positive approach to life's challenges. She was warm, loving and generous to her family and friends, but very firm in her beliefs. She was Calabrese! At 90 Emma reluctantly surrendered her driver license. Two slipped disks while doing her nightly "yoga" at 92 made walking difficult and signaled the start of an inevitable decline. Reading two daily newspapers, she kept up with current events and was ambulatory with a cane until July 2004 when her pelvis collapsed. Reconstructive surgery and six hours of anesthesia left her recollection of time and place clouded, though she continued to recognize family and friends to the end. Emma is survived by her daughter, Olga Silvestri, and son, Vincent A. Muzzi. She leaves four granddaughters: Laura, Danette, Linda and Ramona; and eight great-grandchildren: Alex, Chelsey, Ben, Spencer, Ariana, Francesca, Daniel, and Carina. Her nephews, Bruno, Vince, Sal, and Enzo; and friend, Marsha Davidson, made frequent and welcome visits. She leaves a surviving sister, Dina, and dozens of nieces and nephews in Italy. We are indebted to the care that she has had from Beatrice Puso her one time housekeeper and longtime friend, and the personal assistance and care given to her by Gloria Banaag, Helen Maslog, Rosario Rivera, Gloria Nielsen and Elena Borello, and Patricia Sorensen, RN, and to all the staff at her Millbrae Serra Convalescent Hospital. A Funeral Mass was said at St. Dunstan Church with Burial at Holy Cross. It was her wish that her funeral be private and published afterward. She has gone, but not far; and she will continue to keep an eye on each of us who loved her. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made for children with special needs at PARCA, 1750 El Camino Real, Burlingame.