Agnes Elizabeth Corpetti DeShan, 94 of Alpharetta, GA, passed away on Sunday, February 13, 2022 after a long four-week brutal and emotional battle with Covid 19 on a ventilator. She was very healthy prior to contracting Covid, but she died at Emory Johns Creek Hospital ICU surrounded by her family. Born September 24, 1927, in Wilmington, Delaware, she was the daughter of the late Amedeo Corpetti and Anna Tondini Corpetti from Wilmington, Delaware and Trenton, New Jersey. She was the youngest of three children. Agnes was proud of her Italian heritage and ancestry as both of her parents, and all her aunts and uncles grew up in or near Rome, Italy. She was an accomplished Italian cook and spoke Italian language fluently.
Agnes attended the Bayard Junior High School in Wilmington Delaware where she graduated with honors in 1942. She went on to Wilmington High School where she received numerous distinguished and esteemed awards for her stellar achievements in music, band, and academics. She graduated from Wilmington High with honors in 1945. Agnes was a leader in the school band playing clarinet and also sang in the school choir and Glee Club. Her high academic achievements rewarded her with a membership in the Honor Society for her entire four years at Wilmington High. She was also a member of St. Anthony's church choir where she sang solo for the choir. Agnes was truly blessed with both a beautiful and powerful voice. She lifted up the entire church congregation at masses at St. Anthony's Catholic Church for many years with an artistic richness to her voice that will forever be distinct and memorable. Agnes also sang at many of the church weddings and church social functions during that time. The church organist also taught Agnes to play the piano then and she often played and sung hymns at home that enriched the lives of her whole family.
After a long courtship that was paused when her husband Peter was in the Navy in WWII, Agnes married her high school sweetheart Peter N. DeShan at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in April 1947 at the young age of 19. Her husband Peter served his Country in a distinguished career in World War II as a Captain with the United States Navy from 1944 through 1946 and was in the reserves for 20 years. After graduating from high school, Agnes began a distinguished career working for one of the larger local CPA firms as Office Manager and Tax Analyst and worked at this firm for many years. In 1951, Agnes's focus and passion shifted to starting a family as her first child was born that year. From 1951 through 1962, she gave birth to seven beautiful healthy children, four boys and three girls. Agnes dedicated her life, her heart, her time, and her unconditional love to her seven children which brought her an abundance of joy and happiness through the years. She also always looked forward and passionately enjoyed beach vacations and outings at Wildwood Beach in New Jersey, and later at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Agnes was a fighter, she was a warrior, and she was filled with an abundance of energy and determination, as she personally motivated and drove each of her seven children to succeed and realize their God-given potential.
Since the family always struggled financially, Agnes worked for Southern Railway in Atlanta office on graveyard shift for 20 years and was promoted to supervisor before retiring. Throughout her entire life, Agnes loved to spend quality time with her family and friends. She looked forward with tremendous excitement to holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other special occasions. She was a very devoted mother and spent much of her time taking kids to football practice, going to games, and shuttling the children to Catholic parochial school. She frequently brought the entire family together to sit down at the table together to an Italian home cooked meal that would warm your heart and soul. Sundays were mandatory where family and friends gathered for meals that she often spent the whole day cooking. She also basically ran a shelter for many friends of the children and extended family, and she also took care of her elderly sick mother Anna for almost 20 years which took a great deal of her time and energy.
Her husband Peter’s work often caused him to move to many states and be mostly unavailable, and she often was taking care of seven children all on her own. She had a very hard life managing all this in lesser times and gave up her dreams for her family. She made sure all the clothes were clean, always made the school lunches every day, washed the clothes for seven children and hung them on the outdoor clothes line to dry. She was a devoted mother and wife who lived her life with a deep, compassionate, and unconditional love to her family and to her faith in God and our Blessed Mother.
Agnes was predeceased by her devoted and loving husband of 72 years, Peter Neil DeShan, her brother Arnold Corpetti and her sister Louise Lee.
She is survived by six of her seven children: Dave and Brenda DeShan of Clermont, GA, the late Diana Speck of Ashland, AL, Michael and Connie DeShan of Woodstock, GA, Joseph and Mary DeShan of Decatur, GA, Peter and Charlotte DeShan of Alpharetta, GA, Kathryn and Joe Murray of Alpharetta, GA, and Rod and Linda McCullough of Cumming, GA. Agnes was blessed with ten grandchildren, Tonia Reeves of Canton, GA, Alicia Bohannon of Newnan, GA, Tony DeShan of Charleston, SC, Rachel Faucett of Woodstock, GA, Jenny Speck of Sandy Springs, GA, David DeShan of Cumming, GA, Thomas Speck of Ashland, AL, Justin N. DeShan of Alpharetta, GA, Nick Murray of Memphis, TN, and Sarah Hawkins of Cumming, GA. She was also blessed with eleven great-grandchildren, Macie Lynne Bohannon, Parker DeShan, Hudson DeShan, Maddison Bohannon, Jack Reeves, Brady DeShan, Gracie Marie Speck, Will Reeves, Cora Faucett, Lyla DeShan, and Baker Faucett.
Friends and family are invited to attend a Catholic funeral service on Monday, February 21, 2022, at H.M. Patterson Funeral Home located at: 173 Allen Road, Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Agnes E. DeShan's burial will be held at Arlington Memorial Cemetery located at: 201 Mount Vernon Highway NW, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 on Monday, February 21, 2022 immediately following the funeral chapel service.
Visitation starts at 10:00 a.m., the funeral chapel service is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., which both will be held at H.M. Patterson Funeral Home. The burial follows immediately at Arlington Memorial Park at 12:40 p.m. A reception for family and friends will be held from 1:20 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in reception hall at H.M. Patterson Funeral Home.
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