Ida Maria Guerra

Ida Maria Annunziata Guerra, 94, was carried in peace by the Blessed Mother into the arms of her Savior, on January 7, 2021. She came through a viral infection period but in a very weakened state with little appetite. While she suffered in this battle with the virus, her last days were not in pain. She held to her strong faith in God and the Virgin Mary throughout. The pain of her loss though is great and many in the nation have felt this similar pain.

Ida was born in the small town of Cellara, in southern Italy, to Eugenia and Gabriele Barone. She is preceded in death by her husband, Luigi Guerra and all her brothers and sisters with the exception of her youngest sister, Nina Roveto of Toronto, Canada. She is also survived by her son Patrick (Pasquale), spouse Rebecca, her grandchildren Paul, wife Sophie and great grandson Peter, her granddaughter Elizabeth with her partner Craig in addition to many beloved nieces and nephews.

Ida lived a long, full, and generous life. Her family had a well-established tradition of giving and helping those less fortunate in the southern Italy of the 1930’s. After her marriage to Luigi and the birth of their son, she waited behind in Italy for 4 years, while Luigi worked in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. In May of 1956, Ida and Pasquale joined Luigi, his brother Giuseppe and many friends from the Cosenza region of Italy in the Niagara Falls, Ontario area of Canada to build a more prosperous life. They worked in physically taxing jobs to be able to save and eventually built their dream home where they raised their son, grew their vegetable gardens and celebrated and shared their bounty with family and friends.

In the late 60’s the California Bay Area beckoned with the promise of weather, family and surroundings much more like the hills of Calabria they had left behind. Two of Luigi’s uncles had immigrated here in the late 19th century and his half-brother Michael and half-sister Sarafina had immigrated to San Jose in 1921. Ida and Luigi lived out the rest of their days near more of their beloved family and new friends in the Valley of Hearts Delight. She worked many summers in the dwindling canning industry, sorting fruits and vegetables on a hot and wet conveyor line, and then would return home late in the day to ensure the success of their own garden. And to preserve and prepare the bounty for later consumption and sharing. Her love and generosity were known to all who met her. She often would say “I love everybody” . She meant it and lived those words every day of her life. Her greatest happiness was being seated at her dining room table, feeding and surrounded by those she loved.

A visitation for Ida will be held Friday, January 22, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. to noon at Lima Family Erickson Funeral Home, 710 Willow Street, San Jose. Funeral Service to follow at 12 p.m. outside the funeral home with Fr. Paulo Gobbo officiating. The Commitment service begins outdoors at 1p.m., at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests the consideration of a donation in her memory to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley, (https://www.shfb.org) or the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (https://curealz.org).