Carmela Agatha Falci

Here’s to Carmela “Dolly” Falci for a life well lived and who touched so many in meaningful ways. While death is the end of a life, it is not the end of a relationship. Those who know her will always have favorite memories come visit them.

Carmie arrived in this world on June 14, 1930 to Italian immigrant parents, Margaret and Joseph. Her growing up years were spent in the D.C. area with one sister, Josephine, and one brother, Dominic. While working as a typist she was introduced to her future husband, Ernest Falci. They were introduced by Memmy and Frank Lo Pinto who would become lifelong friends.

They began their married life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin because most of the Falci family lived in the Milwaukee and Madison area. Carmie loved the suburban life. The Falci family embraced her.

When Ernie tired of selling insurance they moved to Montello, Wisconsin, population 1000. It was a resort town that had a surge of families, campers and hunters every summer. They bought a Coffee shop on Main St. and named it “The Hot Shop”. They served typical American food and Thursday’s always featured Carmie’s renowned Spagetti and Meatballs which was always requested when family and friends would visit. On a 5 acre lot in the woods Earnie built a modified A-framed house and they lived there until all three children graduated high school. It was a close family time, although there are stories of Carmie chasing after the kids with a wooden spoon when they were tormenting each other. Their home was the center of so many family reunions, pig roasts and other gatherings. Ernie named this beloved home Camelot.

In 1981 Carmie and Ernie moved to Las Vegas to join friends, Memmy and Frank. They bought a townhouse that had an olive tree and a fig tree planted by Carmie’s father. Every year Carmie would make fig jam and she and Ernie would brine olives to send to family and friends around the country. Eventually, with the canopy of the fig and olive tree the yard turned into an oasis in the desert.

Ernest passed away in 2001 at age 71. Although her two daughters were living in California, her son Dean was always there for her. Daughter Jeanie came to live with her and was her caregiver the last two years of Carmie’s life.

She spent much of her later years as a nurturer---helping others in practical ways, feeding everyone that entered her kitchen and being a true companion for all her friends, human and animal. Mickey and Dino were her dogs in Las Vegas and she loved them as much as they loved her (I also have to mention her cat, Muffin).

While working a part time job with American Greetings she met Wanda who ended up being her best pal. They were two little old ladies loose in Las Vegas who loved to play nickel poker and have dinner at Long John Silvers. She was the last of her generation on both sides of the family and will be truly missed.

Carmela is survived by her two by her two daughters, Jean Pregman and Christine Jenkins and her 3 grandchildren, Marina, Austin and Alec.